Moving home

valleyboy

Hi,just looking for some clarification..
Is there any truth that if you update the DWP with a new address then you moved from your current ESA claim onto universal credit?

Lou67

Hi @valleyboy  I moved last year but I stayed within the same council.That doesn’t require you to move to UC if your doing that. 

All I did was phone ESA to change my address and everything was fine.

If your moving out off your council area I think that’s when you would have to change.

Thats what happened with me.
Hope that helps good luck.

valleyboy

Hiya and thanks for your response..
It's just that I've seen elsewhere that if you move to a alternative address within your own council area that you could/maybe moved from ESA onto universal credit..
Thanks for clearing that up for me..

calcotti

Lou67 said: If your moving out off your council area I think that’s when you would have to change.

And even then it is only if you need help with rent that this applies. If you change local authority an existing Housing Benefit claim will end. You then cannot make a new Housing Benefit claim at the new local authority (unless you are in certain types of exempted accommodation) and if you want to get help with rent therefore have to claim UC. It is the act of claiming Uc taht then ends any income based ESA entitlement.

Lou67

Hi your welcome.

I live in Scotland so not sure if it’s the same everywhere. 
Hopefully it is. 

Lou67

Hi @ calcotti. Thanks i wasn’t sure about that. 

valleyboy

@Lou67
I will be staying with the same local authority..?

Lou67

Aww nice one, it was a big relief for me when I found out I didn’t have to move over.

I imagine it will be the same for you. Good luck with the move.

valleyboy

@Lou67
Cheers..

Meanwhile I did read a article somewhere that back in 2018 it was mentioned that people who's currently in receipt of ESA would be moved onto UC between 2019-2023 but it haven't been passed in the house of lord's..
Don't know wether there's any truth in this mind..

Lou67

Oh right I’m just glad it didn’t start last year or this if it is true.

OverlyAnxious

Everyone will eventually be moved onto Universal Credit but there's no set date for it so far.  I suspect the current situation may push the suggested dates even further back.

Lou67

Hi @OverlyAnxious

Hi I hope your good.

Yes I imagine everything will have pushed it back a bit. 

valleyboy

@OverlyAnxious
If that's the case then I believe you do lose one of your premiums if you in the support group..

megs2019

I haven’t heard that it wasn’t on the news about everybody moving to Universal credits from esa .

[Deleted User]

I might have to move in 4-5 years time, as my landlady has told me she may be selling bungalow by then. I hope to stay in local area but I'll have to wait and see?

calcotti

valleyboy said:

@Lou67
I will be staying with the same local authority..?

In that case, if you are claiming Housing Benefit you should be able to simple update the claim with your change of address and new tenancy details. No need to claim UC and therefore no impact on ESA.

valleyboy said: Meanwhile I did read a article somewhere that back in 2018 it was mentioned that people who's currently in receipt of ESA would be moved onto UC between 2019-2023 but it haven't been passed in the house of lord's..

Don't know wether there's any truth in this mind..

The legislation is all in place and a pilot project was commenced in Harrogate but was suspended due to COVID. When 'managed migration' will resume is of course unknown and so too is the end date. 

OverlyAnxious

valleyboy said:

@OverlyAnxious
If that's the case then I believe you do lose one of your premiums if you in the support group..

Yes, you lose SDP if in support group, live alone and have no carer.  But people that don't currently get SDP will be better off on UC so it's not all bad.

There is currently a transitional payment for anyone switching that previously had SDP.

megs2019 said:

I haven’t heard that it wasn’t on the news about everybody moving to Universal credits from esa .

It's been on the cards since Universal Credit first came out.  ESA is one of the legacy benefits that UC was designed to include.  This is why you can no longer apply for ESA or housing benefit and have to make a claim for UC if you move councils.  If you stay in the same council, and don't have any major circumstance changes, it'll probably be many years before you have to switch over to UC.  Not something to worry about at the moment imo. 

valleyboy

@OverlyAnxious
Losing £66.95 per week ain't all that bad?
That's absolutely ridiculous how they can take that away..
People will be struggling even moreso...

calcotti

OverlyAnxious said:..Yes, you lose SDP if in support group, live alone and have no carer.  

That's confusing and probably isn't what you meant. Support Group is an ESA category and you do not lose SDP if you are in the Support Group.

OverlyAnxious said:It's been on the cards since Universal Credit first came out.  

And was all meant to have finished several years ago!

OverlyAnxious

valleyboy said:

@OverlyAnxious
Losing £66.95 per week ain't all that bad?
That's absolutely ridiculous how they can take that away..
People will be struggling even moreso...

Bad for us yes, not bad for all of the people that currently don't qualify for SDP. 

It's not the full £66.95 either, as UC LWCRA pays more than ESA support group.  I don't have the figures to hand at the moment but I worked it out as about £15 a week less for those of us currently getting SDP.

calcotti

I calculate
ESA standard £74.35, enhanced disability premium £17.10 plus support group £39.20 plus SDP £66.95 = £197.60/week

UC standard £409.89 plus LCWRA £341.92 plus £SDP transitional element £120 = £871.81/month which is equivalent £201.18/week

The UC figure includes the £20/week temporary uplift. The SDP element will reduce as any other element increase effectively freezing the UC maximum amount until the SDP element is fully eroded.