ESA to UC

Kitty1

Hi there

My son wants to move to a different area. He is on ESA Support group and gets SDP. He also receives PIP, both mobility and care at the high rate. He will have to move to UC I think. Could anyone help with advice as to whether he is going to be worse or better off please? I put it into the calculator but I am not sure about the level of Transitional protection he might receive. Thank you. 

poppy123456

He will only need to claim UC if he needs to claim for help with any rent. Or if he's currently claiming housing benefit and moves to a different local Authority.

If he claims UC any Income Related ESA he's claiming will end after 2 weeks. As he's in the Support Group he'll be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of his claim.

The SDP transitional protection (TP) of £120/month will be included with his UC. PLease be aware that the TP will erode over time so if other elements increase the TP will decrease so he won't be any better off if other elements increase. For this reason i'd advise him to wait until after the April increase before he claims UC.

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

calcotti

He will get less money on UC than on ESA with SDP.

Kitty1

Thank you for that information. He will need to claim help with rent costs. I don’t quite understand the two amounts for TP as there was one for £285 and one for £120. Am I right in thinking that if he receives the £120 TP his total UC is £809.19 per month which is less than the £887.25 ESA he receives now? So he would be worse off? Thank you for your help. 

calcotti

As per my previous post there will be less money on UC than on ESA with SDP.

(The £285 SDPTE is for those who do not get LCWRA in the UC but as he is in ESA Support Group he will get LCWRA element of UC and will only get £120 SDPTE. Obviously the SDPTE only applies if he still meets the criteria to qualify for SDP when he applies for UC.)

Kitty1

Oh dear. He might have to rethink his plans. Thank you for the helpful information. Appreciate it. 😊

Shlbly

I went from ESA to UC back in January, on all the same things as your son, because a carer moved in. I’m now £377.80 short a month. Think about this carefully, wish we had known before, as having to prove disabilities all over again!

poppy123456

Shlbly said:

I went from ESA to UC back in January, on all the same things as your son, because a carer moved in. I’m now £377.80 short a month. Think about this carefully, wish we had known before, as having to prove disabilities all over again!

A carer moving in with you would not have been classed as a change of circumstances that would have prompted a move to UC.

When you were claiming ESA which group were you in? Did your ESA include the SDP?

Shlbly

Hi hi thank you for getting back to me. It was my daughter the carer, she claimed carers and everything went to pot. ESA support group and yes included SDP. I got no transitional payment.

poppy123456

Shlbly said:

Hi hi thank you for getting back to me. It was my daughter the carer, she claimed carers and everything went to pot. ESA support group and yes included SDP. I got no transitional payment.

That would not have prompted a move to UC. Who ever advised you this was incorrect. As your ESA included the SDP then your daughter claiming carers allowance would have ended the SDP.

If the SDP ended before you claimed UC then you wouldn't have been entitled to the SDP transitional protection in your UC.

When you claimed UC if you were still claiming ESA at that time then your UC should have included the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. Does it include this element?

Shlbly

We went to see a benefit advisor at Age Concern as couldn’t manage on less money.
yes we found out the SDP had stopped, plus the EDP.
Yes it does include LCWRA. However due to not informing people properly, I am now in debt with the DWP, Carers, Council and UC for the advance I had. So doesn’t leave a lot, I got £37 last month.

poppy123456

Shlbly said:

We went to see a benefit advisor at Age Concern as couldn’t manage on less money.
yes we found out the SDP had stopped, plus the EDP.
Yes it does include LCWRA. However due to not informing people properly, I am now in debt with the DWP, Carers, Council and UC for the advance I had. So doesn’t leave a lot, I got £37 last month.

The disability premiums do not exist when claiming UC, they only apply to Income Related legacy benefits.

If you had stayed on ESA then your money would have been even less than it is now.

ESA Support Group pays less money than LCWRA for UC, if your ESA doesn't include the SDP. (your's didn't) For this reason you're now better off on UC.

Advance payments do need to be repaid back and reduce your monthly amount to pay what you owe. This is the downfall when having an advance payment.

Having said that £37/month from UC isn't a lot of money. Are you claiming for help with any rent? If so unless you're living in either supported or temporary housing your UC should include help with the rent known as housing element. Does your include this?

Are you claiming council tax reduction? It's not part of UC and needs to be claimed separately.

Shlbly

Yes I had to borrow money last month.

Part of rent paid, as have extra bedroom. I did have 100% reduction on council tax due to SMI, have lost that now too.

poppy123456

You can apply for a DHP from your local Authority for the shortfall in your rent. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Or if you need a bedroom because of regular overnight care then you can claim for this. More information here. https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/help-with-bills-and-household-costs/understanding-bedroom-tax/

What's the reason why entitlement to SMI stopped?

Shlbly

We tried to get that and any other help from council, told because I was under pension age, nothing was available. I have 3 bedrooms. 

SMI stopped due to daughter moving in.

JBS2022

SMI shouldn't be  affected by having other people in the property, my aunty gets SMI and lives with her husband and son. All it effects is the amount of council tax reduction.