Help with esa and universal credit

krah12

Hello

Can someone give me some advice please?  I am really confused right now. I had to notify a change in my circumstances to esa and child tax credit. Husband moved in with me. He is here on spousal visa and on a no recourse to public fund. Child tax stopped. When I called up, I was advised to make a joint claim on universal credit. I explained I cannot claim jointly and also have informed all this in the letter I sent them but I am still being told to make a joint claim? Does that mean esa will stop as well? Esa hasn't stopped yet. I called them today and was told someone will call me back to me. They cannot tell me what would happen.

I'm really confused on what to do now? Should I apply for universal credit? Or will I be moved over automatically? Please Help! 

poppy123456

Yes, you will both need to claim UC, you will not be moved onto it automatically but because your husband has no recourse to public funds then you will not receive any extra money for him.

If you're husband is working his earnings will be taken into consideration for your UC and will reduce it by 55% for earnings above the work allowance.

If you claim for help with any rent your work allowance will be £344/month, if you don't it will be £573/month.

If you claim UC then this will end any Income Related ESA and housing benefit you're claiming after 2 weeks. If you're in the Support Group for ESA then you'll be entitled to LCWRA element from the start of your claim.

krah12

Thank you for replying. I reported the change and now I can apply for universal credit. I understand I don't need to wait for Esa to get back to me or apply after ESA has stopped. I can just go ahead and apply for UC. How will UC know I was on support group on ESA?

poppy123456

Yes, you can apply for UC now, which you will both need to do. One of you will then be sent a linking code to join both claims together. You do not need to wait for ESA to stop, once you claim UC then ESA will know about this. If you wait until your ESA claim stops and you're in the Support Group then you won't be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. You will need to go through the work capability assessment again.

Although you won't receive extra money for your partner, entitlement will still based on your joint circumstances.

Once you've claimed UC then put a message onto your journal to tell them that you were claiming ESA and which group you're in. You maybe asked to send a fit note as part of the new claims process. It often takes a few weeks for ESA to transfer your details across.

When you claim UC your first payment will be 1 month and 6 days later. You can ask for an advance payment but this needs to be repaid back and it will reduce your future payments.

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

krah12

Thank you for replying. What happens if i don't give fit notes? I'm so anxious and panic at the thought of going out. I submitted the application for uc. I am so worried.

poppy123456

A fit note is part of the claims process. If you reported your health condition when you claimed then it should be a task on your "to do list" to report a fit note.

Did you add a message on your journal to tell them that you're in the Support Group? Did your husband also claim himself? if he did and you've been sent the linking code you will need to use that code to link both claims together.

krah12

Yes I can see that on there now about providing the fit note. Yes I did put in there that I am in the support group in Esa. We have linked both of us and now its a joint claim. So even though I'm in the support group I still need to provide the fit note? Thank you so much for all the help you have given me. I really do appreciate it. Everything is so confusing at the moment. Thank you for helping me.

L_Volunteer

Hey @krah12. I just wanted to add a warm welcome from me. It is great to see you have joined us and thank you for already finding the courage to reach out to us. 

I completely hear that everything is so confusing at the moment. It is a really confusing system and it reflects more about the system than you as a person.

Hopefully, someone will be able to confirm the answer to your question soon. In the meantime, is there anything else which would help with this confusion?

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you 

poppy123456

L_Volunteer said:

Hopefully, someone will be able to confirm the answer to your question soon. 

I already answered their questions. They do usually ask for a fit note as part of the claims process, as I advised.