Thousands of Brits on benefits could be owed £5,000 back pay – how to check if you’re affected
HARD-UP Brits could be owed an average of £5,000 after a benefits error left thousands with less money than they should have.
Thousands of claimants did not receive all of the cash they were entitled to under the Employment Support Allowance (ESA) scheme between 2011 and 2014.
People who are ill or disabled can apply for ESA help, and you could get up to £74.70 a week.
But the Department for Work and Pensions discovered a system error in 2016 that meant a raft of claimants weren’t being paid enough.
Some had missed out on premiums like the enhanced disability premium, which is worth up to £24.60 per week.
Since then, the DWP has been checking through 600,000 cases, and has so far paid out a whopping £589million in back payments.
On average ESA claimants are owed £5,000 but some on a severe disability premium could be owed £11,500 each.
A “small number” could get around £20,000.
But it’s too late for 50,000 claimants who have died to check whether they’re due money back because of the blunder.
The DWP will be announcing the last round of any payouts due on Thursday (July 8).
That means the last of the affected Brits on ESA benefits will finally know later this week if they're due cash back.
The Sun approached the DWP for a comment.
How do I check if I’m affected?
Since the mess-up was discovered, the DWP has been getting in touch with affected claimants to let them know that their case is being looked into.
The most serious cases, including terminally ill claimants, have been prioritised first.
What is the difference between ESA and Universal Credit
HERE are the differences between ESA and Universal Credit.
There is no guarantee that you will get the same amount of money under Universal Credit that you have done with Income Related ESA.
Universal Credit depends on your income, whereas ESA is based on your National Insurance contributions.
ESA is paid to an individual, Universal Credit is a single household payment.
ESA doesn’t take into account any savings you have.
If you have a partner who is working, their earnings don’t affect your new style ESA payment.
Universal Credit can include money for your rent or childcare costs, new style ESA doesn’t.
ESA is paid every 2 weeks and Universal Credit is usually paid every month.
That means you should have been made aware by now whether you’re potentially due cash back.
If you think you’ve been affected by the blunder but haven’t been told that your case is being looked into, you can contact the DWP on 0800 169 0346 for more information.
How do I apply for ESA?
You're eligible for ESA if you're under State Pension age and you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work.
You need to have worked either as a self-employed worker or as an employee, and you can't get ESA if you claim Jobseeker's Allowance or Statutory Sick Pay.
You can apply for ESA over the phone on 0800 055 6688.
The phone call usually lasts around half an hour as you have to give all your details over the phone.
You can also apply on the for ESA benefits - which is the quickest way to sign up for the scheme.
In both cases, you'll need a few bits of information handy, including your National Insurance number, bank or building society number and sortcode, your doctor's name and address, and details of your income.
This entire process can take up to 13 weeks for you to receive ESA benefits.
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