Impact of change of address

cdylan

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

poppy123456

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

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

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

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

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

That's because they have no idea what they're talking about.

cdylan

I hope so. I really depend on my ESA to live.
Thanks for providing input.

cdylan

Here's to hoping I won't lose much-needed SDP.

poppy123456

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.

https://www.welfare-benefits-unit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-triggers-a-claim-for-Universal-Credit-in-a-full-service-area.pdf

cdylan

That's not so clear, and I think a little out of date (June 2016), but thank you nevertheless.

poppy123456

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.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/changes_that_trigger_Universal_Credit

cdylan

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.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/changes_that_trigger_Universal_Credit

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

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

Many thanks, again.

cdylan

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

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

Many thanks. Fingers crossed.