Question after migration to UC

roby72s

Good evening. I have recently migrated from ESA to UC. I was in the ESA support group and I am still receiving ESA(new style) which is £281.10 every 2 weeks. Yearly this comes to £281.10/2*52=£7308.60, £609.05 monthly. I am receiving the UC standard allowance for £400.14 plus the £423.27 limited capabilities for a total of £823.41 per month. Now the £609.05 for ESA is deducted from the £823.41 which leaves me with £214.36. Therefore my total benefit is £823.41(£609.05+214.36). Before I was receiving ESA( I am in the support group) and I was receiving £240.55 weekly, which is £240.55*52/12=£1042.383. The difference between then and now is £218.973 less. Maybe I am not working things out properly, and after contacting UC I was told that my figures are wrong. Anyway can anyone help me understand? I have no one at present to help me. Thanks in advance. Robi

Kiki23

It looks like they have not added your transitional protection on yet

Kimi87

It does look like you are missing Transitional Protection from your statement.

Transitional Protection is added if your total UC award is lower than legacy benefits at the time of transfer. This does erode over time as other elements go up or new elements are added.

I'd advise adding a note on your Journal (using the payment option), stating you believe you are entitled to Transitional Protection and this is missing.

roby72s

Hello everyone and thanks for your reply. I have enquired about my UC and this is the reply I have received:

• Hi Roberto, You are currently entitled too £1,673.41 from Universal Credit, as this now includes housing element. As you are still in receipt of ESA there is a £1 for £1 deduction. Once your ESA payments stop on 25/11/25, you will no longer have ESA deductions on your claim, Your current entitlement is correct. There are no changes to be made.

The £1673.41 includes my rent which is £850.

Thanks

Kimi87

Usual nonsense reply I'm afraid, as your New Style ESA won't end.

Did you receive Housing Benefit before migration?

If yes, is your Housing Element now higher compared to your hb award?

roby72s

Yes I was receiving HB before the migration and it was paid in full from Camden council in London. Another thing is the housing costs. Camden council paid my HB until the 29th of August and my claim for UC began on the 16th of August. Therefore I have not received any Hosing costs from the 30th of August to the 15 of September. I have made journal entries about the housing cost but they are simply ignoring it.

roby72s

I forgot to mention that my HB was the same as the hosing cost which I am receiving now £850

Kimi87

Thank you.

So Transitional Protection is definitely missing then.

Please add a Journal note (using the payment option) highlighting that you believe you are entitled to Transitional Protection and this is missing from your statement.

If you still don't get anywhere, try a formal complaint

https://makeacomplaint.dwp.gov.uk/

Either way you'll know when this has been sorted as a letter will be added to your Journal stating the amount owed due to underpayment. The money will then be paid within a few working days and a new version of the statement added.

With regards to your rent, UC is paid monthly in arrears so your first payment covers the dates you thought were missing. UC does have a different payment cycle to legacy benefits and this can take some getting used to.

roby72s

Thanks very much for your help.

roby72s

I have another question to ask. The transitional protection is not only valid on the first payment, right? I mean I received my first UC in September and the transitional protection was missing and then added, and I received a corrected statement. Now my payment in October was without the transition protection, but I have be told that the amount received is correct. I have made an entry in my journal to let them know, that the transitional protection is missing. Let see what happens next week.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1079915#Comment_1079915

Transitional Protection should last for more than one month unless you have made any changes that means an increase in any other UC elements.

Increases in other elements are deducted from the TP. It will eventually erode completely but could be several years for some people.

roby72s

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1079918#Comment_1079918

Thanks for your reply.

roby72s

Good afternoon. This is the answer, I have received about my UC transition protection.

"Hello RobertoYour transitional protection payments have ended.This is because your Universal Credit entitlement is now more than your previous benefits.RegardsClaire."

I think they are totally wrong, especially when they are saying that my UC are higher then my previous benefits, which is not true. My previous benefits were higher then my UC, excluding the housing costs.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1081294#Comment_1081294

Hi,

If you were getting £240 a week from legacy ESA then you also had SDP (Severe Disability Premium) added on.

For this reason, you are worse off on UC, and therefore should get Transitional Protection to top it up.

You need to make it clear to the UC staff that you previously had SDP. Not just ESA SG on it's own. People who only had ESA SG are actually better off on UC, so they don't get any TP.