Universal migration letter received today I am so worried

Beesteph

hi, I’m hoping people can advise please. I’m so worried about the letter I’ve received and how this is going to affect my benefits.

I am on old style ESA support group which should been reassessed last year but never was.

I also get pip higher rate both elements. I get child tax credits and child benefit and housing benefit and council tax benefit.

I am so worried about being reassessed and being found I have to work as I would just not cope with this. Does anyone know if I will automatically get the equivalent of the old style esa support group in my universal credit or do I have to reapply and get reassessed for this? Also does my pip stop and child benefit?

Also does anyone know if I will get back dated for the time period they say I will. It get any money for so say 5 weeks do they backdate to the start of the claim

I want to try and get as much information before I apply for the UC so hoping some people could kindly give advice

many thanks

poppy123456

You will be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim and you will not be reviewed. You do not need to provide any fit notes, although it will ask you to provide this as part of your claim but you can ignore that.

Your Income Related ESA and housing benefit will continue for 2 weeks once you submit your claim for UC. After that they will stop. Tax credits will stop once you submit your claim. If any part of your ESA is contributions based this will continue but be deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

Your first UC payment will be just under 5 weeks after you submit your claim and your entitlement will be for 1 month because UC is paid 1 month in arrears.

Child benefit continues as normal. Council Tax reduction will also continue from your local Authority but will be recalculated based on your UC entitlement.

Once you submit your claim for UC and have access to your journal I'd advise you to put a message on there to tell them you're in the Support Group. It will take a few weeks for ESA to send your details across to UC, once this is done your claim will be updated.

You will need to attend your first appointment at your local job centre but if you're unable to attend you can ask for a reasonable adjustment for a telephone call.

Rachel_Scope

Hi @Beesteph.

Sorry that you're feeling so worried. I understand it's a stressful process to go through. If your circumstances haven't changed then I don't see how they could force you into work. It's definitely something that a lot of people are concerned about at the moment but try not to worry. I know that's easier said than done.

sunflower2

@Beesteph can I ask what area your in wondering if your in one of the managed migration trial areas?

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/902143#Comment_902143

Their migration is not related to the trial because they are claiming child Tax credits. Those claiming Tax credits were due to migrate around this time anyway.

sunflower2

Thanks Poppy I didn't know that. Do you think we'll hear anything soon on if they are still going ahead with migrating all of us over to UC from September? On the parliament website it still says 2028.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9984/#:~:text=Managed%20migration%20involves%20claimants%20being,to%20continue%20to%20get%20support.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/902149#Comment_902149

You're welcome. Nothing has been announced so I'm assuming it will go ahead between Sept 2024 and December 2025. Yes, I know that website still says 2028.