LCWRA

perdita

Good Morning,
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. 
As I explained in a previous post I have been in the Support Group for ESA for many years and I am having to move  to UC due to moving areas.
I have just recieved my statement and as I expected the LCWRA element has not been added despite my leaving a message on my journal. I have a letter recieved on Friday from ESA confirming my Support group status. 
Can someone please advise what my next steps should be.
Thanks again for your continued support. 
Kind regards 
Helen 

poppy123456

Put a message on your journal under the payment section and tell them that your statement doesn't include the LCWRA element.

I see that you're also claiming contributions based ESA, has this been deducted in full from your UC?

perdita

Hi Poppy, 
Thanks again for your prompt reply, didn't expect one so soon.
Yes they have deducted my ESA in full, as well as husbands carer's allowance (which was all expected) 
I was only expecting a small amount due to those deductions and the deduction of my private pension. But as the LCWRA wasn't added it became 0. 
I am not overly surprised as I didn't get a response to the message I previously left on my Journal.
Kind regards 
Helen

poppy123456

Is there carers element also included in that calculation?

perdita

Hi Poppy, 
Yes I believe it has. If that is the £168.81. My full rent has also been included which is positive as I had to explain why we needed the extra bedroom.
One last question (hopefully) My private pension has gone down this month due to tax being deducted. I only started claiming it in September last year, and was therefore exempt for that tax year.
My question is do they deduct the amount before or after tax. Also the figures quoted are before this year's increases which is because of my assessment period which is 30th March to 29th April.
Hope this makes sense. You are a legend, thanks once again
Kind regards 
Helen

poppy123456

It's the amount of pension you receive that counts. It reduces your UC £1 for £1. You will see the increase in your June payment for the annual increases. Your ESA will also increase but so will the deduction from UC.

perdita

Hi everyone,
On going situation. I finally got a reply which was to phone "the service centre " which I duly did. 
They told me that they could only put a message for the case manager as well, but she then freaked me out by asking me if I am sure if I am still in receipt of ESA. I replied that I was I had received all my payments and received a letter from them on 12th April confirming my payments. She replied that she would ask the case manager to ring me as it was very complex.
My mind is now racing...does she know something I don't? Didn't think that transferring an existing award was particularly complex. Any thoughts would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks again 
Helen

poppy123456

It shouldn’t be anything complex to transfer your details from ESA to UC. 

When you ring the UC helpline you’re just speaking to someone from a call centre and they have very little knowledge. They just sit reading from a screen and yes they usually just put a message onto your journal, which you could have done yourself. 

It’s nothing to worry about, your ESA is contributions based so it’s not just going to stop. 

perdita

Hi Poppy,
Hope you are well and as fantastic as ever.
I did put a message on my journal under payments and the  reply I got was to ring the service centre. I thought it was odd but thought "better do as asked" Feel I am going round in circles. I have a tendency to over think my over thinking. I am starting to f'eel anxious I don't know where this has come from as I am normally so laid back. Perhaps it's  just the process? I feel for anyone who seriously suffers from anxiety dealing with this.
Thank you once again.
Helen 

perdita

Hope everyone is as well as can be expected, 
So the Saga continues.....received a phone call from a case manager this morning,  who informed me that they can't see what other benefits I am on, so my claim that I am in the support group will be passed to Decision Maker. 
Surely it shouldn't be this difficult. I am now wondering how much longer will this take? Guess "how long is a piece of string?" But if anyone has any clue I would be grateful. I wish I had joined this group earlier and read the advice to take my ESA documents with me to the first meeting. However, you can't go back in time. 
Thanks as always for your continued support.
Helen 

trb10

Welcome to my world Perdita!  I got a letter in March informing me that my entitlement to ESA ended in October even though I was still getting payment!  Had to apply to UC and they won't treat me as a migrating client.  MR failed so now having to go to appeal.

poppy123456

perdita said:

 I wish I had joined this group earlier and read the advice to take my ESA documents with me to the first meeting. However, you can't go back in time. 
Thanks as always for your continued support.
Helen 

It's not too late to stil do that, if you're able to attend your local JC or your partner can go for you, if you're unable to do that.

perdita

trb10, it's a minefield isn't it? Good luck with your appeal. Hope it all goes the way you would like and deserve.
Poppy, I am such a muppet of course we could do that. Sometimes the "overthinking" can mean you Sometimes overlook the obvious. Do you think if we did that it would expedite the DM's decision? Still finding it difficult to understand how they can know I receive ESA but not what group I am in. 
Your expertise in this has been so valuable and has so far kept me reasonably calm
Kind regards 
Helen

poppy123456

No worries, sometimes we don't think of the simpliest of things, i've done that many times. They have deducted your ESA in full so not adding the LCWRA element is bonkers! This means they know you're in the Support Group so it's ridiculous!

Yes, taking your ESA letter into the JC will hopefully help. Though you really shouldn't have to do that!

perdita

Thanks as always Poppy. I have taken your advice and visited the Job centre. They informed me that they couldn't take my documents. They did however, send me a link so I could upload them. 
This has been done along with a message reminding them of Regulation 19 (transitional provisions) 2014. 
It never ceases to amaze me how difficult something so simple can be.
Anyway onwards and upwards.
Helen 

perdita

Hi, and so the saga continues. After resending another message in my journal today, I have finally gotten a response. 
They confirm that they have recieved the uploaded letters and that they have added these onto the decision (whatever that means) They have told me that there is no time limit to how long the decision will take but I can escalate it after the 29/5/2023.
What infuriates and disappoints me in equal measures is the fact that I shouldn't have to expend so much energy in this process. I accept the onus is on the individual to mange their own claim, however the blasé attitude they have when the ineptitude is their own astounds me. Sorry rant over 🙂 
I am hoping that as my next assessment period ends on the 30th of this month that the decision will appear (or not) on my next statement. Hope I am not being wildly optimistic.
Take care
Helen

trb10

Oh no that's awful.  Fingers crossed that you get what you are owed in your next statement.

perdita

Hurray, got a letter in my journal today saying I am in the LCWRA group. As it is their standard letter it talks about the three month waiting period. My question is that...this obviously doesn't apply to me as it is a transitional award, however as my next payment date is the 6th June am i likely to see in my next statement? 
Trb 10 thanks for your continued support and I hope you have managed to convince them that you no longer get ESA. 
Once again thanks to everyone with a particular mention to Poppy who's dedication and unwavering patience has been amazing.
Helen 

trb10

Yay!  I'm so pleased it's worked out for you.  I received a letter in my journal today that I am owed money due to the fact they received incorrect information that I was in receipt of ESA.

poppy123456

perdita said:

Hurray, got a letter in my journal today saying I am in the LCWRA group. As it is their standard letter it talks about the three month waiting period. My question is that...this obviously doesn't apply to me as it is a transitional award, however as my next payment date is the 6th June am i likely to see in my next statement? 
Trb 10 thanks for your continued support and I hope you have managed to convince them that you no longer get ESA. 
Once again thanks to everyone with a particular mention to Poppy who's dedication and unwavering patience has been amazing.
Helen 

Finally. I would hope that there's plenty of time left before you receive your statement this month for the LCWRA element to be included.

Thanks for the kind words too, they are very much appreciated.