Hi, my name is lynzm1! Should I claim ESA as well as UC?

lynzm1

hi I am just wondering I currently get if for single person and I get adult disability and I’m also waiting to hear back about lwcra but on my award letter it mentioned something about esa can u apply for this and how does it work does it get took off uc so wondering should I apply for esa or not bother thanks I am new to all this stopped working in December due to my illness

Rosie_Scope

Hi @lynzm1, welcome to the community. It can feel like quite a complicated business when you first start using the benefits system!

If you've been paying regular national insurance contributions for the past 2-3 years, you might be eligible for New Style ESA which is a non-means tested benefit. However, New Style ESA payments are usually taken off your UC pound for pound, so it's likely that you wouldn't receive any more money if you were claiming both.

One benefit to claiming New Style ESA is that because it isn't means tested, if you ever go above the savings limits for UC and your claim is closed, your payments for ESA should usually continue.

It can sometimes be helpful to speak to a trained benefits adviser to make sure you're claiming all you're eligible for. If you'd like to do that, there's a search tool here to find local help: https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

How long have you been waiting to hear back about your LCWRA? Hope it comes through soon!

justsaying2025

Hi,

Re ESA I think also you get a better class (class 1?) NI contribution compared to UC.