ESA letter for April 2026

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tealhoneydew16

hello peeps sorry if this has been asked before but I'm very confused and worried…

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

it says about the April 2026 increase then says as you are I the support group £50.03

I get LCWRA £400 odd added to my UC award does this mean that I will be getting the new amounts for April 2026 being cut in half or am I reading it wrong I migrated Feb 2025 this us the first letter from ESA saying I'm in the support group but I have no idea what the £50.03 is meaning as it seems that's half of the LCWRA amount I have NS ESA deducted each month…….

Any advice as I would want to challenge If this is the case with the new UC rules coming up for new claimants I thought so this has really got me worrying

thanks in advance

Kimi87

The letter is to do with New Style ESA, not Universal Credit.

The letter is saying you will receive £291.80 in New Style ESA payments per fortnight.

£50.35 is the Support Group Component.

£95.55 is the personal allowance component.

NS ESA is paid two weeks in arrears so you'll see the higher rate from April.

Your UC will also go up with the annual uprating (including the higher rate of LCWRA).

Depending on your assessment period dates, you may not see the change in April as a full month has to pass before the new rate applies. The new rate starts on April 6th.

My assessment period is 26th-25th.

My April 28 statement has the old UC rate & ESA deduction.

My May 28 statement will have the new UC rate & higher NS ESA deduction.

I still get 12 payments at the annual uprating higher rate, I just have to wait a bit for it to start.