OLD ESA ( Legacy benefit) NEW ESA (Universal Credit ) VERY CONFUSING

teejays1617

So the Universal Credit was supposed to incorporate  6 legacy benefits
BUT IS THE REAL TRUTH COMING TO THE SURFACE
UNIVERSAL CREDIT WILL DESTROY THE SDP BENEFIT AND EDP BENEFIT AND OTHER
BENEFITS and the New Style ESA will only be available to CONTRIBUTION BASED APPLICANTS 
in other words claimants that have worked in the last year or two
THE TRUTH IS UNIVERSAL CREDIT IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
Please feel free to give your views

mossycow

Hmm..  To be honest. . For all the god awful problems I've had with ESA I have found that I am better off 9n new ESA than old ESA. I was advised that because it was more than 1 or 2 (can't remember which) years since I was working I "had not contributed". And as my husband worked over x hours I would get nothing. 

We changed to new style. And in the same circumstances I am entitled to some money and husband able to get some carers money too. 

Though I still feel it is all a pile of shiny shoes. 

poppy123456

mossycow said:

Hmm..  To be honest. . For all the god awful problems I've had with ESA I have found that I am better off 9n new ESA than old ESA. I was advised that because it was more than 1 or 2 (can't remember which) years since I was working I "had not contributed". And as my husband worked over x hours I would get nothing. 

We changed to new style. And in the same circumstances I am entitled to some money and husband able to get some carers money too. 

Though I still feel it is all a pile of shiny shoes. 

Do you mean since you changed to UC? New style ESA is for those that have paid enough NI contributions from working in the previous 2 tax years, as you said you had contributed then it's impossible for you to claim the New style.  It's similar to the old style contributions based but they changed the name when UC was introduced.

For UC you would also claim as a couple but you wouldn't for New style ESA. New style ESA is not part of UC.

You're correct in what you say, some people are better off claiming UC.

Gary01522

After numerous forms and back and forth letters. Because I had a small pension from work disabled. I was informed my pension made ESA ect nill

poppy123456

Gary01522 said:

After numerous forms and back and forth letters. Because I had a small pension from work disabled. I was informed my pension made ESA ect nill

Hi,

I'm assuming you're talking about the underpayments for those that transferred from Incapacity benefit to ESA.

For the income related top up on contributions based ESA then any pension you receive will be counted as income £1 for £1. As the Enhanced disability premium is £16.40 per week from April 2018 (less in previous years) then any pension over this amount per week will reduce your income related amount to zero.

Pensions don't affect contribution based benefit unless the pension is over £85 per week.