Worried sick

0ptimistic

Hello
I am currently on Contributions related ESA and am worried that this will be wiped out when I am migrated over to Universal Credit because I get a pension payment from my old employer of over £600
I was last reviewed for ESA in 2017 and am in the support group.
I am autistic and have a mortgage and want to save up to renew my lease on my flat, also which will be expensive.
I am doing my self no good by googling and worrying myself more, so I thought I would come here to see if having a monthly pension payment will really wipe out my ESA and I really will be a few hundreds of pounds worse off a month.
Also, if my universal credit wipes out my ESA I am worried that I will no longer be eligible for other help for benefit claimants. 
Can someone allay my fears, or confirm them, sorry to sound paranoid. 

poppy123456

Contributions based ESA and New style ESA will never be part of UC so you will never be migrated across. Your ESA will just continue.

Your ESA isn't means tested but any pension of over £85/week will reduce your ESA by 50p for every £1 over that amount. Are ESA aware that you're receiving a pension?

0ptimistic

poppy123456 said:

Contributions based ESA and New style ESA will never be part of UC so you will never be migrated across. Your ESA will just continue.

Your ESA isn't means tested but any pension of over £85/week will reduce your ESA by 50p for every £1 over that amount. Are ESA aware that you're receiving a pension?

Hello Poppy

Yes, the DWP know I have a pension, so I do not get the full ESA.
Sorry for more questions, I am on a trail of worry.
Thank you for confirming that my contributions based ESA will never be part of UC.
I have not had a review since 2017, so, what will happen when I am next reviewed, if they still find me unfit for work, will I stay on contributions based ESA?

I ask because I remember someone from another forum saying their ESA was reduced to a pittance when they got assessed for Universal credit, because they had a pension income, so they must have been on contributions based ESA.
Sorry for my confusion, and the govt sites are not very clear.

Also, could you point me towards somewhere where I can read about my ESA not being affected by Universal credit, as I can only find information regarding new style ESA which I am not on?
I really appreciate your informative speedy reply and allaying my worries.

poppy123456

SDP and EDP applies to Income Related ESA. DWP may have assessed you for the income related top up but because you’re receiving a pension then this reduces your Income Related entitlement. Which means you’re not entitled to it. Both of those disability premiums have nothing to do with council tax reduction. 

The information you read about New style ESA applies to contributions based ESA because they are both contributions based benefits. 

As you’re in the Support Group for ESA then your payments will continue for as long as you remain entitled to it. 

calcotti

0ptimistic said:?., what will happen when I am next reviewed, if they still find me unfit for work, will I stay on contributions based ESA?.

Yes

0ptimistic said:?.I remember someone from another forum saying their ESA was reduced to a pittance when they got assessed for Universal credit, because they had a pension income, so they must have been on contributions based ESA.

If they were claiming UC the pension would be deducted in full from the UC. ESA is only reduced by pension income over £85/week. You may have misremembered that thread.

Universal Credit only replaces income based benefits.

Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit

At some stage I think the contribution based ESA is likely to be switched to new style ESA but this has no practical implications.

0ptimistic

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:?., what will happen when I am next reviewed, if they still find me unfit for work, will I stay on contributions based ESA?.

Yes

0ptimistic said:?.I remember someone from another forum saying their ESA was reduced to a pittance when they got assessed for Universal credit, because they had a pension income, so they must have been on contributions based ESA.

If they were claiming UC the pension would be deducted in full from the UC. ESA is only reduced by pension income over £85/week. You may have misremembered that thread.

Thanks, my worry was sparked off when I read about someone having their universal credit wiped out because of their pension income, I think they were on ESA, could they have been on income related ESA, sorry for all the questions. I'm really scared of not having enough money, probably too scared.

poppy123456

0ptimistic said:

Also, could you point me towards somewhere where I can read about my ESA not being affected by Universal credit, 

Here you go, as you can see it’s only income related benefits that are being moved to UC. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

calcotti

0ptimistic said:.

