ESA to UC Migration

Sheilamoose

Hope this is not too long-winded but I am trying to sort out this ‘paperwork exercise’ for my daughter, who has autism, dyslexia, severe anxiety, and a complex speech and language disorder. She is currently receives ESA in the support group. This is what has happened:

On 14 August 2023 I posted another ESA form my daughter had received, together with a bundle of medical reports.

In November 2023 someone from Centre for Health and Disability Assessments for ESA phoned (without warning) wanting to do a telephone assessment there and then. This form of assessment is impossible to do with my daughter so I told them it must be a face-to-face.

In January 2024 someone else from that same company phoned (again without any warning) wanting to do a telephone assessment there and then. I explained again that this form of assessment is impossible to do with my daughter and repeated that it must be a face-to-face.

In May 2024 an appointment for a face-to-face in June was received but it clashed with our annual holiday, so I phoned and asked for the appointment to be rescheduled.

We arrived back from holiday yesterday to find two letters:

1. A ‘migration notice’ to UC.

2. A rescheduled ESA face-to-face for 9th July (next week).

Yesterday I telephoned the company carrying out the ESA assessment and asked if it was necessary to attend this face-to-face if my daughter was migrating to UC; they “didn’t have a clue”.

I intend to file the online UC50 by the end of this week — it won’t be a problem as I have a copy of the previous ESA form and all her medical reports are scanned onto a USB.

My daughter is already highly stressed out by the very thought of attending this face-to-face and I do not want her to undergo two assessments; one for ESA and one for UC. At her last ESA/PIP assessments she was too stressed to talk and just sat rocking, with her hands over her ears! Why can’t the DWP accept that autism is a life-long condition and disorders do not magically disappear either?

Do I have to subject my daughter to this ESA face-to-face as it is probable that she may be called in for one on UC and will have submitted the migration paperwork before the face-to-face?

If my daughter does have to attend this face-to-face do I really have to take copies of all her reports (over 100 pages to print out) as they were all submitted in August 2023?

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Sheilamoose

poppy123456

The previous phone calls you received for an assessment without being notified most likely weren’t full assessments. When they ring like this they are most likely ringing to just ask a few questions to see if they can write the report without the need for a full assessment.

Yes, she will need to attend the assessment even though she’s now received the letter for managed migration. She doesn’t need to take any evidence to the assessment if she already sent it to support the claim last year.

Are you living in either Wolverhampton or East Suffolk by any chance? DWP are migrating 500 people claiming ESA from those 2 areas. It's part of the Enhanced Support Journey trial to learn more about those that have health condition and may have extreme difficulties in migrating across. This was only recently announced, though not announced by DWP as far as I'm aware. There's some information here.  https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-quietly-starts-early-rollout-of-universal-credit-to-some-esa-claimants-without-telling-mps/

Once she claims UC any Income Related ESA she’s claiming will continue for 2 weeks and then stop. If she’s in the Support Group then she will be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of her claim. She will not need another assessment.

Sheilamoose

Thank you so much for your reply Poppy. Yes, we do live in East Suffolk lol. I am beginning to see things a bit more clearly now; it came as a bit of a shock to get that migration letter whilst still dealing with the ESA claim.

Going to be busy today; got to set up this UC online account for her - also went through the ESA form submitted last August & it is identical to the UC form, so hopefully just going to be a cut/paste exercise.

I've noticed that the UC migration letter has actually come from the same company who is dealing with her ESA claim. Presumably it would be prudent to point out prominently on the UC form that she has an ESA f2f scheduled for 9th July?

Will have a look/read of the link you have given after essential daily chores done and before starting to fill in UC form.

To be honest, I am just sick to death with filling in DWP claim forms. It started with multi-DLA forms, PIPs, now ESAs every couple of years. Starting to feel persecuted myself here. Worried about how my daughter will cope in the future as we have no other family; my husband has a terminal illness, I'm in my 70s and disabled since 1988. My daughter is almost 40 now and she would not be able to cope with living alone.

Any suggestions of who to turn to for help?

Sheilamoose

poppy123456

She would not need another work capability assessment for UC when she claims. She would of course be reviewed again sometime in the future.

When you’ve submitted the claim for UC she will have access to a journal. Put a message on there to tell them she’s in the Support Group.

If her ESA doesn’t include the Severe Disability Premium then she would be financially better off by claiming UC anyway.

For help going forward for your daughter you could start by referring her for a needs assessment from her local authority. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/

Kimmy87

The ESA50 review is already in progress.

You need to see that through, and tell UC via Journal after claiming that she gets ESA SG. It can take a few weeks for the two sides to talk to each other (natural migration), perhaps for forced migration it might be quicker

You do not need to fill in a UC50 form. She is already being re assessed via the ESA50.

The only time you need to fill in a UC50 form is when the DWP sends you one.

Sheilamoose

There was a link on the migration notice telling her to claim UC; spent a couple of hours this afternoon filling in the form. Apparently this ESA to UC migration is a trial, the form is marked 'beta version' - only fault I can find is that it will not let you change anything. You click on the link, it brings the answers up 'greyed out' and unchangeable (which is a great help!). Looks like I will have to leave a note in the journal giving UC the answer to a question which was not on the form but appeared on the check through. It gives a link to change the answer but the question does not exist to be able to add the answer - that's the DWP for you - they couldn't have checked the form very well before releasing this beta version.

poppy123456

Yes it’s a trial only for 500 people in those 2 areas. May I ask what the question is that you’re referring to?

Sheilamoose

The question is titled 'Who Lives With You?'. It asks how many children live with you, then gives the Save button. At the completion of the whole UC50 you have to check the answer to all the questions and are told to amend anything incorrect. When I get to the WLWY question, 'Who Else Lives With You?' has been added underneath the question about children. It says 'No-one', so I mark the circle to say the answer is wrong, the option to amend the answer to Parents or whatever options they give appears but the box is greyed out and cannot be amended.

Well, it is said that it is a trial - let's hope they get the software running correctly before they bring it out in all areas!

Sorry for delay replying Poppy, I have been so busy the last couple of days; got a f2f assessment for ESA to take my daughter to tomorrow. Fingers Crossed 🤞

Albus_Scope

Keeping everything crossed for your daughter @Sheilamoose 🤞

Sheilamoose

Well, went to daughter's ESA review yesterday and was really surprised - we had a doctor as assessor, and he was very familiar with learning difficulties and the autistic spectrum. He was so kind to my daughter - he just asked her if she was happy for me to talk on her behalf (which she was).

He completely ignored his little laptop with the points assessment software on and just made lots of notes on the main pc attached to the back of his desk. He said it was not right to keep reassessing claimants with learning difficulties/autism and he was just writing a report of his findings, with a note pointing out that LD/A are lifelong disabilities. He was also suggesting my daughter should not be recalled again and her award be changed to Lifelong or Unlimited.

I'm relieved the ESA review is over, going to leave it for a couple of weeks, then request a copy of his report when they have it.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the transfer to UC goes ok, whenever that will be now, and praying that the UC lot don't decide to haul my daughter in for yet another assessment.