Moving to uc from esa and worried about reassessment

th1990

Hi guys so cut a long story somewhat short i am currently on esa in the support group getting the severe disability premium and i receive pip both at the enhanced rates for mobility and daily living but i am now being made to claim universal credit. 

I have recently lost my rented house due to my landlord selling up and i have had to find a new home which unfortunately is under a different council so my legacy benefits wont carry over as i cant claim housing benefit and need to do a uc claim.

after 4 weeks of house hunting and having panic attacks and huge stress due to the current housing crisis i was so happy to know i wasnt going to be homeless. that was until i found out about the universal credit situation. i am now unable to get motivated and deal with the stress that is moving home as i am terrified what is going to happen next. i had to use all my savings to pay 6 months rent up front and now im worried i have to go through the reassessment with uc. 2023 has been such an unlucky start for me and im scared its going to get worse. i felt like my life was over when i found out i wouldnt have a home and now i feel like i am going to have no income. my situation since my last esa review has not changed but the process for esa the first time was a nightmare that i had to re apeal for the decision and im so scared about going through this again.

is the change over likely to make me be reassessed and have to deal with it all over again? has anyone had any experience with this. i need to put my mind at ease and know exactly what is going to happen. i recieve the sdp on esa and have read i should be treated as i do not have to look for work based on my current esa claim and that i wouldnt be put up for review right away. its just so terrifying to think about this after an already hugely disruptive start to the year. thanks  

JBS2022

As reviews are currently suspended it's unlikely you will be reassessed, it's likely you will be moved to LCWRA until reviews restart at a future date. You may require a sick note until your file is transferred over but that depends on Work Coach

th1990

@JBS2022 thanks for the reply. i had no idea the reviews where on a hold at the moment. i did read that being in the support group and having the sdp may mean that i get put into lcwra but the may part is what is getting to my anxiety. i am just at wits end with worry. is it often the case that this happens and people on esa will just be transferred this way? i dont mind having to deal with future reviews but with everything that has happened to me this year i feel like being told i have to donan assessment from the moment i claim with have me falling over the edge. i already know i will be receiving less money on uc as i lose my sdp but the thought of losing everything from day 1 is too much 

poppy123456

Moving to a different local authority is only classed as a change that will prompt a move to UC if you need to claim for help with the rent.

If you claim UC then any Income Related ESA you're claiming will end after 2 weeks. You'll be entitled to the LCWRA element of UC from the start of your claim, you won't need to be reassessed.

As your ESA includes the SDP then you'll also be entitled to the SDP transitional protection (TP) of £120, however this will erode over time so if other elements increase then TP will decrease. This means that when the benefits increase next month you will not be any better off. For this reason if you can hold off claiming UC until after the increase then it would be much better. However, you won't receive any help with the rent in the meantime.

As advised above, they will likely ask you to provide a fit note when you claim as part of the claims process but this should prompt a review (they're suspended anyway)

If any part of your ESA is contributions based (£117.60/week) this will continue but be deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

poppy123456

th1990 said:

i did read that being in the support group and having the sdp may mean that i get put into lcwra

The SDP has nothing to do with LCWRA for UC. You will be entitled to this from the start of your UC claim because you're in the Support Group.

th1990

@poppy123456 thanks for the advice. unfortunately i need to claim help with the rent as it is a private let and due to the hikes over the past 4 years is even more expensive than where i am now but still cheaper than most places as its in a small town. luckily close to my partner who helps me deal with my issues. another reason why i felt like i had lucked out with the house as it was the only one i got offered after weeks of looking and applications. its just a shame its so far away i need to go through this uc transition. all i have heard is negative press regarding uc so im just expecting the worst to happen now. if i am put into lcwra and they cant do a review i assume i would receive the full award until they restart them? i will be making a note of the sdp on my application hopefully with that the difference should only be around 80-100 a month for me  

poppy123456

The advice to hold off from claiming until after the annual benefits increase is because the SDP transitional protection erodes over time. This means that when the benefits increase by 10.1% from April your UC will remain the same, there will be no increase for you because when other elements increase the TP just decreases.

Yes, you do hear some bad stories from some people claiming UC but remember a lot of people claim it without any problems but we just don't hear the good stories. My daughter claims it and has never had any issues.

th1990

@poppy123456 this is very true regarding that you are more likely to hear the bad stories. i think my brain is just in overdrive with worry at present. i was aware about the tp eroding and worked it out that i will receive 8 pounds more than i do now solely thanks to my pip when the increase happens. i am ok with managing money and even receiving less on uc would be ok its the thought of having nothing that is scaring me. its somewhat relieving to hear it should be ok. i wish i didnt always assume the worst. darn anxiety

JBS2022

You only hear the negative stories about UC and never the positives.