What is going on with my payments?

Craig24795

Hi.

Please see the thread I posted on the ESA forum for additional information/context:

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/130824/ive-received-both-uc-and-esa-even-though-ive-been-transferred-over-to-uc

I verified my identity at the local job centre many weeks ago to be transferred from income related ESA to Universal Credit. This was completed with no issue. I used to receive just over £318 of income related ESA every two weeks (just over £636 a month). I was in the support group.

I got a letter from the jobcentre (ESA) on Feb 4, 2025.

It stated that from April 9, 2025, ESA will be £161.75 a week

It was worked out as the following:

Your living expenses: £92.05

Extra money because of the Disability Income Guarantee: £21.20

Limited capability for work addition

Extra money because you are in the support group: £48.50

Which gives a total income related amount: £161.75

The amounts on this page apply from 9 Apr 2025 to Nov 25, 2025

I assume that none of the above will apply because I'm now on UC and not income related ESA?

My last income related ESA payment was Feb 25, 2025. I received my first UC payment on March 11th (yesterday) and it was as follows:

Standard allowance (single): £393.45

Limited capability for work and work related activity: £416.19

Transitional protection (Your UC is not less than your previous benefits) : £0.00

Total entitlement before deductions: £809.64

What we take off:

As you received benefits you're not entitled to: ESA: - £20.85

As this is an average of other benefits you're continuing to claim (ESA): - £598.87

On the same day I received the £788.79 from UC, I also received £276.40 from ESA (I assume this is the contribution based/new style ESA that I will get every 2 weeks?). This is a total of £1,065.19

I received a note/pdf in my journal saying I'd been overpaid £598.87 for the assessment period of 5 Feb 2025 to 4 Mar 2025. It says this is because my ESA deduction has been corrected and added to my award. The monthly payment of UC then went down to £189. I received my final income related ESA payment on Feb 25th but claimed UC before this (and received my first payment on Mar 11th).

Can you please clarify and break down exactly what I'll be paid from both UC and new style/contribution based ESA?

Also, do I have to inform them regularly of how much money I have in my bank account/savings etc? How often do I need to do this?

Thank you.

All the best.

Kimi87

All figures are at current rates.

New style esa is £276.40 a fortnight.

UC Standard Allowance + LCWRA is £809.64.

NS ESA Deduction £598.86

Leaving £210.78 of UC payable.

Unless your capital (all money etc) is over £6k you don't need to report anything to UC.

Craig24795

"Hi, your universal credit award has now been corrected as you are now receiving contribution-based ESA this is paid alongside your universal credit this is deducted from your universal credit.

Universal credit pays/calculates your award monthly were as ESA calculates your award weekly. Below is how its calculated:
ESA award £138.20 weekly x 52 weeks = £7,186.40
£7,186.40 is divided by 12 monthly UC payments = £598.86"

The PDF letter they sent me via the journal stated the following:

"You were overpaid £598.87 for the assessment period 5 Feb to 4 Mar 2025. This is because your ESA deduction has been corrected and added to your award.

We will take this money back in monthly instalments..."

I sent the following messages back:
"Hi.

Is this a mistake?

£189 a month surely can't be correct?

How much UC will I receive monthly once the contribution based element has been deducted? As I'm on both UC and contribution based ESA, I should be receiving more money than when I was on income related ESA. I used to receive circa £318 every 2 weeks when on income related ESA (approx £636 a month). I've been told that I will be paid more that I'm now on UC.

Can you please explain what I'll be getting monthly?

Is the £138.20 a week (£552.80) what I'll be getting from contribution based ESA and will the Universal Credit of £189 a month be added to this, producing a total of £741.80? Is this correct? Will I receive a monthly payment from UC and a contribution based ESA payment every two weeks?"

"Hi.

I don't understand why you're saying I was overpaid £598.87 for the assessment period 5 Feb to 4 Mar 2024. My final income related ESA payment was Feb 25 (so I'd have been paid what I should have been up to this point) and then my first UC payment began March 11th. I've then had money deducted because I'm on contribution based ESA? I initially received £788.79 on March 11th
and I also received my new style ESA on the same day (£276.40). This produces a total of £1,065.19. I assume I will receive another £276.40 in a couple of weeks from ESA?

Why have you deducted £598.87 from the £788.79 and are now giving me £189? Why was I overpaid? It says I was overpaid for the assessment period of Feb 5 to Mar 4, 2024. My final income related ESA payment was Feb 25 and my first UC payment was Mar 11.

Can you please explain how you've arrived at these figures? Why am I only receiving £189

What will I be receiving monthly from UC? I'm in the support group, so I should be getting this money on top of the standard allowance?

Please clarify."

