ESA manditory migration payment questions

Jenwren

Hi

Sorry to bother you all, I thought I'd got my head around my ESA/UC manditory migration but I'm getting puzzled about my payments, specifically the amount I'm getting. I'm still in the 'adjustment' phase (although on my account that was supposed to end on 5th Feb).

So previously with ESA, I'd get it every two weeks and it was about £481 when everything was added in. Then when the migration started my previous ESA went down to about £300 or something. Now I'm got today's payment and it's only £271. On my account it says I'm getting a £443 payment tomorrow (12th Feb) but there is no indication of if this is going to be my new normal amount or a one-off etc.

Some quick basic info: I'm in the support group for ESA with limited capacity to work. I get (or got) income and contribution based ESA. I'm pretty sure the lady I spoke to on my (very) short interview said I will continue to get the same amount, and on my UC online account it says I will get transitional support (£232) until I have a significant change in circumstance.

What I'm confussed about is that with the £276 just paid in today (it says ESA on my bank account) and the £448 tomorrow that's £719 in total and less than I was getting with the £481 every two weeks, but I've been told it'll be same. Then on my UC online account breakdown they say they are taking £598 away from me as I'm still on ESA. I'm so confussed.

I feel I'm being very thick about this but I just can't seem to wrap my head around it, and wondered if anyone could possibly explain it, am I actually getting less money? I really do not want to ring UC/DWP to try to get answers.

worried33

It is 200 and something, I cannot remember the exact amount every 2 weeks, so your 2nd figure makes no sense to me.

I think I got overpaid both HB and ESA in my migration month, similar might be happening to you, in my bank in December I had an extra £1000 go in my account than normal, so this is complicating issues on my claim.

OverlyAnxious

You're only adding one ESA payment. You'll get two lots of £276 plus the £448. That makes £1000 total over a month.

Two £481 was only £962 over a month.

There is a slight difference because of UC being monthly and ESA being 2 weekly but you're not worse off overall.

Kimmy87

The monthly NS ESA amount is £598.86.

poppy123456

You're doing exactly what many people do, they forget that ESA is a weekly benefit and UC is monthly. There's 4.3 weeks in a month, not 4 weeks. To work out your ESA monthly amount you times the weekly amount by 52 and then divide by 12.

Your weekly ESA amount was £240.55 x 52 divide by 12 = £1,042/month.

Your UC before deductions are standard allowance 393.45 (25+) LCWRA element £416.19/month. Total amount = £809.64/month.

When they work out the TP they look at the figures for your previous benefits, then compare them with your UC entitlement. The difference between the two will be what your TP amount will be.

Previous ESA amount £1,042/month

UC amount before deductions £809.64. This is a difference of £232.36/month, which is what your Transitional Protection is and is correct.

Therefore your total maximum UC entitlement before deductions is made up of the following.. Standard allowance, LCWRA element and TP = £1,042/month. Exactly the same as what you were receiving for ESA.

Part of your ESA was contributions based, so this reverted to New Style ESA. As mentioned above £276.40/fortnight is what you will receive from ESA going forward. The Income Related part stopped because you claimed UC.

The deduction from UC will be £598.86/month, this is because as I advised above there's 4.3 weeks in a month, not 4 weeks. Therefore £138.20 x 52 divided by 12 = £598.86/month.

To recap all of the above.. Maximum UC entitlement before deductions £1,042/month - £598.86 = £443.14/month UC payable each month. Plus £276.40/fortnight ESA.

There's also 1 month a year where you will receive 3 ESA payments but the deduction from UC will remain the same.

They have your entitlement to UC and ESA correct. I hope this helps explain it a little more.