nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Hi, my name is Be_kind2000! Any advice about benefits for my sister and her baby?

Be_kind2000

help please. I’m

Sisters appointee & she is currently receiving ESA in the support group along with PIP and housing benefit… she has mental health issues ie borderline personality disorder & also suffers from severe asthma & fibromyalgia. However due to her mental illness she sometimes (a lot of times) acts impulsive and puts herself in vulnerable positions so she ended up pregnant and wanted to keep the baby and everyone in the family is supporting her as she’s not fit to look after the baby on her own. She was entitled to severe disability payment included in her ESA just yo be clear however iv not found out she will not be entitled to any extra income for the baby as she is on esa & you can’t claim child tax credits or child benefit whilst on ESA.

Now I know she can change & apply for universal credits but when I’m looking at this for her it says you will get child benefit & child element but she will lose her severe disability payments due to the child elements which means instead of being financially better off and having added expenses for the baby she will

Now be worse off and have a baby to look after.. can someone please give me some advice on this like can you not claim child element & still get your severe disability premium. So basically she’s better off staying on ESA as moving to UC will make her her worse off even tho she has these added expenses of a new baby. So confusing please help thanks look forward to someone help me clarify this or anyone been in similar situation. Thank you.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

poppy123456

Child benefit can be claimed and will not affect any of her current benefits. Once the baby is born yes she will need to claim UC if she wants extra money for the baby.

As her ESA includes the SDP her UC will also include some Transitional Protection. It's important to remember that she should not claim UC until the baby is born.

Please also note that those claiming Income Related ESA are being migrated to UC anytime from now up until December 2025 so she could also receive a migration notice in the post at anytime. Once that letter is received a claim for UC must be made within 3 months.

When she does eventually claim UC she will be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of her claim.

Be_kind2000

hi, thank you so much for your reply. The baby is already born he was born in October but she’s been in hospital and it’s me who will need to deal with this for her. What I read was you can’t claim child benefit or child element while claiming esa, so that’s not true poppy you are entitled to child benefit? Xx

Be_kind2000

hi again poppy, it also states you will lose your SDP as it will erode with child element and all you will receive is an extra £25 to Make up the loss of SDP. I thought you would get what she receives now plus the child element added. Xx

Be_kind2000

Be_kind2000

Do you understand what I mean? I don’t understand how this is fair that she will lose her SDP reduced to £25 a month due to claiming for the baby when she struggles enough as it is right now without added extras now she has a baby to provide for. Surely they should still pay everyone what they are receiving plus add a child element without deducting his SDP & reducing it to £25 a month so basically that means she’s going to be only £25 better off than she is now with now a baby to provide for. It’s all very messed up xxx

Be_kind2000

however that does say if you add a child onto existing claim, so poppy does that mean that she will receive her SDP & also be entitled to child element if it’s a new claim and she’s not adding a child to it? I’m just so confused. Is this because UC has a max payment they pay you each month?? I have tried calling but never get through to them on the phone. And replies kindly appreciated xxx

Be_kind2000

surely someone on here been in similar situation and can help with this xxx

poppy123456

Please slow down. Your thoughts are not correct and you're misunderstanding it.

Child benefit can be claimed and it will be backdated to the date the baby was born.

That screenshot you posted above doesn't apply to her situation because once a claim for UC is made because the baby is already born she will be entitled to the child element from the start of her claim. This means there's no erosion of the SDP Transitional Protection with the addition of the child element.

Please note, that's it Transitional Protection and not SDP itself because this doesn't exist when claiming UC.

Your appointee will transfer over with you and you will be responsible for her claim. Once a claim has been submitted you should put a message onto her journal to tell them she's in the Support Group. It will take a few weeks for ESA to send her details across but once it's done her UC will be updated to include the LCWRA element.

You also need to make sure you give details of the baby and then the child element will be included.

Once a claim is made her Income Related ESA and housing benefit will continue for 2 weeks and then stop.

Does she rent her home from a private landlord or social housing?

Be_kind2000

Sorry poppy it’s just confusing, so is the LCWRA the new name for SD payment? So she will receive both of these elements after all and be better off as she will recieve the child element? Also it’s a private landlord she rents from? As I read housing benefit will also stop. But will that just be the same as she’s receiving now only added to UC?? One last thing should I make her claim now or shall I wait for the ESA to send her the letter to change over?? Thank you poppy xx

poppy123456

LCWRA is equivalent to the Support Group for ESA. Housing benefit stops after 2 weeks and her rent will be included with UC known as housing element. UC is one benefit made up of many different elements. She's be entitled to standard allowance, LCWRA element, child element, housing element and SDP Transitional Protection. Her housing element will increase to the 2 bedroom rate because of the baby.

