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Universal credit migration notice letter from esa income-related support group support

kts64

Need help

Im on esa income related & the support group since I came down with my illness & had to give work due to my disability & long term illness

But I received a letter that my esa was ending & I have to apply to universal credit migration notice by 29th May

But when I try to look into it's online I'm not pc technical & worried if I screw it up & do it wrong my benefit will be less than I'm getting , I'm on high rate on esa & pip on both high rate

I have nerve damage along with a permanent long term illness , so I struggle on computers even on my phone as I get spasms in my hands

This worries me I lose my benefit and they won't be the same money I received , as I've read that when people apply that they get assigned a work coach , & a assessment, unfortunately I can't work due to my long term illness & permanent illness but surely if your on esa income- related support group that for years esa have known my health & disability & I'm more in bed than out of bed with my illness & only go out if daughter takes me out , so I'm more house bound as illness is worse

I have called universal credit & they not really given help to apply for me , as it worries me that I won't be able to to do online & get it work , it's very confusing for me

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Comments

Kimi87

Because you are in the Support Group for ESA, you will get the UC equivalent (LCWRA) from the start of your claim.

You will not be required to have a work capability assessment.

All new claimants are assigned a work coach, once ESA confirm your status with UC, that coach will be removed. This can take a few weeks.

If your UC award is lower than legacy benefits, Transitional Protection will be added to your claim. This will ensure at the time of transfer, you aren't worse off. This will erode over time as other elements go up annually or new elements are added to your claim.

You can apply by telephone and not have an online account. This would mean calling them with any queries and waiting for payment statements to arrive in the post.

Citizens Advice have a Help to Claim service whether you apply online or by phone.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/contact-us-about-universal-credit

kts64

What payment statements , & would they help me on phone to fill out these applications , I don't think I could go through the stress & getting someone to take me to tribunal again I spent 3 -4 yrs fighting tribunal before they stop calling for me as each case I won , my body isn't strong enough to go through it all again

I was told if in on esa income- related support group that esa would send over to UC & I'd end up with same payment I'm getting £318 each fortnight now I'm told that I get monthly of same is that £318 a monthly or £636 a month is all very confusing for someone who housebound a lot & have to rely on family to take time from work to do it all again for me 🫣😭

kts64

What is (LCWRA) sorry not sure what that is in your last comment.

Seldomseenkid

LCWRA is

Limited capacity Work Related Activity

kts64

Thxs for letting me know , my days of work is over due to my disability & long term illness that has got worse thought out the years , I'm housebound now unless daughter takes me out

kts64

Why are they moving us all over to UC as the support group income related esa worked for us that can't use online , & this journel lark confuses the hell , I don't use computers I just manage this phone to text people

Seldomseenkid

kys64

Please try not to worry you will not end up fighting in Tribunal it will be a simple switch over.

It is a change but if you make your claim before or within your Claim by date you receive ‘transitional protection’ a guarantee to receive the same entitlement of benefit as you are currently receiving (-some people find they qualify for more!).
You can make a claim by phone if you do not have digital skills. Or citizens advice offer a help to claim service.

Follow the link above that Kimmy87 posted

You can see how much you have been paid either be logging into your online account or if you have a phone claim a paper statement will be sent out to you.

Hope this helps a little

kts64

Thank you Seldomseenkid & Kimmy87 I worry enough with my illness , so when something like this happens I struggle , & worry I screw it up & fill in forms wrong , I rely on the payment I get from esa for to buy the stuff I need for my illness & health , whether it's trips to hospital, appointments not allows you can get ambulance service so end up getting taxi , with a family member or stuff needed for my illness so I was happy with what I received , be worse if got less , not really bothered of more money I have enough now to pay out with a need so I do worry & get frustrated when I panic

