I’m going to submit my claim for UC next week, I don’t want to wait any longer

ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
edited January 3 in Universal Credit (UC)

I don’t want to keep waiting for the migration letter to come. I’ve changed my thoughts on my migration over the last few weeks. Why should I wait? I will be receiving more money on UC as my ESA claim doesn’t have the Severe Disability Premium in it. My ESA claim includes the Enhanced Disability Premium (two lots of £20.85) and two lots of £138.20. This adds up to £318.10 every 2 weeks.

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  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    The claim for UC will be submitted next Wednesday, the date 08/01/2025. My assessment periods will be 8th-7th each month.

    The claim is being made next Wednesday the 8th of January because that’s a date that I get an ESA payment. I’m following the advice that many will have received, to make your claim for UC on or around an ESA payment. I’ll get one more payment of ESA two weeks later. I know this is known as the two week run-on payment.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    I’m not just approaching the DWP directly. I’m going to be receiving help from the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service. The wonderfully kind, helpful advisors will be here for me. They will be assisting me every step of the way, they will be here for me.

    I’ll be making my claim by phone, it’s not going to be an online-based claim. I’ll be doing a three-way call 📞, a bit like a conference call ☎️. There will be someone from the DWP on the phone, an advisor from the Help to Claim service and, of course, me the claimant.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering

    The only thing I don’t want to go wrong is my request for an APA to be rejected. I might come across as intelligent because of how I type. BUT, I am still not good at handling money.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    My diagnosis of autism makes it too difficult to budget. I have never been able to budget adequately. If you don’t have the skills to live off monthly payments, you just don’t. I am not being told, “here you go Chris, £809.64, your payment for this month. Now budget, stretch that amount all the way through to next month”.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    My payments NEED TO BE twice monthly, not monthly. Do not reject my APA request Department for Work and Pensions, you better not. Do the right thing and give my payments on a twice monthly basis. I cannot budget for you, you need to be understanding.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering

    I know the twice monthly frequency on UC doesn’t work the same way as on ESA, the same day every 2 weeks. Sometimes, there will be a few extra days wait. It all depends on the configuration of each calendar month, the layout of each month (weekends, any bank holidays). BUT, I will still be able to live a comfortable life off twice monthly payments. I know I wouldn’t get that with a monthly frequency.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering

    I would really appreciate if Poppy could reply to this thread eventually, when she’s available. She’s amazing 👍, she knows her stuff when it comes to benefits. A knowledgeable individual, helps people on the forum magnificently.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    If the Severe Disability Premium was part of my Income Related Employment and Support Allowance claim, I know it’d be best to wait to receive the migration notice. It wouldn’t be a wise thing to do, to migrate across sooner. But I am not those of ESA claimants. Those who don’t have the SDP in their ESA claim like me will, in theory, be better off on UC. The LCWRA group on Universal Credit pays more than the Support Group on Employment and Support Allowance.


    I won’t be getting any TP (transitional protection) because, again, I will be better off on UC.


    TP is for those that would be worse off.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering

    Another reason why I just want to do start my migration next week is because it could many more months yet before a migration notice decides to turn up. Why delay the inevitable?!

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    I won’t be asking for a loan/advance. I’m not putting myself into debt, lowering my payments (twice monthly btw 😉😃👌), for two very long years to pay it back. I’d rather see my UC payments land in my bank account in full.

  • unsure65
    unsure65 Online Community Member Posts: 16 Listener

    I would suggest you wait for that letter to cover you bets.

    Also it's been said around here you'll end up with 3 payments a month ie 2 ESA a month plus one UC.

  • Kimmy87
    Kimmy87 Online Community Member Posts: 1,877 Championing
    edited January 3

    There is no point OP waiting as he is better off financially under Universal Credit, by roughly £120 per month.

    ESA payments only apply to those whose ESA was partly Contributions Based before changing over to UC.

    Those getting 100% Income Related ESA will have all their income paid by UC.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    No I don’t have to wait because I am not an ESA claimant who’s getting the Severe Disability Premium, that isn’t part of my ESA claim.


    My ESA claim is made up of:

    £138.20 x 2 (for being in the Support Group)

    £20.85 x 2 (the Enhanced Disability Premium)

    The maths: this adds up to £318.10, which I get every fortnight. My pay day on ESA is a Wednesday. I also get PIP, my pay day is a Tuesday every 4 weeks. But I know PIP isn’t taken into consideration for UC anyway.

  • unsure65
    unsure65 Online Community Member Posts: 16 Listener

    My son isn't one either but I just don't trust them.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    The ESA claimants that are getting the Severe Disability Premium are encouraged to wait until they get their letter. They’d be missing out on transactional protection/TP if they triggered a claim sooner. I won’t be entitled to any TP because I’ll be entitled to more money on UC anyway, the LCRWA group pays more than the ESA Support Group.

    I do think everything I’ve said here is correct. I don’t think I am wrong. I don’t think it’s a risk I’m taking by moving across sooner. Even Citizens Advice Help to Claim Service advisors have expressed that I don’t need to wait for any letter to arrive because of how my ESA claim is made up. NO Severe Disability Premium is in my ESA claim, only the Enhanced Disability Premium.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 62,807 Championing

    I advised you quite sometime ago that you would be better off but you were very adamant that you weren’t going to claim until you received the migration letter and you commented many times on many threads to say this too.

    You may want to consider applying online rather than a phone call to have access to a journal to make it easier for you. The feedback from those that don’t have access to a journal isn’t great. The reason for this is if they want you for anything, you would receive a text or email asking you to ring them. When you have access to a journal you don’t need to ring and everything is through there.

    The UC helpline are never the most helpful people either.

    It seems like you know what you’re doing so not sure what advice you would like.

    Fingers crossed your claim goes smoothly.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering

    Yes I will be better off, I just need to have my payments twice monthly. As long as the DWP don’t decide to awkward with me and just give my payments twice monthly, l’ll be very happy. I’ll be requesting twice monthly payments via an APA request. I just don’t see why they should reject my request. I should be fine.


  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-alternative-payment-arrangements/alternative-payment-arrangements

    APA stands for Alternative Payment Arrangement @Kimmy87.

    I SHOULD qualify for an APA based off what I’ve highlighted in green.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    My perspective has changed @poppy123456. I don’t want wait to any longer. It could be many more months before I see any letter at my address. Why delay something that’s going to happen one day anyway? Instead of allowing a potentially long wait get to me, it’s better to just get over and done with. Once I’m on UC, I’m on it. Just need twice monthly payments of course 😉😃.

  • ChrisSCOPEhtfc94
    ChrisSCOPEhtfc94 Online Community Member Posts: 455 Empowering
    edited January 3

    I won’t doing an online claim @poppy123456. It’ll be a telephone claim, with the assistance from the advisors from the Help to Claim Service. It’s down to individual preference and this is my preference. I know I’ll have to call up every time I have a query or if action needs to be taken on my part because of not having access to a journal. I should be left alone, however. I’ve been left alone for these years on ESA. There shouldn’t be too much communication with the UC staff.

    Thanks for your best wishes Poppy, I should be fine. I should be.