Universal credit query

If your UC award is lower than legacy benefits, Transitional Protection will be added to your claim so you aren't worse off than on legacy benefits. This erodes over time as other elements go up or new elements are added. Effectively your payment is frozen until the usual non TP rates catch up with your award.

Once you've applied for UC you have access to the online account called the Journal. You can request (by writing a note on the Journal) that your rent be paid directly to your Landlord.

Otherwise, you will need to make whatever arrangement suits you best to pay the rent once your UC payment arrives.

For what its worth. I'm a single man living alone and moved to u.c. In April this year.i used to receive esa and was on it since it 1st started years ago. I was placed in the support group. My money was £320 a fortnight,with housing benefit straight to my landlord. When moved to u.c. I remain on new style esa at 281.10 a fortnight. But also receive £107 a fortnight from u.c. Plus I requested to have my housing benefit paid direct to the landlord. I'll let you do the maths.totally understand your anxiety, I was exactly the same.Countless sleepless night. But so far all seems OK. Hope this helps, all the best tumility.

When you apply for UC, work will be done behind the scenes to close your Housing Benefit and ESA claims. The claimant has no input info this process, UC do it all.

Your responsibility would be to arrange payment of rent, either by asking UC to pay rent directly to landlord, or making payment once your Housing Element arrives with your UC payment.

Some people's ESA is wholly income related, others have Contributions Based with an IR top up. Many don't know what their award is is until they migrate. See linked thread for what happens if your ESA award is mixed.

After starting the application you have 28 days to submit the form.

If after 28 days it hasn't been submitted, it gets deleted and you'd have to start again.

As advised, once you've applied for UC and submitted the form, you have access to the online account called the Journal. You can request (by writing a note on the Journal) that your rent be paid directly to your Landlord.

Usual forum advice is to apply for UC one day after an ESA payment. This helps ensure the run on payment will be for the full amount.

After applying for UC, ESA & HB end, apart from one final payment known as the run on payment. This does not impact your first UC payment.

You do need to briefly list your medical conditions and any treatments when applying.

You don't need any medical evidence, as your ESA status will transfer to the UC equivalent automatically.

It's entirely your decision, some prefer to delay as long as possible, others like to get it out of the way 🙂

If the day after your ESA payment is 24th October, then yes that would be a good day to submit your application.

I'd recommend though starting the form perhaps early October, so come the 24th it's ready to submit and you aren't rushing to complete ahead of your deadline on the 25th.

You will receive ESA and HB until you submit the UC application. Your claims for those then end, apart from the run on payment afterwards.

Hi again

I assumed you are on esa.its my understanding regardless of whether you're on ir or cb you're medical history will be already known to them. I was on the support group. Still am, so they told me, hence the £107.as regards the housing benefit believe it or not they did that for me.yippee!!as regards council tax a few mins on my local council Web site and it was done.

Take care.