Moving from WTC to ESA

Maggie_the_Brave

Hello,
I currently receive the standard daily living rate and enhanced mobility rate of PIP. I receive WTC at the enhanced disability rate and HB with the disability premium. I cope ok financially, but have no buffer.

I have become too ill to work and need to claim ESA. As I was self-employed, SSP is not an option.

The area I live in is now UC, although I have not been transferred to this yet.  I had understood that, when I was, I would not receive less than I was already on, although the amount would never increase until UC had caught up with and 'swallowed' the difference. 

I have not yet made the claim for ESA through UC as I am afraid. I have been told by UC that I have to make a completely new claim which will not be treated as a transfer. At this time my WTC and HB will stop and I will receive nothing for 5 weeks. After that I will be about £60.00 a week worse off than I am at the moment. I simply can't cope with this.

Has anyone else been through this? Is there anything I can do? I have tried the CAB, but they were as baffled as I am, I have also tried to get through to the disability help line, but it cuts off after 10 minutes and I have never managed to get through.

poppy123456

hi,

Your post is rather confusing. If you're already claiming ESA then you won't have to transfer to UC until at least 2019. When they do start the managed migrations then there will be a payment protection in place to make sure that we aren't any worse off. That payment protection isn't in place YET. This means that if you have to claim UC because of a change of circumstances then there will be no payment protection in place and you'll most likely be worse off.

If you haven't yet claimed ESA and your area is a full UC area then it will be this you'll have to claim and not ESA. The premiums aren't paid on UC.