Thanks, my worry was sparked off when I read about someone having their universal credit wiped out because of their pension income, I think they were on ESA, could they have been on income related ESA,

If they were not on UC they were not on income based ESA because you can’t get both at the same time.

If they were on ESA and UC then the ESA was contribution based on new style ESA. The pension could have removed most of the UC but would not affect the ESA unless the pension was over £85/week.

0ptimistic

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:.

Thanks, my worry was sparked off when I read about someone having their universal credit wiped out because of their pension income, I think they were on ESA, could they have been on income related ESA,

If they were not on UC they were not on income based ESA because you can’t get both at the same time.

If they were on ESA and UC then the ESA was contribution based on new style ESA. The pension could have removed most of the UC but would not affect the ESA unless the pension was over £85/week.

Hello
I read this person's ESA was deducted because of their pension, before new style ESA was introduced. 
I read that everyone will be migrated to UC by the end of 2024, which triggered me to write this, as I fear not being able to afford to live here, I love it here, I relocated away from abuse from family in my hometown. 
It sounds like their pension, like mine was over £85 a week. 
Sorry for being so wimpy.

0ptimistic

poppy123456 said:

0ptimistic said:

Also, could you point me towards somewhere where I can read about my ESA not being affected by Universal credit, 

Here you go, as you can see it’s only income related benefits that are being moved to UC. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Hello, it doesn't mention contributions related ESA.
I worried because I read everyone was being migrated and I thought that included me. 

calcotti

0ptimistic said:

I read that everyone will be migrated to UC by the end of 2024, .

That is simply wrong - it is only the income based benefits listed as quoted earlier that are being replaced by UC. (As an aside, the transfer of income based ESA claimants to UC has recently been delayed until 2028.)

poppy123456

0ptimistic said:

poppy123456 said:

0ptimistic said:

Also, could you point me towards somewhere where I can read about my ESA not being affected by Universal credit, 

Here you go, as you can see it’s only income related benefits that are being moved to UC. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Hello, it doesn't mention contributions related ESA.
I worried because I read everyone was being migrated and I thought that included me. 

Exactly because contributions based ESA has nothing to do with UC. 

0ptimistic

poppy123456 said:

0ptimistic said:

poppy123456 said:

0ptimistic said:

Also, could you point me towards somewhere where I can read about my ESA not being affected by Universal credit, 

Here you go, as you can see it’s only income related benefits that are being moved to UC. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Hello, it doesn't mention contributions related ESA.
I worried because I read everyone was being migrated and I thought that included me. 

Exactly because contributions based ESA has nothing to do with UC. 

Thanks, I wish I had come here first, you have no idea how much better I feel after learning this from you. A big thank you.

0ptimistic

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:?., what will happen when I am next reviewed, if they still find me unfit for work, will I stay on contributions based ESA?.

Yes

0ptimistic said:?.I remember someone from another forum saying their ESA was reduced to a pittance when they got assessed for Universal credit, because they had a pension income, so they must have been on contributions based ESA.

If they were claiming UC the pension would be deducted in full from the UC. ESA is only reduced by pension income over £85/week. You may have misremembered that thread.

Universal Credit only replaces income based benefits.

Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit

At some stage I think the contribution based ESA is likely to be switched to new style ESA but this has no practical implications.

Hello, I like my contributions based ESA as I pay stamp.
Do you know if I paid national insurance stamp when I claimed incapacity benefit, as I cannot find any info online. Also have I got cause to worry because of the switch? as in reduction of money somehow?
Do you have any thing I can read on the switch? Thanks

poppy123456

0ptimistic said:

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:?., what will happen when I am next reviewed, if they still find me unfit for work, will I stay on contributions based ESA?.

Yes

0ptimistic said:?.I remember someone from another forum saying their ESA was reduced to a pittance when they got assessed for Universal credit, because they had a pension income, so they must have been on contributions based ESA.

If they were claiming UC the pension would be deducted in full from the UC. ESA is only reduced by pension income over £85/week. You may have misremembered that thread.

