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UC migration notice

peters77

just received a letter saying I need to do the migration by 1st of March.

Should I do this straight away as I u deter and I will be without money for 5 weeks ?

or should I wait till mid February?

Absolutely stressed having this above my head. There’s so much to y sweat and!

I looks like I will get paid monthly and will be responsible for paying my rent myself.

also what about council tax am I suppose to make a new claim for that or is that something else ?

Soooo lost right now my heads spinning!

Appreciate any advice

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peters77

forgot to also ask with health information is this like when you fill out a esa50 renewal ?

Or just brief information that they have already ?

If I was to start creating an account would I then be set timeframes to get it done ? Sooner than 1st of March, that’s why I was wondering if I just just leave this to next year or start slowly doing it from now but submit maybe 5 weeks before deadline ?

poppy123456

Whether it’s worth claiming now or waiting until nearer the date in the letter will depend on what your ESA includes. If it includes SDP then I’d advise you to wait until the last minute to claim UC.

When you do eventually claim your Income Related ESA and housing benefit continue for 2 weeks and then stop. This means you will only be without money for just under 3 weeks.

You can also ask for an advance payment but this does need to be repaid back and your future UC payments will be reduced.

You can also ask them to pay your landlord directly.

For the rest of your UC payment you can ask for what’s called an Alternative Payment Arrangement. This way you will receive your payment twice a month. However, please do be aware that this will mean when you get your first payment it will only be for half of the payment. The other half will be paid 14-16 days later.

See link for information. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-alternative-payment-arrangements/alternative-payment-arrangements

Citizens advice also have a help to claim helpline. You can contact them for support when you apply. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales/about-us/information/contact-us-about-applying-for-universal-credit/

For council tax you don’t need to make a new claim. Your entitlement will be recalculated based on your UC entitlement.

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

As soon as you submit the claim, that starts the process. You should get paid UC 5 weeks later. If you were on ESA and housing benefit previously then those continue for 2 weeks.

Personally I would wait until the new year to start the claim, avoiding all of the bank holidays and school holidays and staff shortages etc.

You can ask for your rent to be directly to the landlord. And you can ask for your own payments to be twice a month if that would help.

Council tax reduction will automatically be recalculated after you start the UC claim. It may be slightly different to the amount you get now.

If you are currently in the Support Group for ESA, you are entitled to the LCWRA group of UC. You shouldn't be asked to provide a fit note and do not need to attend another assessment. Just put basic diagnosis's on the UC form.

You will need to attend an appointment to verify your ID and accept claimant commitments. That can be done at a Job Centre, or over the phone, or at a home visit, if you would find those easier.

peters77

I'm on ESA and have the enhanced disability premium and in the support group. I get full housing benefit and council tax paid and receive pips just had a wca assessment in January. Child tax and child benefit too.

How long would you say this application takes, can't quite tell how involved it is in comparisons to the esa50 which left me spinning! I'm trying to gauge when the latest I could fill it in really. Or is this a open the account and start and nothing happens till you click submit ? or if once you open it they start pushing you quicker. I don't know how it works really.

I'm wondering if I will end up worse off after all of this from some googling around! Absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Absolutely miss my job vs the DWP merry go round.

I feel like I have worked myself up a bit since receiving this even though I knew my turn would come!

I guess once I figure out wat to do I can just make the steps needed.

Thank you so much for the help so far its been a relief to talk to someone.

poppy123456

You will not need to provide any fit notes and won’t need another work capability assessment.

You can start to fill the form in online and save it for up to 28 days. Your claim will not start until you click “submit”

peters77

ahh so maybe start it 28 days before expiry.

Is a job centre appointment necessary / phone or home visit for proving if or can this be handled online at time of application ?

poppy123456

As you’re in the Support Group they will already know this when you submit your claim. The system has now been updated to include this information when people are claiming ESA.

You may need to attend an appointment as it’s a new claim. If you can’t attend in person you can ask for a telephone appointment.

peters77

ahh I see thank you so much I feel like I’m firing a millions q’s.

you are so appreciated!

I wouldn’t be able to attend a job centre wonder how I prove I’d on the phone. I guess a potential bridge to cross.

poppy123456

You’re welcome. A biographical appointment can be done on the phone, which would be just to ask you some questions only you know the answer to, such as date of birth, who you bank with, full address and postcode etc.

peters77

ahh doesn’t sound too bad.

