Moving house, PIP and ESA

lily1920

Hi, I will be moving out of my parents house into my own flat. Right now I get pip enhanced care and mobility, and ESA support group, with severe disability premium (£127 per week). I understand that when I move, I can claim the enhanced disability premium. No one gets carers for me because my mum gets it for my disabled sister. I will be calling both PIP and ESA to tell them I am moving. 


My first concern, is that will PIP see it as a change in circumstances?
It's taken 7 months to be awarded after a change in circumstances (worsening condition). My flat is going to be down the road, and my mum will still be helping me a lot, nothing about my conditions or needs would change due to the move. 

Additionally, if I get the enhanced disability premium, will this affect my PIP, as in, if I am living alone now, will that mean they have to do a full reassessment? 

This is so stressful, I don't know if it is even worth moving out at this rate, when I really do need to because being here is making my condition a lot worse. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, 
Lily. 

poppy123456

Hi,

The amount of ESA you're claiming means you're not currently claiming the severe disability premium. You're claiming the Enhanced disability premium. You have the premiums mixed up.

To claim the severe disability premium you must live alone or be classed as living alone and no one claims carers allowance for looking after you. As you're living at home then for you to be able to claim this now then everyone at home would need to be claiming a qualifying benefit, like PIP daily living or DLA mid/high rate care.

When you move out of your parents house if you'll be living alone or classed as living alone then you can apply for the SDP.

Will you be claiming for help with the rent when you move house? If you do then you'll need to claim the SDP before you claim for help with the rent. If you don't claim the SDP first then you'll have to apply for Universal credit for the housing element. If you apply for UC then your ESA will then transfer across as well.

All areas are now a full UC area and new claims for housing benefit aren't possible, unless you're claiming the SDP then it won't be possible to claim UC.

The SDP won't affect your PIP claim. Hope this makes sense and helps.

lily1920

Thanks for your reply, yes I see I got the premiums mixed up haha!
Am I correct in understanding that UC is capped at around £297 per week for single adults living in London? So all together the ESA with any premiums and housing benefit will be capped at this amount, and PIP is independent of this? 

To to be honest I’m just so scared that PIP will see I am living alone and will think my conditions have gotten better to the point that I can live alone, even though the only way I can live alone is if my mum is still supporting me, and I can’t leave the house without her. I am worried that I will be reassessed and lose my award and my car and never be able to go out again. 

poppy123456

No, UC won't be capped for you because you receive PIP so you're excluded from the benefit cap.

As i advised, if you claim the SDP first then this will exclude you from claiming UC. A claim for SDP can take 3-4 weeks but it will be back dated to the date you moved out of your mum's house. If you claim UC for the housing element part then your ESA will transfer to UC and then you won't be able to claim the SDP.

Your PIP won't be affected. Moving out of your mum's house doesn't mean you don't still need help and support and your disability doesn't just stop when you move out.

Government_needs_reform

As @poppy123456 has also said

To add when you phone ESA up to change your address you can ask them to do the SDP over the phone, the form you need to mention is called and IS10.

Doing over the phone will process quicker and be added to your ESA making it £191+ a week instead of £127+. 

Thats how I did mine when I was transferred from DLA to PIP and the SDP was added straight away.

lily1920

Thank you for your replies. I signed the tenancy agreement last week and the housing officer helped me to apply for housing benefit straight away. The official tenancy start date is tomorrow, but the housing benefit application is already in. Should/can I cancel it, and apply for SDP, then apply for housing benefit? 
I think I've made a mess of it all!


Thank you both so much for your help. 

Government_needs_reform

lily1920 said:

Thank you for your replies. I signed the tenancy agreement last week and the housing officer helped me to apply for housing benefit straight away. The official tenancy start date is tomorrow, but the housing benefit application is already in. Should/can I cancel it, and apply for SDP, then apply for housing benefit? 
I think I've made a mess of it all!


Thank you both so much for your help. 

Jeez @lily1920
No dont Cancel anything... when you phone up ESA to tell them you now have moved into you new place and you live on your own. As you get PIP ESA will see that on the computer just ask ESA about adding the SDP as you now live on your own.

ESA will know the form you will need to fill in but can be done over the phone... Remember to tell them it's the IS10.

poppy123456

lily1920 said:

Thank you for your replies. I signed the tenancy agreement last week and the housing officer helped me to apply for housing benefit straight away. The official tenancy start date is tomorrow, but the housing benefit application is already in. Should/can I cancel it, and apply for SDP, then apply for housing benefit? 
I think I've made a mess of it all!


Thank you both so much for your help. 

A new claim for housing benefit is not possible for you right now because all areas are now a full UC area and have been since middle of December.

The only way you'll be able to claim housing benefit is if you claim the SDP first as previously advised. I'm not even sure why your housing officer advised you to claim the housing benefit.

lily1920

Government_needs_reform said:

lily1920 said:

Thank you for your replies. I signed the tenancy agreement last week and the housing officer helped me to apply for housing benefit straight away. The official tenancy start date is tomorrow, but the housing benefit application is already in. Should/can I cancel it, and apply for SDP, then apply for housing benefit? 
I think I've made a mess of it all!


Thank you both so much for your help. 

Jeez @lily1920
No dont Cancel anything... when you phone up ESA to tell them you now have moved into you new place and you live on your own. As you get PIP ESA will see that on the computer just ask ESA about adding the SDP as you now live on your own.

ESA will know the form you will need to fill in but can be done over the phone... Remember to tell them it's the IS10.

Thank you! I will do this and ask them to do it over the phone. Many thanks for your help.

Government_needs_reform

@lily1920 please let us know how you get on, it's a straightforward process....
Good luck with moving in your new pad.❤️

poppy123456

Please be aware that if you do claim UC in the meantime for the housing element then you won't be able to claim the SDP because your ESA will transfer to UC.

lily1920

Hi, 

I received a letter this morning saying that I am now going to be paid the severe disability premium for ESA, they did the form over the phone. I also received a letter from housing benefit saying I need to fill in another form online, so just need to do that now.

Thanks!