- I think the point about 16K has been cleared up as several people have pointed out you can claim benefits based on your National Insurance record if household savings/capital is too great. There are some benefits, such as PIP, where you can claim if you're in work or out of work and with any type of savings or capital - obviously certain eligibility criteria points have to be met but these benefits won't firstly assess your NI record or income/capital/savings.
- Severe Disability Benefit is a means-tested component but to be entitled it requires you to be on a qualifying benefit (for example the Daily Living Component of PIP), be treated as living alone (either living alone or that the other person can be disregarded) and that no one is getting paid carer's allowance for looking after you.
- Regarding New Style ESA, depending on what your pension is and how much is paid then you may find yourself having deductions made from your New Style ESA payment. Certain types of pension are ignored but others, that a periodically paid, will allow an £85 disregard before then deducting half the excess from your payment of New Style ESA. For example, if you've got one of the pensions that isn't ignored paying at £105 per week then £10 will be deducted from your New Style ESA payment. Likewise, if you work as a local councillor you may find yourself caught up in this.
Maybe calling Turn2us would be a good shout or looking on the Citizens Advice website? It can be a complicated system and important to ask whether you have a right to work legally and claim benefits in the UK, how old you are and whether your work/residence is in the UK or abroad too.
For the person who is moving from DLA to PIP may I ask if you've seen the following page: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/be...f-you-get-dla/