ESA to UC migration confused

Dove

Hello folks,

I recently received a letter a couple of months ago to migrate from ESA (Income related) to UC. My first payment for UC is due to be paid this week for only the sum of £210. No Transitional protection has been added despite putting my claim before the deadline which is the end of this week. Two journal entries have said Other benefits affecting your Universal Credit and our records show you are getting Employment and Support Allowance. A letter arrived before Christmas saying how much ESA I will be getting. Another letter prior to that said as I am applying for UC that ESA would stop. I am very confused as I presumed that once you make your claim for UC it would be automatic that ESA ends. Am I meant to contact someone to inform them of this? I don't even know how much money I will be getting a month on UC. I am finding all this extremely stressful.

As this is an average of other benefits that you're continuing to claim
Employment and Support Allowance
minus‑ £598.87

Kimmy87

It sounds like your ESA was both Contributions Based & Income Related. Many people only find this out when they transfer.

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

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

This will be deducted in full (598.87) from each UC payment.

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

You might need a commitments interview for NS ESA this is just a formality, your only commitment will be to keep them updated with any changes. If a face to face is booked, you can ask for a phone call instead as a reasonable adjustment.

Your UC award looks correct, standard allowance & LCWRA is £809.64. Minus the ESA is £210 odd.

I'm assuming you are single with no dependant children?

You mentioned Transitional Protection. Sometimes this isn't calculated in time for the first statement.

Did you have Severe Disability Premium with your ESA?

poppy123456

Your UC entitlement maybe low but don't forget you also have £276.40/fortnight for ESA.

You will only be entitled to Transitional Protection if your UC entitlement is less than your previous benefits. If your ESA didn't include the SDP then very likely you would not be entitled to TP because financially you're better off by claiming UC. UC that includes LCWRA element pays more than ESA Support Group if it didn't include the SDP.

Dove

Thanks for the replies Kimmy and Poppy, it is much appreciated. The letter they sent about how much ESA I will be getting and being put on New style ESA makes sense now. I had wrongly presumed that it was an automated letter and the income related part only applied to me. It is quite confusing as previous letters only mentioned income related and not contributions based. I don't know why they did not make it clear before recently.

In the letter there was mention of an appointment with a work coach and how I need to supply medical evidence. I don't know how I am going to obtain evidence as I am currently not seeing a professional. I am in the support group for ESA.

I don't think I had severe disability premium with my ESA and I am single with no children.

I am hoping they send a letter with confirmation of how much UC I will be getting every month.

poppy123456

You won’t receive a letter in the post for UC if you have access to a journal. You will receive a statement at the end of each assessment period. This will tell you what elements are included and what deductions there are. It will also tell you what payment you will receive in your bank.

UC is paid on the same date each month, unless payment date falls on weekends or bank holiday and then you will receive your payment on the Friday before. (Or the last working day before)

Dove

Thanks Poppy, I have been checking my journal daily. I am wondering if they will pay me the same amount every month or is it different during the assessment period? Hence why I was hoping a letter would arrive to confirm a set amount.

Kimmy87

If your circumstances remain the same then so will your payment.

April/May they change a little due to the annual uprating of both benefits and ESA deduction changing as a result.

Sometimes there is a mismatch in dates, with my dates ESA deduction goes up in April but I don't get extra UC until May (paid June 2nd)

I still get 12 payments at higher rate, it just starts later.

Your statement will be available 4-6 days before each payment is due.

The ESA letter is a standard letter assuming you are a new claim. You are in fact a transfer and most of that information doesn't apply to you.

The appointment will be very brief, you will be asked to agree your only commitment which will be to report any changes.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/971366#Comment_971366

Assessment periods are every month for UC and the first day would be the date you submitted your claim. They last for 1 calendar month, every month.

For example, if you claimed on 10th January then your monthly assessment periods would be 10th to 9th of every month. You will receive your statement a day or 2 later. Your payment date would be 7 days after the last day of that period, which would be 16th of every month.

If you log into your journal and click “home” look down the list and find “payment and advances” click on that and then on payments. Your statements will appear there. On that page it will also tell you your payment date and it will also tell you “this is based on your circumstances from X date to Y date. Those dates are your assessment periods.

It sounds complicated but you’ll soon get the hang of it.