ESA to UC migration help needed 🙏

nic21

Hi 👋 I’m a Newbie so please let me know if I make any mistakes 🙈

I would really appreciate some advice and also hope I can help others with my experiences to 🫶🏻

I have been getting ESA income related and housing benefit for many years now and I am in the support group.I received my Migration letter and have been going through the process and I’m getting really anxious and confused about it all 🤯 and it’s so hard to get hold of anyone to help.

I’m at the stage that I have received my first UC statement which will be paid in on Wednesday but on receiving my statement I was very shocked at how low it was, it was really not as much as expected.I left a message on UC account and was told it was because they hadn’t included the LCWRA element because there were delays in ESA transferring information over to UC!Has anyone else experienced this?

Also on the statement was deductions for ESA which I was so confused about and was told to contact ESA, well after an hour on hold on the telephone line I gave up! After searching online I found more information that a lot of people were automatically transferred to New Style ESA and that gets deducted from UC.The problem is I was only on Income Related ESA it was on all my paperwork( my history started with Incapacity Benefit transferred to ESA Contributions which then changed to Income Related and has been since for years) so not sure how this has happened, I’ve had nothing from ESA to inform me about this so had no idea about it!

I was also in receipt of 100% Council Tax reduction and have now received a council Tax bill of 75% I have read how it all works but it doesn’t seem right that I’m going to be getting the same amount of money and now have to pay council tax due to Migration that I had no choice in doing!
I know UC and ESA have nothing to do with Council Tax but they do communicate to get all this information before I did! Has Anyone else experienced this?
Im guessing transitional payment protection will not include help with Council Tax, should we not be told these things are going to happen? Instead of being told you will not be worse off migrating? When in fact I will now looking at the full picture.

I’m really hoping I will have no other nasty surprises on the way like my free prescriptions I get being on a lot of medication, I’m hoping this will not be affected.

Sorry for the long essay and thank you so much if anyone reads this.I would really appreciate any advice or hear about similar experiences.Im happy to provide more information if needed.

Thank you 🙏

Kimi87

Yes often the first statement is incorrect with elements missing.

Lots of people migrate in the belief they are only on Income Related. Not helped by ESA letters which are very hard to understand. Many only find out after migration that they were in fact on Contributions Based with an Income Related top up.

Local councils each operate a different scheme for Council Tax Reduction, so this is decided on at a local level. Some areas do treat UC income differently to legacy benefits.

As Council Tax Reduction is not a legacy benefit then yes you are correct UC Transitional Protection has no impact.

Entitlement to free prescriptions under UC depends on the amount of take home pay you receive

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-if-youre-eligible-help/getting-benefits/hwhc-universal-credit

nic21

Thank you Kimi87 🫶🏻

Please could you help me understand what is meant by take home pay ?Does it mean your total amount of UC received? Would that be minus Housing Element?

Kimi87

Take home pay refers to money earned through working.

So if you don't work then you have no take home pay, if you claim with a partner they would need to be working and earning above £935 in take home pay.

nic21

thank you for the information I really appreciate it 🫶🏻

No I’m not working and no partner.