As she's privately renting then you'll need to provide proof of eligibility to pay rent, such as a tenancy agreement.

If you don't claim UC now then she will not receive anything extra for the baby, other than child benefit. You can claim that online here.

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim

Be_kind2000

hi poppy, me again sorry and actually lives in a 3 bed house but she still gets full payments for it this was before she even had the baby, is this because she is in receipt of pip?? Also I spoke with her doctor and showed her mental health nurse her ESA award as they had her down as being in work related activity group I was advised my doctor this was not right and my sister should be in the support group. So I called them and they said that they were moving her to support group as agreed she should be in it.. will she be entitled to back dated money due to supposed to be being in it or will it just be added on ti her next payment she’s now in support group?? Xx

Be_kind2000

also you said Standad LCWRA she will be entitled to is there a higher enhanced rate for this?? Xx

Be_kind2000

I’m worried abt her housing benefit being affected now then as things are changing but right now they are paying the lha rate and it’s a 3 bedroom she was never told abt bedrooms being an issue I assumed this was because she was in receipt of oip you were excemt from bedroom cap xx

Be_kind2000

@poppy123456 ??

Be_kind2000

sorry poppy, me again don’t mean to be annoying really appreciate your advice can u just ask if you think I should wait for her letter to migrate over or just make the UC claim now?? As what I’m gathering from your advice she will be better off on UC is this correct??? Cxx

poppy123456

Sorry but I've been really busy all day and haven't spent much time on the forum since yesterday. The time I spend here is freely in my own spare time. I also have health conditions myself.

When she was moved to the Support Group did they send forms out for an assessment? They don't usually automatically move someone to this group without sending out the forms first. I just want to make sure the advice I give is correct. That advice is only based on the information in which you give.

Once a claim for UC is made she will be entitled to 2 bedroom rate of LHA. If there's a shortfall of rent then she can claim an extra bedroom if she needs regular overnight care.

I'm sorry but I can't tell you whether she should wait for the migration letter or claim now. If she waits then as I advised, she will not receive any extra money for the baby. You could use a benefits calculator or speak to an advice agency for a full benefits check.

Be_kind2000

hi poppy, yes I understand she will miss out on the money for the baby but will she still get transitional protected payment if she claims herself without the migration letter?? I read you aren’t entitled to transitional protection if you claim on you own without migrating letter!! The stress they are causing disabled people and their families are an absolute disgrace.. it’s disgraceful & so stressful it’s like they just want disabled people to lose benefits no wonder so many with mental health issues are taking their own lives my sister is suicidal with all of this stress xx

poppy123456

Her ESA currently includes the SDP which means if she claims UC due to a change of circumstances (because of the baby) then her UC will include SDP Transitional element.

Be_kind2000

hi, poppy sorry me again don’t mean to trouble you so on Thursday I was told they had put my sister into the support group after I called to tell them she had given birth to a baby and circumstances had changed as after health visitor looked at letter and told me she was in work related activity group when should be in support group so I called them for her and they told me she didn’t have to do anything and had now been put in support group.. which was fine!! However today she called me crying saying she received a letter from Dwp saying she had reported her illness was worse and needed more information and form was being sent out and she might have to attend assessment this freaked her her out so I just called them for her again there and they told me she doesn’t have to take part in this as because she was in esa for years now there is no work related activity group so technically she’s not in support group but is only missing out on £13-£14 a week and didn’t have to do assessment if she didn’t want to he can say she doesn’t want to take assessment as it’s not mandatory. So for the sake of £14 a week and my sisters state right now and having to attend assessments I says ok she doesn’t want to attend or fill out form etc… however coming of the phone iv said that it’s actually £47.50 extra a week she is missing out on from being in work related to support group which is a lot of money her to be missing so where is he getting his figures. She’s only missing out 14 a week is this to do with her getting a premium or would that not affect her esa from wrag to support?? I’m very confused also will it affect her moving to

Universal credit if not in support group?? Even tho he said it’s not a big deal as because she was on esa for years even tho it says she’s not on support group she technically is and is only missing out £14 a week but that’s not figures I got when u googled so shall I call them back?? I only agreed as thought best not my sister having to go through an assessment to get on support group as he made out she’s not missing out on a lot and even tho she isn’t on support group it’s only because she been on ESA for years I’m really confused had to wait over 1 hour to speak to someone don’t know what to do now for near to call Them back or what? As he said will put through system she doesn’t want to attend work assessment to apply for support group

And she doesn’t need to send back forms very confused please help???? Xxx

Be_kind2000

just spoke to them again and was told they will cancel the referral as will cause her too much stress, was told she can stay on ESA & make a dual claim for universsk credit for baby?? Have you heard ir know anything about this poppy?? Xx