Hi, my name is PennyL! UC Migration and new style ESA

PennyL

Hello, can you advise me please? My daughter was migrated to UC but now she has a dual claim, being put onto the New Style ESA. So, they have made it more complicated…! I have had advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau that I can either leave it as it is or close the ESA and it will all become the UC claim. So, all her ESA will be transferred to UC? Will this be ok and as straightforward as it sounds? I don't need things more complicated! I appreciate your support with this. Thanks, Penny

Biblioklept

is there any reason you /she wants to switch it to all UC? If her circumstances change in the future having a contribution based benefit like New Style ESA can be really useful

OverlyAnxious

I can understand wanting to remove NS ESA as you'll be getting so many different payments each month with UC, NS ESA and potentially PIP as well, that it gets difficult to budget appropriately.

However I do also understand why NS ESA can be useful in some future circumstances.

Currently the NS ESA is getting deducted from the UC. So it wouldn't be 'transferred' to UC as such. It would just stop the deductions. It should be that simple just to stop it, but I have seen at least one case go wrong, where the ESA stopped, but the UC deductions did not stop, due to an admin error. That is only one case but we don't see many people choose to end NS ESA so there's not much to go on unfortunately.

PennyL

Thank you both for your replies. I see that New Style ESA is likely to be phased out too!! It's baffling! Can you help me understand why it is beneficial for her to stay on the New Style ESA? Is it because of NI contributions? I am trying to get it right for my daughter. I think I'll keep her on NS ESA and wait for the phone call, though they have no idea when it'll be!

Kimi87

If her circumstances change such as an inheritance which ends her UC claim, the NS ESA would remain in payment and if she was able to reclaim UC, the LCWRA would apply automatically without a new work capability assessment.

It also pays fortnightly.

She will see a £609.05 deduction on her UC statement for the ESA, this is the monthly average of a weekly benefit.

The overall money is exactly the same whether someone gets NS ESA or not.

PennyL

Thank you so much, this helps me