Hi, my name is Pepperry! Should my son be on new style ESA if he has never worked?

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Pepperry

Helping son migrate from esa support group with severe disability premium. UC asked me to let esa know which i did. I asked about future NI credits and was told about new style esa which gives credits and they would do it all for you. Then i received HB letter saying claim would stop! Is this correct. Letter said he was Contribution based but he has never worked. Please advise.

Kimi87

When you claim UC, Housing Benefit and Income Related ESA end. UC replaces those benefits.

Housing Benefit will be paid via UC, called Housing Element.

Your son's CB ESA converts automatically into New Style ESA.

If he's never worked then he probably claimed the old Incapacity Benefit using special Youth Rules which didn't require NI Contributions. When this changed to ESA the award would have been Contributions Based with an IR top up if applicable.

New Style ESA is £140.55 a week. You will see a deduction on his UC award of £609.05. This is the monthly equivalent of a weekly benefit.

His income will be New Style ESA topped up by UC.