How can I have been overpaid for the assessment period 5 Feb to Mar 4, when I only received my first UC payment today? My final income related ESA payment was two weeks ago (Feb 25).

Also, why have they deducted £20.85 due to my being on ESA? If I'm supposed to be receiving £210.78, why have they deducted the £20.85? What do they mean 'benefits I'm not entitled to? when they deducted this amount? I was on ESA.

What you're entitled to

Standard allowance
£393.45

You get a standard amount each month. You said you're single

Limited capability for work and work-related activity
£416.19

You said your health affects you at work or prevents you from working

Transitional protection
£0.00

Your Universal Credit entitlement is not less than your previous benefits, so we have not added an extra payment.

Total entitlement before deductions
£809.64

Other benefits
We take money off your payment

As you received benefits you were not entitled to
Employment and Support Allowance
minus‑ £20.85

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

Craig24795

Did they overpay me because they forgot to take into account that I also receive contribution based ESA? Instead of giving me £788.79, should they have given me £189 (or £210.78)?

Kimi87

I think there have been some overpayments yes, to me it looks like a small amount of IR ESA which you shouldn't have gotten, and an NS ESA deduction which should have been made, but wasn't.

You will still be receiving the NS ESA payment on top of your UC award.

It's known as a dual claim when you get both, your income is NS ESA topped up by UC.

Hopefully next month everything is correct.

Craig24795

Hi.

The letter I received from ESA stated that I need to complete a claimant commitment before I can get new style ESA, but it looks like I'm receiving it. Do I just do nothing and wait for them to contact me? It says in the letter I received that I'll be contacted to complete a claimant commitment? Will this be done via my UC journal or is it separate? Will it be via a letter from the ESA? Should I contact them or should I just wait?

Thanks.

All the best.

Craig24795

Hi.

The ESA letter I received said I need to complete a claimant commitment before receiving new style ESA, but nobody has contacted me. It looks like I'm receiving it automatically. When somebody contacts me, do I just agree to the claimant commitment? I assume I shouldn't have to chase them up? Do I just wait for a letter?

Thanks.

All the best.

Kimi87

Yes you just wait to be contacted.

I think the notification usually comes via UC Journal, it'll be a telephone appointment, a very brief call it's a legal formality on the DWP side, and on your side all you have to agree to is to keep them informed of any changes.

Craig24795

Hi.

I received the following replies to my questions in my journal:

"We can only pay you what you are entitled to based on your circumstances for any given assessment period as per your statement. Your New Style Employment and Support Allowance would be deducted from your Universal Credit entitlement monthly. You would need to speak to Employment and Support Allowance if you think they should be paying you more money as we only deal with Universal Credit.

Your monthly payment is calculated based on your circumstances and those can change from month to month so it is not possible to guess what you might be entitled to.

Your Employment and Support Allowance is £138.20 a week (£598.87 per month) and so that is what we will be adding as a deduction most likely going forward.

Your Universal Credit is paid monthly and again, you would need to ask Employment and Support Allowance about their pay frequency."

Message 2 was as follows:

"Your Employment and Support Allowance deduction will have been added after your initial monthly payment amount had been paid. You can check your corrected statement against the initial one and see where the overpayment has come from when that happened.

Please read your journal message 5 Mar 2025 at 3:52am in regard to how certain other benefits can reduce your Universal Credit entitlement. That is what has happened in this instance.

If there was any additional element to transfer over from Employment and Support Allowance, that would have been done as part of the transfer process.

Your payment calculations are as per your statement. You have your total award before any deductions, and then those deductions are taken off that amount. What is left is the monthly amount payable to you."

Message 3:

"New Style Employment and Support Allowance is the new name for Contributions Based Employment and Support Allowance. If there is any additional health related element of Employment and Support Allowance that needs to be transferred over to Universal Credit, that would have been done as part of the transfer process.

Your Universal Credit claimant commitments will appear in your to-do list if and when they change. You can then accept them online."

I asked the individual replying if ESA will contact me about my claimant commitment for New Style ESA or if it will be via the UC journal. They replied with the following:

"You would need to ask ESA that as we only deal with Universal Credit in our office I'm afraid. There should be a contact number on your letter."

The ESA letter states that I need to complete a claimant commitment to continue getting New Style ESA. The letter states that I'll be contacted. Should I contact them or should I just wait for them to contact me? I've done everything I'm supposed to be doing, so I don't want to get into trouble unnecessarily. They paid me New Style ESA on March 11th and I also received my first UC payment on that day. The deduction then occurred when I contacted UC.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

All the best.

Kimi87

I don't think there is anything for you to do now except sit tight and wait for ESA to contact you for that appointment.

Financially with your UC award it's correct that NS ESA is deducted in full at the amounts mentioned.