Uc migration contribution based esa

Deeliciousss

Hi, Just wondering if anyone knows when and what happens to those who claim old style esa with an income based top up as can not find anything about it online.

Currently claiming:

Joint contribution based esa with income based top up which includes - Support group, disability element and 2xsdp all paid in one payment fortnightly.

Full housing benefit for a 3 bed but only have a 2 bed need but extra bedroom allowed due to disability

Maximum child tax credits for two children

Council tax support

Fsm, pupil premium and free dental, descriptions and opticians due to income based esa being a passported benefit.

Any help, advice appreciated and if anyone is in a similar situation, I'd really like to hear from you.

Many thanks

poppy123456

You will potentially receive your letter anytime from now. Once you receive it you will have 3 months to apply. Your Tax credits will stop once you submit your claim. Income Related ESA and housing benefit will continue for 2 weeks and then stop.

Any contributions based ESA will continue but be deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

If in the Support Group for ESA then your UC will include the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. Who's the main claimant of the ESA? you or your partner? The person that isn't the main claimant will be expected to look for work because claiming a disability benefit doesn't exclude you from this.

The person that isn't the main claimant can claim carers element BUT if you claim this in your first assessment period then this will affect your Transitional Protection. You can claim it in the 2nd assessment period but it would then reduce your TP by the same amount. You may want to get some expert advice to check whether it's financially better to wait for your 2nd assessment period or claim it as soon as you claim. It will depend on the figures. As a carer you will not be expected to look for work.

As you're claiming for an extra bedroom for housing benefit then you will need to apply for this when you claim UC and it will be down to a decision to maker to decide whether to award the extra bedroom.

For FSM you will still be entitled because the crtieria when claiming UC is earned income of less than £7,400/year. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/free-school-meals

Free NHS treatment, you'll be entitled if earnings are less than £935 in your last assessment period. https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/help-with-health-costs-for-people-getting-universal-credit/

Your CTR will be recalculated based on your UC entitlement. Other than that I can't advise on this because all local Authorities have their own rules.

Deeliciousss

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/868648#Comment_868648

Thank you so much for all the information and links.

Regarding the contribution part of the esa. Which is the part that concerns and confuses me the most. We have never had this paid seperatly before as we just get one payment from esa and the paperwork just states income based in the calculations and doesn't mention contribution based. But I know it forms part of my partners claim as he gets a yearly p60u which shows a taxable amount of £6757.40. So does that mean they'll seperate the payment on uc then deduct it? As we would lose £563.11 per month on that element alone unless the transitional protection includes the total esa payment we receive now if that makes sense?

I have been to cab who emailed me calculations but their calculators, like entitled to etc do not seem to accurately reflect what we are receiving and shows our full esa entitlement and the contribution esa paid on top which isn't the case at all.

I understand what you've said about applying for the extra bedroom entitlement again but wouldn't that be irrelevant as it should be included in our traditional payment as we are supposed to get the same on uc as on legacy and not be worse off till it erodes?

poppy123456

ESA contributions based is £138.20/week. You will still receive that amount as normal. It will be deducted in full and the amount they deduct is £598.86/month. This is because ESA is a weekly benefit and UC is monthly and there's more than 4 weeks in a month. To work out the monthly amount you do the following £138.20 x 52 divided by 12.

You will not lose out on any money by the ESA being deducted. Your total overall benefits entitlement will still be the same, if the ESA was continuing or not.

You will still need to apply for the extra bedroom please do not assume anything.

Deeliciousss

This is what I find confusing and I apologise if I'm not understanding what you've said but we don't receive £138.20pw or the equivalent fortnightly payment. We just get an income based payment with max premiums every fortnight. So if uc deduct the amount you've said a month, won't we be worse off?

poppy123456

Of course you don't receive £138.20/week at the moment because your UC is part CB with an IR top up, which would be the disability premiums. CB ESA is £138.20/week and this continues because it's not part of UC. When you claim UC you will receive £276.40 fortnight for ESA and then your UC (with the ESA deduction), as well as child benefit. As I advised, you will not be worse off.

Your overall benefits entitlement will be the same, whether part of your ESA claim is CB or not. If all of it is IR then all of it will stop after 2 weeks.

Deeliciousss

Ok thanks. So uc will pay the esa equivalent of £745.40 per fortnight which is what we receive now and the transitional protection will top up the difference and the contribution esa that will be deducted each month so we end up getting what we do now but from two different sources?

Sorry I'm neuro diverse so it takes a while to sink in so I appreciate your patience

Deeliciousss

I take it that we will be part of the ir esa and housing benefit group that are transferring from July?

poppy123456

UC is a monthly benefit. I’m afraid I can’t tell you what your maximum entitlement will be as that will depend on the figures of all benefits.

You are part of the Tax credits migration group.

Albus_Scope

Hey @Deeliciousss and welcome to the community. :)

I can see Poppy has already offered you the answers here, but I just wanted to stop in and say a quick hi. 😊