ESA Migration Help

emmadm101

Hi fellow Scopers ,

I have been on Income related ESA since aprox 2007 ,had absolutely no problems ...until now.

I have been forced (like many)to migrate to UC,So I did,I stopped getting my income related ESA on 27th May ,received my last payment on 9th June aprox ,

I received a call from my chemist saying I was no longer in receipt of my free prescriptions ,so my repeat prescription is now on hold ,

I received a different ESA Payment which is £30 per 2 week lower than my original payments,I was led to believe that I would NOT lose money having to migrate to UC ,

No one on either ESA department or UC departments can answer my questions ,and now I've got an telephone interview with a New Style ESA work coach on Friday ,and I'm scared about what they'll expect me to do,I've already called my Doctor ,as my anxiety is through the ceiling ,

I'll be told how much UC I'll be getting (or noť) on 29th June .

Two questions

1,do I have to wait till the 29th June to find out if I'm entitled to free Prescriptions via my UC account ?

2,Does anyone know what to expect in regards to the work coach telephone call?

Also find attached my last Income related ESA reward ,which includes, Disability income guarantee ,and I'm in the support group ,

Hoping for some help as I'm so scared that I'm either going to lose money ,or my free prescriptions,

Many thanks

Emma.

IMG_20250625_162639.jpg

Mary_Scope

Hi @emmadm101 and a warm welcome to the community😊

You don’t have to wait until 29th June to get free prescriptions as you can apply for the NHS Low Income Scheme now or ask your pharmacist for an FP57 refund form if you need to pay before then.

The work coach call should hopefully be quite straight forward as it is just for you to explain your health situation etc. Here is some more information on what happens at your universal credit interview that I hope will be helpful

I hope it goes well and please let us know how you get on (if you feel comfortable!)

emmadm101

Hi Mary ,

Many thanks for your reply ,I'll let you know how it went ,in the meantime as I woke earlier this morning I got a text message from DWP now saying my PIP review is due (ends February 2026 ) and I'll get the form within 2 weeks

I've already broken down once ,I just want hide,just had enough 😔

It never rains but it pours

Mary_Scope

I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes smoothly for you. Ah I'm sorry to hear that, it sounds like its just adding more to your plate, if you need any support or information on the review you are more than welcome to reach out here 😊

SunFlower1

You can add a note to UC via your on line Uc login page and tell them how stressed you are.In the Journal section.

emmadm101

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1042064#Comment_1042064

Thank you Mary ,it sure does feel like the DWP have had it in for me these past 4 weeks 😔

emmadm101

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1042067#Comment_1042067

I check my UC account daily ,as I'm worried that I'll miss something important ,I didn't know that you can leave general messages on the journal ,I'll go check now ,thanks Sunflower 🌻

emmadm101

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1042067#Comment_1042067

PS .added a long winded journal entry this was the first paragraph

"I'm due a New Style ESA work coach telephone call tomorrow ,I'm been so worried and my anxiety has gone through the ceiling to the point of calling my doctor in distress,"

I won't bore you with the rest 😂 hopefully they'll get my messages and be kind tomorrow ,luckily I will have my mum with me to calm me down ,but I know I'll still be a nervous teary anxious mess thanks Sunflower ,both you and Mary have been a great help ,time now to oD on Bach's flower rescue remedy

SunFlower1

Keep going🌸 I use the journal as a sounding board sometimes so I know I have communicated exactly what's going on for me

emmadm101

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1042136#Comment_1042136

Now I know that's an option ,it's definitely something I'll use to relay my questions and worries ,Thanks Sunflower you and Mary have helped me so much ,I really appreciate it ,have a peaceful weekend 🌻

emmadm101

@Mary_Scope and @SunFlower1

Just thought I'd pop in and update you both ,

New style ESA work coach telephone interview went OK today ,Work coach was lovely and calmed me down ,I have now migrated to UC(From Income related ESA),eventually My newly acquired 'New Style ESA' will stop along with other forms of ESA,and my ESA Payments will transfer totally to UC (if that makes sense)though my work coach doesn't know when this will happen,I received my first UC Statement today and I'm now back to getting my free prescriptions,as I'm below the earning threshold as I'm not working ,

So a big sigh of relief for sure for the moment, well untill my PIP form turns up within 2 weeks then it's all go again (ugh)

thank you both for you help ,I really do appreciate it ☺️

Mary_Scope

Thank you for the update @emmadm101. It's good to hear that the interview went okay and you were able to be calm. It must feel like such a weight of your shoulders and hopefully the pip review goes smoothly too😊

SunFlower1

Well done you