Please Would Someone Check This Is Right. Thank You

Azura

Have just had my second payment, after a huge mess up with my first (migrated from ESA). Last month I had to pay bedroom tax, as they hadn't checked with my landlord that I need an extra bedroom for my carer - so I paid that extra out of my money. This month, they are paying my landlord full rent but have taken the bedroom tax amount from my transitional protection - so I get less. Is this right?

Also I am being paid bimonthly on Universal Credit, as I asked.

When I was paid on ESA, my amount was £489.30 every fortnight.

Now, on Universal Credit, my amount is £494 bimonthly - or £989.19 a month.

I'm not very good with numbers but does this seem about right? As I know they calculate the dates differently.

Thank you so much in advance. I'm still not understanding any of it.

Kimi87

What is your UC award before deductions?

Are any deductions listed on your payment statement?

Transitional Protection reduces when other elements increase.

I suspect your TP was incorrect month 1 due to incorrect Housing Element amount. It should now be correct alongside HE with both as they should have been in month 1.

Azura

Thank you Kimi. My awatrd before deductions (rent) is £1496.10

Kimi87

Excluding rent, for an ESA payment of £244.65 a week i'd expect a UC award of £1060.15, and you've not indicated any deductions aside from rent.

I know sometimes a change in rent, if being paid directly to LL does funny things to the claimants payment, I'd suggest a trained benefits advisor who with sight of your statements should be able to help.

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

Azura

Thanks Kimi. The difference between monthly amounts seems to be the bedroom tax at £70.96 a month. So I guess they are still taking that off (maybe on the tp?)

Kimi87

I've just added a bit more information to my reply 😊

Azura

Thank you Kimi, so much. You're always so helpful

Azura

I just phoned the UC helpline and they said to put a message in my journal - as they don't think the £70. 96 should have been taken from my transitional protection - as my rent hasn't increased - and I was just wrongly made to pay the spare bedroom tax the first month. They have treated it as a rent change, when it isn't - and I am now about £70 a month worse off than on ESA. So we shall see what happens.

Azura

Well after waiting days for someone to get back to me - have just had a message in my journal saying -

I have forwarded your issues to a Decision Maker who will look over your case and get back to you as soon as possible.

So now I'm even more stressed. It shouldn't be that hard. They mistakenly made me pay spare bedroom tax on my first statement - and then they paid full rent on my second statement - which made it look like I had a rent increase, so they took money from my transitional protection. But my transitional protection should have stayed the same - as my rent was the same - they just got my first month wrong.

Having a "decision maker" makes it all sound so official and has made me panic even more.