Housing Benefit with ESA help!

poppy123456

ESA is paid in arrears so she will be owed money from that. Her first UC payment will be for 1 months money.

Standard allowance over 25, £317.82 + £366.20 if LCWRA is added. If she's awarded housing element then that will be paid as well. Otherwise it will be just £317.82.

PIPnewbie

How many weeks of arrears? 2 or 4?

Thanks.  I tried using the calculators for her but I don’t get the non-dependents thing and council tax relief.

PIPnewbie

And @poppy123456 is that £317.82 and £366.20 paid monthly or four weekly?

poppy123456

ESA is paid 2 weeks in arrears.

UC is paid monthly not 4 weekly. Non dependents are others in the house but her grandparents circumstances won't affect her UC amount.

It will be the figures you said above. If LCWRA isn't added in time then it will just be £317.82, when it's added it will be backdated. Hopefully this won't happen but it happens a lot so don't be surprised if it does happen.

If she's a awarded housing element then this will also be added but i believe it will need to be decided by a decision maker because of her circumstances.

Council tax reduction doesn't apply to her because her grandparents are responsible for that.

PIPnewbie

Right definitely leaving you in peace now @poppy123456

Can’t thank you enough!

poppy123456

No problem. Do let us know the outcome, i'll be very interested to know because my concern is she hasn't paid any rent to her Grandparents in the past and they haven't made her homeless because of it. It could be classed as a contrived tenancy.

Also just to remind you, when she attends her first job centre appointment to confirm her identity she needs to ask her work coach to send the MPG1 to ESA, once this is done her ESA award will be honoured in UC. She'll also need a tenancy agreement to claim for the housing element. Good luck.

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

Thanks Poppy!  She already has the tenancy agreement signed and ready to go  

On her journal entries for the claim they’re telling her to phone a number for the interview but also to bring a fit note.  Should she mention on the phone when booking the interview that her ESA needs to be honoured?

poppy123456

Yes she needs to tell them that she already has LCW and is in the Support Group for ESA and no fit note is needed.

PIPnewbie

Thanks @poppy123456 I’ll definitely get her to say that.

This is what her journal says btw!

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

Sorry, one more thing but under ESA my partner has always been left alone because of her LCWRA status, and has just received her ESA payments for years without issue.

Obviously at some point there will be a reassessment in future but until then she’s just left to be.

Will this be the same under Universal Credit?

poppy123456

Yes, once here ESA award is honoured it will be the same. They can also re-assess her anytime from 3 months, just like ESA.

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

Is that from AND including every 3 months?  And does this happen in real world experiences?

poppy123456

It's every 3 months from the date of the decision and yes, i've actually heard of people being re-assessed again after just 3 months.

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

In her case, she qualified for the LCWRA of ESA for having incontinence at least once per week, but under UC it’s less strict and it only needs to be once per month, so surely with her condition and this never ever going away, they won’t waste their resources reassessing her every 3 months? 

Also, if she got her last ESA payment on Friday 16th, she will now get one last ESA payment on Friday 30th next week correct?

poppy123456

ESA Support Group descriptors are exactly the same as LCWRA descriptors. The only ones that are exempt from further assessments are those that have been placed into the severe conditions group and there's very specific criteria for this, as far as i know there's not many people been placed into this group as yet. This means that she can be re-assessed anytime from 3 months.

I have no idea when she'll receive her next ESA payment i'm afraid. DWP would be able to tell her.

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

I believe they are slightly different regarding my partner’s condition.

ESA’s descriptor says:

8. Absence or loss of control whilst conscious leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or bladder, other than enuresis (bed-wetting), despite the wearing or use of any aids or adaptations which are normally, or could reasonably be, worn or used.

At least once a week experiences 
(i) loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder; or
(ii) substantial leakage of the contents of a collecting device;
sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing.

UC’s descriptor says:

Absence or loss of control whilst conscious leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or bladder, other than enuresis (bed-wetting), despite the wearing or use of any aids or adaptations which are normally or could reasonably be worn or used.

9(a) At least once a month experiences: 
(i) loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder; or 
(ii) substantial leakage of the contents of a collecting device, sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing. 
Score 15

9(b) The majority of time is at risk of loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder, sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing, if not able to reach a toilet quickly. Score 6

9(c) Neither of the above applies. Score 0

poppy123456

PIPnewbie said:

UC’s descriptor says:

Absence or loss of control whilst conscious leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or bladder, other than enuresis (bed-wetting), despite the wearing or use of any aids or adaptations which are normally or could reasonably be worn or used.

9(a) At least once a month experiences: 
(i) loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder; or 
(ii) substantial leakage of the contents of a collecting device, sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing. 
Score 15

9(b) The majority of time is at risk of loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder, sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing, if not able to reach a toilet quickly. Score 6

9(c) Neither of the above applies. Score 0

I'm afraid that's the LCW descriptors not LCWRA. the work capability assessment and criteria are the same for ESA and UC.

poppy123456

It took me a while to find it but here's the link, it's descriptor 8 here.  https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/3904-limited-capability-for-work-related-activity

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

What is it for LCWRA?  That’s where you are in the Support Group right?

My partner is saying for ESA support group you needed 15 points and her incontinence got her that award in one descriptor.

I am so confused here.

LCWRA is higher than LCW right?

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456 sorry I only just saw your link.

So LCWRA is the higher one and it’s still incontinence once per week, which is fine, because she is multiple times a week and that’s noted down on vast amounts of medical records.