Transitional Protection And New Housing Costs Claim

Hi, I just wanted to get some advise on my current situation :)
I am currently receiving ESA Support Group and PIP Standard for both daily living/mobility. I have received a migration to Universal Credit letter with a deadline of 22/2/25.
I am awaiting to hear back from DWP as I believe I have recently became eligible for the Severe Disability Premium due to the only other person I live with receiving an award of Universal Credit LCWRA and PIP themselves. This has been in for around 3 weeks now so hoping to hear back soon. If successful, I assume this will be covered by the transitional protection once I move over to Universal Credit. Quick question on this, does it matter if the DWP don't make a decision before I have to migrate over to Universal Credit? Will they add it to the UC award later down the line since I've claimed before the deadline?
Im currently considering moving out and taking a tenancy on my own. I am not receiving any housing benefit at the moment. I believe I should wait until after my move to UC in order to get the transitional protection before doing this. However my main question is, if I'm not receiving housing benefit at the moment, migrate to UC and get transitional protection, then claim for housing costs under UC, will this erode the amount of transitional protection I receive? As this would likely take the transitional protection down to 0 if this is the case?
I found these extracts on the gov website:
Changes that can decrease your transitional protection payments
Your transitional protection payments can decrease over time following a change in your circumstances. Changes can include:
- having a child
- starting to care for a child or disabled person
- an increase in housing costs (rent)
- a worsening health condition
- changes to government benefit rates
This is because these changes are likely to increase your Universal Credit amount.
If you’re eligible for housing costs
If you were not previously getting Housing Benefit, the transitional element (and indicative Universal Credit award) is calculated without a housing element.
However, housing costs may be included from your first assessment period if a housing need is identified in your Universal Credit claim. This is not a change of circumstances, so will not cause the transitional element to decrease.
Could someone please explain these, particularly the second one as they seem to contradict each other?
Comments
-
1/ If you claim UC before the SDP is awarded then any Transitional Protection will be recalculated once the SDP is awarded. Hopefully a decision will be made before the 22nd Feb.
2/ If you move out and need to claim for help with any rent the TP will erode with the additional housing element added. Same will apply when benefits increase from April this year, your TP will erode by the same amount.
I agree that the additional housing element is likely to reduce the TP to zero.
0 -
Hi Poppy, thank you for your response.
I thought that would be the case if SDP was awarded, this just puts my mind at ease, thank you :).
With regards to the housing element, it seems to suggest that if a housing element was added to UC after migration within the first assessment period, this would not erode any transitional protection.
Are you able to confirm if this is the case?
0 -
Is anyone able to advise any further on this?
0 -
I am not sure if I am honest, but it is clear it is in your interest to do the migration as late as possible, and if you going to move, do it as soon as possible.
Although moving and getting awarded before your cut off date seems a stretch.0 -
I think I'd be better off leaving migrating to UC as late as possible. Have you done this yourself? Is it a fairly simple process that can be done in a few hours? Or do they ask for a lot of information and better off doing it over a few days? I may not be awarded the SDP before the deadline date, but it has been in for a while now so expecting this anytime. As poppy says if its not awarded before the deadline date they should add it later
0 -
The application isn't too onerous, once started you have 28 days to submit the form so you can save your progress at various points and go back later to continue.
0 -
I didn't realise you are able to save and then go back to it. In that case I'll probably start it a few days before then submit maybe the day before, or even on the deadline date if I'm feeling confident enough
0 -
Yes I have done it, and I think by DWP standards its a simple process. As Kimmy87 said you can start, and then it will save your progress allowing you to come back later.
0 -
That really puts my mind at ease about the migration to UC, thank you. I was thinking it would be long and complicated but it doesn't sound like it will be. I suppose once you've mostly got it done you can wait then submit it just before the deadline date
0 -
Yes, exaclty. Please remember though that you can only save it for 28 days, after that it will be lost. A claim is only valid once you click that submit button.
0 -
My deadline date is 22nd February so I'd be ok with only having 28 days to save it. I'll likely wait until around a week before then make a start
0