Migration confusion about income related ESA with severe disability premium

Bingbang

Hi, I am in the process of being migrated to UC and I don't understand it at all.

Most of my confusion at the moment comes from the ESA part. I didn't realise that UC and ESA were different departments and they pay you seperately.

I have not worked for over 10 years due to illness and was on income related ESA, which I understand to be a legacy benefit. Two years ago I applied for PIP, which went to tribunal, and in September 2024 I was awarded higher daily and lower mobility, and got a backpayment for this. Because of this, I was also awarded a severe disibilty premium (I think that's what it's called - I get confused around "severe" and "enhanced"?) - and I recieved a backpayment for this also.

I was then told I had to migrate to UC.

I believed that I would get some kind of transitory protection when I migrated and they had to pay me the same amount I was on previously. I also believed that I would not be asked to go through any kind of work capability assessment or be asked to attend work coach meetings.

However, I got a letter from DWP about my "contributions based" ESA claim, which I'm confused about because I was definitely on income-related ESA. I then got another letter, and a phone call from a work coach, telling me I have to attend a meeting with a work coach about my search for work.

I am often housebound due to my illnesses and can't attend work coach meetings. Also, I was quite ill on the week this work coach meeting was supposed to be happening and didn't manage to speak to anyone to tell them I couldn't come to the appointment. I don't have anyone to help me with this stuff and was very confused about what was happening and who I was supposed to contact. I am new to UC and thought maybe I had to try contact them via the journal. Someone eventually responded to my message on there and said that ESA is separate from UC and I had to contact the ESA people. I tried to do that, couldn't get through, so I sent a text which was never responded to.

There is a new message in my UC titled "Other benefits affecting your Universal Credit" which state that their records show I am getting ESA. In the payments section there is now a breakdown of what money I will be getting. It states:

Your payment this month is £1629

Standard Allowance £393.45

Housing £1291.98

Limited capability for work… £416.19

Total entitlement before reductions £2101.62

What we take off…ESA…. £472.53

Your payment for this month is £1629.09

I am not very good at maths but the ESA/limited capability for work etc part seems less than what I was on. Up until the migration I was recieving £481.10 fortnightly for ESA, with the disability premiums.

I didn't realise that UC and ESA were different departments and they pay you seperately. On some sites where I read about it, it seems like UC take over making the payments when it's income-based legacy benefit?

I don't even know who I am supposed to be contacting about this, because now the money is split into two departments. And now I'm worried they are going to be calling me for meetings with work coaches and stopping my money if I don't attend. I thought the migration would ensure I was in the same situation financially etc as I was before. Could someone help me please. I am so confused.

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

Although you thought your ESA was all Income Based, it must have been partly Contributions Based. This happens to quite a few people, they only find out when migrating to UC.

The Contributions part changes to New Style ESA, and the Income part changes to Universal Credit.

You are correct that you should be receiving Transitional Protection because you had SDP with your ESA. It looks like they have not calculated that, but that might be because you haven't accepted the claimant commitments for the New Style ESA yet.

So the first thing you need to do is accept the ESA commitments. This is usually done over the phone. It is ESA that you need to call to set this up, it can't be done through the UC journal.

Then once that's sorted you need to ask UC to calculate your Transitional Protection, that can be asked through the journal.

You do not need to go through another assessment, because your Support Group status will continue with New Style ESA. And you do not need to look for work either. Part of this confusion is caused by ESA and UC being slow to communicate with each other.

Kimmy87

Please have a read through of this thread which should cover your questions:

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/130268/ive-already-moved-to-universal-credit-but-ive-received-a-letter-from-esa

If your UC award before deductions is less than legacy benefits, you should get a Transitional Protection element added. This isn't always done in time for your first payment as they rely on multiple pieces of information coming in from different places.