Universal Credit only replaces income based benefits.

Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit

At some stage I think the contribution based ESA is likely to be switched to new style ESA but this has no practical implications.

Hello, I like my contributions based ESA as I pay stamp.
Do you know if I paid national insurance stamp when I claimed incapacity benefit, as I cannot find any info online. Also have I got cause to worry because of the switch? as in reduction of money somehow?
Do you have any thing I can read on the switch? Thanks

You most likely won’t even realise your contributions based ESA will become New style ESA. 

You will still receive class 1 NI credits the same as you do now. 

New style ESA Support Group pays the same as contributions based ESA so there will be no changes to your ESA. 

0ptimistic

poppy123456 said:

SDP and EDP applies to Income Related ESA. DWP may have assessed you for the income related top up but because you’re receiving a pension then this reduces your Income Related entitlement. Which means you’re not entitled to it. Both of those disability premiums have nothing to do with council tax reduction. 

The information you read about New style ESA applies to contributions based ESA because they are both contributions based benefits. 

As you’re in the Support Group for ESA then your payments will continue for as long as you remain entitled to it. 

That what worries me, as the council tax people showed on my letter that I get a pension. 
I think the DWP notify them automatically when my pension goes up.
The council tax letter also says "Contributory ESA" so I wonder why I am being awarded SDP and EDP?
Thanks, I have a fear of money (or lack of it) and also DWP and Council Tax.

0ptimistic

poppy123456 said:

0ptimistic said:

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:?., what will happen when I am next reviewed, if they still find me unfit for work, will I stay on contributions based ESA?.

Yes

0ptimistic said:?.I remember someone from another forum saying their ESA was reduced to a pittance when they got assessed for Universal credit, because they had a pension income, so they must have been on contributions based ESA.

If they were claiming UC the pension would be deducted in full from the UC. ESA is only reduced by pension income over £85/week. You may have misremembered that thread.

Universal Credit only replaces income based benefits.

Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit

At some stage I think the contribution based ESA is likely to be switched to new style ESA but this has no practical implications.

Hello, I like my contributions based ESA as I pay stamp.
Do you know if I paid national insurance stamp when I claimed incapacity benefit, as I cannot find any info online. Also have I got cause to worry because of the switch? as in reduction of money somehow?
Do you have any thing I can read on the switch? Thanks

You most likely won’t even realise your contributions based ESA will become New style ESA. 

You will still receive class 1 NI credits the same as you do now. 

New style ESA Support Group pays the same as contributions based ESA so there will be no changes to your ESA. 

I read that the DWP send a letter when they change claimants over to new style ESA but I never got one.
I really appreciate the help on here

calcotti

0ptimistic said:

I read that the DWP send a letter when they change claimants over to new style ESA but I never got one.

Because you are still on the old ESA - therefore you haven’t had a letter.

The council tax letter also says "Contributory ESA" so I wonder why I am being awarded SDP and EDP?

Every local authority has their own CTR rules for working age claimants so they will include whatever premiums apply under the rules of their scheme.

As a point of interest - har far off pension age are you?

0ptimistic

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:

I read that the DWP send a letter when they change claimants over to new style ESA but I never got one.

Because you are still on the old ESA - therefore you haven’t had a letter.

So long as I don't lose out. I don't want to be rich, I just don't want to be unable to afford to live in my modest flat, as I like it here.

poppy123456

0ptimistic said:

calcotti said:

0ptimistic said:

I read that the DWP send a letter when they change claimants over to new style ESA but I never got one.

Because you are still on the old ESA - therefore you haven’t had a letter.

So long as I don't lose out. I don't want to be rich, I just don't want to be unable to afford to live in my modest flat, as I like it here.

I already advised that New style ESA pays the same as your current ESA so you won’t lose out. 

Alex_Alumni

Hello and welcome @0ptimistic and thank you for reaching out. I'm glad to see you feel supported by our members.

We'd like to email you to see if we can support you further with your concerns, so please keep an eye out, and let us know if it doesn't come through later today.