Hi, my name is clara_05! managed migration questions

clara_05

Hi everybody, first time posting and hope you can help?
I’m currently swapping from claiming housing benefit, child tax credit and income related ESA Support group with severe disability premium through the dreaded “ managed migration” to Universal credit.

It’s been so very confusing and stressful. After several long telephone calls today I’ve found out that as well as Universal Credit I have been put on the new style ESA. I was told that my ESA payments will remain to be paid separately but will be less than i receive now and the difference made up with the transitional protection - which is fine… What I don’t understand is I was told the new style esa claim will only be paid until February 2025 when I will have to go for an assessment. Is this correct?

I believed as I was in the support group before then that is how it would remain? I’m now so anxious and stressed about it all, I’d really appreciate any advice.

Kimmy87

See below.

Kimmy87

Scope ate my post so I couldn't edit. New reply added.

What's happened to your ESA, means before you were getting both Contributions Based & Income Related.

When someone is on both CB & IR ESA, upon migration the IR ESA ends and is replaced by UC, the CB ESA converts automatically into New Style ESA.

You will still be in the Support Group for NS ESA & automatically receive the UC equivalent (LCWRA).

NS ESA will be paid separately from UC, fortnightly at a rate of £276.40.

This will be deducted in full (598.68) from each UC payment.

As UC is a monthly benefit and ESA weekly, the numbers may look wrong, but are correct.

You might get a generic letter NS ESA letter which assumes your claim is brand new, and mentions a work coach etc, but don't panic that won't apply to your claim.

You will need a commitments interview for NS ESA this is just a formality, your commitments will be to keep them updated with any changes.

The NS ESA will continue to be paid as long as you are eligible, being told until February 2025 is incorrect.

Re assessments for the majority have been on hold for years now anyway, significant backlogs exist within the system so even when they resume at scale, there are lots and lots of claims for them to look at again.

Transitional Protection will top up your UC if at the time of transfer, your payment is lower than you were entitled to under legacy benefits.

clara_05

Kimmy87
Firstly thank you so much for this clear explanation. You are the only person who has actually explained what is happening. I’ve spoken to so many people this last week including my work coach who had absolutely no idea what has been done and actually told me my esa would stop completely. Her answer was to write in my journal, which I did and I’m still waiting for a reply two days later.. It is so stressful! 

Regarding the assessment, should I challenge this with anyone and if so who, ie UC or ESA? Is there any regulation I should quote? 

I just don’t want the thought of having to be reassessed hanging over me from now until February. I had such a bad experience the first time round and had to go to court to appeal and it was horrible. That experience itself made my health a lot worse than in was. I’m dreading a repeat performance.

Sorry to bombard you with so many questions! I really appreciate your help ☺️

Kimmy87

Honestly? I'd ignore it as bad advice.

clara_05

Thank you!

MaryLynne

I am helping my son through managed migration who is moving from irESA to UC.

He is claiming housing benefit, and income related ESA only and is in the Support group with severe disability premium.

I am also confused and stressed because we found out that as well as Universal Credit he will be put on the new style ESA. Same story as CIare. We were told that he will get new style ESA payments paid separately, less than he receives now but that the difference will be made up with the transitional protection. He willl also get housing allowance from UC. Reading around the subject, we were under the impression he would transition totally to UC, not new style ESA plus UC, having to make commitments to notify BOTH ESA and UC if he has a change in circumstances.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/956418#Comment_956418

This means that part of his ESA was contributions based, rather than all Income Related. There's many people that have found this out when they've migrated to UC. The advice for you with your son is exactly the same as Kimmy advised above so I will copy and paste her reply here.

When someone is on both CB & IR ESA, upon migration the IR ESA ends and is replaced by UC, the CB ESA converts automatically into New Style ESA.

You will still be in the Support Group for NS ESA & automatically receive the UC equivalent (LCWRA). 

NS ESA will be paid separately from UC, fortnightly at a rate of £276.40.

This will be deducted in full (598.68) from each UC payment.

As UC is a monthly benefit and ESA weekly, the numbers may look wrong, but are correct.

You might get a generic letter NS ESA letter which assumes your claim is brand new, and mentions a work coach etc, but don't panic that won't apply to your claim.

You will need a commitments interview for NS ESA this is just a formality, your commitments will be to keep them updated with any changes.

The NS ESA will continue to be paid as long as you are eligible, being told until February 2025 is incorrect. 

Re assessments for the majority have been on hold for years now anyway, significant backlogs exist within the system so even when they resume at scale, there are lots and lots of claims for them to look at again. 

Transitional Protection will top up your UC if at the time of transfer, your payment is lower than you were entitled to under legacy benefits.

MaryLynne

P.s. meant to say that it was the job centre, not DWP, who advised us of all this when they requested my son had a phone interview to confirm his commitments for new style ESA. I'm sure he is on ir ESA only because he has not worked since 2010

MaryLynne

Thank you Poppy. I will have to check but I thought that after so long off work he would not have part cb ESA because cb ends after a couple of years or so, doesn't it? I thought he would get NI credits only as he last worked in 2010 or thereabouts.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/956430#Comment_956430

No, that's not correct. CB ESA doesn't just end after a couple of years, when in the Support Group it's paid for as long as you remain in that group. When a ESA claim is made up of both CB and Income Related, it will be known as Income Related.

ESA letters are very well known for making no sense at all, especially if you don't know what to look for when reading those letters. I would very likely know straight away when reading a ESA letter whether it's CB, IR or a combination of both because I know what to look for.

A NI credits only claim would mean there's no entitlement to any payments and he's receiving payments. He will also be receiving class 1 NI along with the payments every fortnight.

MaryLynne

Phew, you are VERY knowledgeable about this and I wholeheartedly agree that ESA letters make little sense. I'd like to know how to tell which benefit is being referred to, other than asking, but I feel a little less anxious about it all falling to pieces now. Thank you..

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/956434#Comment_956434

Thank you. There's been a lot of threads with this exact question. It's worried a lot of people because they didn't know part of their ESA was CB. Reverting the CB ESA to New style is a straight forward process.

When claiming both ESA and UC it's known as a dual claim. In the future when he has another work capability assessment, it will only be one assessment, which will apply to both benefits. The process is the same.

MaryLynne

Thanks again...