Is it hard to claim Universal Credit

jean3

I have had to put in a new claim for Universal Credit instead Of Esa as I had my Esa Suspended and was told to claim Universal Credit instead

Lasian_Alumni

Hi @jean3, welcome to the community!

Citizen's advice has information about how to apply for universal credit and the details that you will need, along with an eligibility check. You can also read our information about universal credit if you would like to learn more about it.

I hope this helps!

BenefitsTrainingCo

jean3,

I completely agree with what Mike has said. Why has your ESA claim been suspended? Was it income-related ESA? Has there been a change of circumstances? 

You're welcome to tell us a bit more on the forum Jean, but I'd strongly recommend getting local advice too (eg from Citizens Advice). Often, being told to claim Universal Credit (UC) isn't right. I'd want to know exactly what happened to your ESA, & whether that decision can be challenged. 

Unfortunately, in the meantime, if you've claimed UC, that will usually end your income-related ESA anyway, but if you have been badly advised, you might have a claim for compensation if you lose money as a result of moving to UC.

So the first thing I'd want to do is to check why ESA was suspended, & try to get that changed. Claiming UC in these circumstances may not be in your best interests long-term.

If you do stay on UC, try to get support locally. You are supposed to get help if you need it to make and maintain your claim, but that often doesn't happen. Ask for an advance if you are struggling financially, but remember you'll have to pay it back.

Before any of that though, I'd try to find out more about what is happening with your ESA.

Will

itsmefee

My experience of claiming universal credit itself was one big circus and I had no idea whether I was going to receive it or how much until the day before the money was due to be paid when a message appeared on my journal. 

I can categorically say that there is no way that the Govt are going to be able to keep up with the administration of this system they are running because it is very time consuming and so.multi faceted that no one knows what the hell is going on. 

I think I must **** off my work coach because I send her 2 to 3 messages on my journal every day just to keep her on her toes. They are valid questions about the system that I know she is not knowledgeable enough to answer. If everyone did that I am sure the system would soon collapse. Inundate them with an extra work load and see how long they can keep it up. 

Oh and if you are on ESA, insist on a home visit for your interview. Make them work for their information. I had an officer do a home visit and all she collected from me was my Bank Details. It took literally 3 minutes. How long do you think they can keep that up ? 

I might just increase my message load to 6 messages a day and see how that goes. ??

Just as much as they make it difficult for claimants, claimants should be doing the same. They are civil servants and there to serve us. I think they seem to forget that. 

It is the vulnerable claimants I really feel for. These are the people who will suffer the most from all this. At least I still have my voice and am able to use it.