Hi, my name is johno65! Should I have been getting disability premiums before I migrated to UC?

johno65

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone could help me. I was claiming contribution based ESA (Support Group) before a forced migration to UC in December 2024. I've just heard I could of been entitled to these so called premium disability benefits. Since 2016 I was claiming yet I never got none. I'm also on PIP. What do I do and who do I talk too? Please help. Thanks

Rosie_Scope

Hi @johno65, welcome to the community. Unfortunately, disability premiums are only available to those on income-based benefits so it's unlikely that you would be eligible.

There's a bit of information about eligibility here in case you'd like to read about it:

Disability premiums: Eligibility - GOV.UK

johno65

Thank you for your reply. I was actually asking if I should be backdated from the whole time I was on legacy benefits, ie... ESA (Support Group) as I never received any form of a disability premium the whole time I was on ESA. I was and still are on PIP. I just wondered if I had grounds to be backdated because clearly I should of been getting some form of premium.

johno65

Sorry I do apologise I was actually getting income related.

Rosie_Scope

No problem @johno65! If you were on income-based then it may have applied but there are still some eligibility criteria to match up with. The premiums are usually added automatically if you're eligible but mistakes do happen sometimes so it's worth investigating. You could try contacting the local JobCentre Plus that looked after your ESA claim before you migrated. Or the main contact line is here:

Contact Jobcentre Plus: Existing benefit claims - GOV.UK

It may also be worth speaking to a local benefits adviser to see if they can look at your claim and whether it's possible to challenge ESA for a back payment. Turn2Us have a directory to search for local help:

Turn2Us - AdviceFinder

johno65

That's great, thank you. I'll see what I can do and hopefully I'll have some much needed success lol. Cheers for your help

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

If you lived alone and received Daily Living PIP then you should be entitled to the Severe Disability Premium.

If you lived with someone else then you are not entitled to that premium.

If you lived alone and someone else claimed Carers Allowance for you then you are also not entitled to that premium.

For this reason, SDP is not usually added automatically.

Most people on IR ESA did get the Enhanced Disability Premium added automatically. It is written as 'Disability Income Guarantee' on ESA letters though, so you may not have realised it was a Premium.

johno65

Hi OverlyAnxious, thank you for your response. I've never had a letter that said that. I always had a set amount for my ESA and the extra was for being in the support group. From what I believe the premium should of been paid separately. This has never been the case so I'm hoping that the DWP have made a mistake in not paying the premium. I've never had a carer either. Though I do have a partner.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1039723#Comment_1039723

The premiums didn't get paid separately, it's all in with the ESA payment. If you can tell me how much ESA you got each fortnight then I'll be able to calculate whether EDP was included.

If you live with a partner then you were not entitled to SDP.