Impact of change of address

cdylan
cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hello all, thanks in advance for reading. I have been receiving ESA (support group with disability premium) for 3 years, and was successfully reassessed last week. (I also revive higher rate daily living allowance PIP). I will be moving home soon and I read online that once I move the 'change in circumstances' will mean I may need to be: 1. reassessed again, 2.move from ESA to UC, and, 3.possibly have a reduction in my benefit amount.
Could anybody here clarify these queries for me?
Many thanks

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    Hi,

    If the area you're moving to a different local council and you need to claim housing benefit then yes you'll have to claim UC for the housing element and then your ESA will transfer to UC. Do you live alone and receive the severe disability premium in with your ESA?

    If the area you're moving to is the same local council then you won't have to move to UC.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    Hi, poppy.

    Thanks for the information

    Yes, I will be moving to a different council borough, but I won't need to cousin housing benefit.

    I do live alone and receive the severe disability premium.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    edited December 2018
    Hi all. Following on from my post last night, I've called both the UC call centre and ESA call centre this morning (in addition to CAB and the Moneyadvisoryservice) . Needless to say, after 3 hours on the phone I've received a mixed bag of answers. UC told me I'd ''probably not'' need to transition/migrate to UC from ESA because of a change of address. However, ESA advised a change of address constitutes a change of circs and as such I'd need to actually make a new claim for UC from ESA (rather than migrate). So, essentially, 2 contradictory answers. The NGOs I phone simply recited what's on their respective websites. 
    With all that said, I wonder if anybody here has any additional input?
    My situation will be that I will be moving address, into a different council borough in the new year. However, I won't be applying for housing benefit after I move. Currently I am receiving IR ESA support group with severe disability premium and disability income guarantee.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    As you won't be claiming any housing benefit then a change of address will not prompt a move to UC. It's not classed as a change of circumstances and you'll remain on ESA.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    poppy123456 said:
    As you won't be claiming any housing benefit then a change of address will not prompt a move to UC. It's not classed as a change of circumstances and you'll remain on ESA.
    Thank you. That's my line of thought too, buy the esa helpline suggested otherwise ..... 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    That's because they have no idea what they're talking about.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    I hope so. I really depend on my ESA to live.
    Thanks for providing input.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    Here's to hoping I won't lose much-needed SDP.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    You won't lose the SDP because a change of address for your ESA is not classed as a change of circumstances and won't prompt a move to UC. You won't be claiming housing benefit.

  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    That's not so clear, and I think a little out of date (June 2016), but thank you nevertheless.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    cdylan said:
    That's not so clear, and I think a little out of date (June 2016), but thank you nevertheless.
    Regardless, what prompts a change to UC is still exactly the same. You're rather difficult to convince here, i must admit. I really can't say anymore to you other than a change of address is not classed as a change of circumstances IF you're not claiming HB. Here you go, try this link.

  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    poppy123456 said:
    cdylan said:
    That's not so clear, and I think a little out of date (June 2016), but thank you nevertheless.
    Regardless, what prompts a change to UC is still exactly the same. You're rather difficult to convince here, i must admit. I really can't say anymore to you other than a change of address is not classed as a change of circumstances IF you're not claiming HB. Here you go, try this link.

    Many thanks.
    Admittedly, I am being hard to convince, because of what I was told on the UC helpline and the Moneyadvisoryservice helpline too. Kindest regards for your input.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    No worries. There would be absolutely no reason for this to prompt a move to UC because you have an active claim of ESA and you're not planning on claiming any housing benefit.

    Providing you're still living alone, or classed as living alone then you'll still be entitled to the SDP.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    Many thanks, again.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    One final question, if I may?
    When I do change address do I simply phone the ESA helpline and advise I'm changing address, while emphasising that I do not wish to claim HB once move?
    Kindest regards and many thanks.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,465 Championing
    Ring ESA once you've moved. You don't have to tell them you're not claiming housing benefit because housing benefit has nothing to do with ESA, that's local council. As you're not claiming housing benefit then you don't need to claim UC, you'll stay on ESA with a simple change of address only.
  • cdylan
    cdylan Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    Many thanks. Fingers crossed.

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