Ga2565

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/992506#Comment_992506

KImi 87 glad seen this your post was helpful to me,am in same situation am on esa income related and the LCWRAC,I have migration letter must be returned no later 6th june,have not got a clue how this migration to universal credit goes or from what stages from the start of the claim,at least Now i know once the ESA confirm status who i am with UC the work coach will be removed, i still don't quite understand though from after the application is sent then what happens next in what stages before payment is made, am hearing so many different things some say having to Go get bank statements to send UC some say need to go jobcentre to see work coach to accept work commitments am totally confused with all this, am not eating or sleeping well.getting to me that much now considering to just dont bother to claim UC. certainly not helping my severe illness, could you please or anyone similar or same situation as me who has already applied give me some idea what happens from after have sent the UC application online to them, for example week one, week 2 and 3 and 4,what will happen? Do i prepare to get bank statements to send UC? Then try be prepared having interview at jobcentre?

Kimi87

If you have over £6k of capital when you apply, they will probably want bank statements.

A separate matter is UC do random reviews to make sure payments are correct from a financial perspective. Then you will be asked initially for 4 months worth of statements.

The forum has a UC section where you can read about others experiences:

https://forum.scope.org.uk/categories/universal-credit

Ga2565

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1006863#Comment_1006863

Thank you kimi for your reply and the link to read about others experience, will not be over 6k capital savings, so i can be more prepared for random review and get 4 months bank statements sent to me from bank if need send them to UC when migrate to UC, does this random review for bank statements happen within the first 4 weeks from the date I have applied for UC?

Kimi87

These reviews are done entirely at random. The timing of them is not linked to migration.

If you are selected for a review they will want statements from the previous four months.

So if you get a review you will need to get the bank statements after the request.

Naz4

Hi kts64. I am just going through this, and in my case they heavily pushed to get it done before April so I don't get the new ESA rates. I won't deny it's not stressful. If you do it online it's not very long, but you need pictures of ID. As I've found now, if you get housing benefit that shuts down and you start being in arrears with rent, but the point is after a year it should all balance out. I'd maybe get some advice from CAB if you struggle to work out the disruption to your usual financial routine. I tried to get an extension as I may have to unwanted move house due to problems with the house, and I was told they were told not to give out extensions. I almost did not sign up as I was too very stressed, but that's panicking before anything's happened, so I forced myself to apply. What I did, not advice to you as that's not for me, is have a second bank account like a savings account, borrowed as much as I could over a 12 month period, and the borrowed amount and UC goes into that savings account so I can keep my head clear with the current. I'm then going to 'pay' myself the two week payments like on ESA until I get used to UC. It seems I'm also going to have a go into a months arrears with rent until I get a UC payment and then pay off a month at a time. It's not fair as you have to become really on top of money. I've not had my calculations yet but what CAB told me, and the benefits checking website, it adds up to exactly the same as ESA and housing benefit over a year almost to the penny with UC. Of course there's changes coming, whether that will affect us, and probably not this year, so you should be OK to at least get used to UC. I doubt anyone is going to harass you, indeed I sent a note on the 'journal' ie. a messaging system on the UC profile, and the lady who replied was very nice.

Ga2565

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1007107#Comment_1007107

Thank you your reply, yes i will migrate over to UC from esa , that's helpful knowing if get a review then only need get bank statements after the request, Kimi am sorry being a pain i have problems at times trying to understand, if the timings of random reviews are not linked to migration does that mean it may be a few months from after the actual UC start date i may be chosen for random review? And not getting a review within the first 4 weeks of starting the migration? All this migration has got my head all over the place, like others have said was supposed to be straight forward but obviously not

kts64

The only thing is the transition top up , it's not permanent so you won't get the same amount you lose out when your on IR ESA SUPPORT GROUP , I get £318 a fortnight monthly I get £636 a month , there is no way I get the same moving over once the transition top up drops after so long , this is where they get you by saying you get the same but once the transition payment goes , you worse off

& That's my concern as I could be losing half of my payment that I get on IR ESA support group eventually

I like to know as every penny counts with funding my disability

Kimi87

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1007260#Comment_1007260

The reviews happen at random, it is not possible to advise further other than once you are receiving UC payments this can happen at any time.