Hi, my name is erina123! Advice needed regarding migration to Universal Credit

erina123

I could really do with some advice please. My husband & I have had our Universal credit migration letters & it states that the UC is replacing our Housing benefit, this is normally paid out of his contribution based ESA fortnightly, he also gets industrial injuries benefit weekly & I get carers allowance weekly, so my question is as we have both had letters does all our money stop for the 5 week period ? Or is it just the contribution based ESA that's stopped ? 5 weeks seems along time without income. Thank you in advance.

erina123

poppy123456

Housing benefit continues for 2 weeks once you submit your claim for UC.

Contributions based ESA and carers allowance are not part of UC and will both continue as normal but they will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

His Industrial Injuries benefit will also continue as normal but be deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

As he's in the Support Group for ESA he'll be entitled to the LCWRA element of UC from the start of your claim. When you claim he will need to report his health conditions as part of the claims process. He will then be asked to provide a fit note BUT he doesn't need to do that. Once you have access to your journal he will need to put a message on there telling them he's in the Support Group for ESA. It will take a few weeks no doubt for ESA to send his details across to UC.

When you claim you need to make sure you report being a carer and your UC will include the carers element.

His ESA will revert to New style ESA but this is an automatic process and he will just need to agree to his commitments, which will be to report all changes. He will be contacted about this by letter.

You can ask for an advance payment but this does need to be repaid back from future UC payments over a period of 2 years.

Your first UC payment will be just under 5 weeks after you submit your claim.

erina123

Thankyou for your help, I am going to ask the CAB if we can do it over the phone as I'm a little nervous to fill out anything online & my husband has never been on a computer in his life. So none of the other benefits will change (apart from housing benefit) so all the other benefits don't stop for 5 weeks ?

poppy123456

Citizens Advice have a help to claim helpline.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

No, all the other benefits do not stop because they are not part of UC but they will be deducted in full.