For the information requested is this a long form or something that can be done in a short time ?

I did wonder as they give you 3 months.

poppy123456

You can claim online and yes it’s quite long. They ask questions such as where you live, do you rent your home, any savings, properties, pensions. Basically the usual questions when claiming a means tested benefit.

peters77

ooof sounds like a job. Maybe that’s why you get a while to do it. Not odd really as you give all these details when you claim. Shame it’s not just brought across for a smoother transition for the claimant.

what’s the situation with savings on what you can have ?

Also I rent from a housing association will I have to dig out the tenancy ?

Other than Id documents are you expected to upload any other paperwork for proof ?

Want to start getting documents sorted before hand to make life easier.

poppy123456

I claimed for my daughter as her appointee back in 2021 and thought it was quite straightforward.

As you rent from social housing you do not need to provide proof of liability to pay rent. They contact your landlord directly. You just need to provide information about them.

Capital rules (savings) are the same as all means tested benefits. Up to £6,000 is ignored. For every £250 or part thereof over this amount there’s a £4.35/month deduction in UC. For capital above £16,000 entitlement ends.

Unless you have capital of more than the lower limit you don’t need to provide any other documents.

peters77

as you daughters appointee did you need to produce any paper work stating you are her appointee ?

That’s ok then I have about £636 saved guessing that will get used up during this migration bills etc

in the weeks I have no money will I be liable to pay full rent / council tax or would they understand my claim is being assessed and wait ?

would uc be back dated to cover those charges ?

poppy123456

You don't automatically become an appointee for someone. An appointee is for benefits purposes only and not for anything else. A home visit is usually needed before you become an appointee. (unless you're an appointee for them for another benefit such as PIP and then it's automatically applied to UC)

I've been her appointee for her PIP since 2017 but back in 2021 it didn't automatically apply tp UC because this is only a recent addition. The pandemic was still very much here back in 2021 and it was only telephone appointments then so no home visit was done. It was all done by telephone.

We had a home visit back in 2017.

Your LL should understand that UC is paid monthly in arrears so you should have to pay your rent yourself while you wait for your payment.

Your first payment for UC will be just under 5 weeks after you submit your claim. When you receive your money it will be for 1 month. If you request they pay your LL directly then it will be paid on the same date you receive your UC payment each month.

peters77

thank you.

That’s interesting my ex wife is our daughter’s appointee for many years.

My daughter is waiting for. Migration letter too. We wondered if she needs a letter from the dwp confirming this as the migration form first question asks who’s completing the form. So wondered if my wife should request a letter stating so or just provide latest letter when they write to her saying so, last one was about benefit uprating I think it says my ex wife’s name then says this is about you daughter etc. wonder if that is sufficient if proof if needed on the uc form

So I will be liable for full rent in the shortfall. Not sure I’m going to afford that!

Once it’s all sorted is it better I pay the landlord from my end or have them do it automatically. I guess I have to notify uc of rent increases on this journal thing ?

Will I have to contact council tax in the shortfall and around payments there too ?

poppy123456

As your wife is already her appointee this will automatically be put into place when a claim is made for UC for your daughter and you don’t need to provide anything.

For your rent your landlord will know that you’ve claimed UC because they will contact them. They will know that UC is a monthly benefit so they should wait until you receive your payment. Your housing benefit continues for 2 weeks anyone once you claim UC.

Your council tax reduction will be recalculated based on your UC award.

You can ask UC to pay your landlord directly if that’s what you prefer. My daughter claims for help with her rent and UC pay them directly.

peters77

a period of uncertainty even though it should be a straight move.

looks like I may be having to pay something towards council tax / opticians / dentists if you get one.

can see much on prescriptions or just given up reading.

I fear I will be worse off with this like many. Been a struggle as it is.

Kimi87

An easy guide for help with health costs (including prescriptions) under UC

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/help-with-health-costs-for-people-getting-universal-credit/

Council Tax Reduction very much depends on the individual local authority rules. Some treat UC the same as legacy benefits, others differently.

poppy123456

If you receive zero earnings then you'll be entitled to NHS treatment… eye tests, dental, prescriptions.