What a benefits mess

whistles
whistles Online Community Member Posts: 2,058 Championing
edited August 4 in Everyday life

Just curious who else is actually on benefits that are being paid all over the place.

I just discovered on migrating to UC that I also need to claim for new style ESA. So that means I will be getting some money every two weeks, some every four and one monthly.

Is anyone of the view that they actually they need to simplify the system once and for all by having it all on the same page!!

Change pip to every two weeks or change ESA to every four. Are they doing it on purpose to create confusion about how to budget.

Nobody has actually been able to tell me how much I will even get!! I feel this is shocking to be fair. The advice is to look at the calculators. The other advice is those aren't accurate and as I didn't even know about the fact I was needing to move to new style until now it wouldn't ever be accurate. No where on any of my letters did it ever say contribution based.

I have no idea if I will just get moved over as they would be due to pay me next week, but I haven't even had the phone call with the work coach. The week after UC is meant to start and they won't be able to deduct their amount off if I haven't claimed it.

What a mess.

And a stress we didn't create.

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Comments

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 6,440 Championing

    Converting to New Style ESA is an automatic process, £281.10 will be paid each fortnight and a set amount deducted from each UC payment.

    It doesn't matter when your NS ESA claimant commitment gets done, the ESA payment cycle continues on your normal schedule.

    There is nothing for you to "claim" before NS ESA starts paying or UC start deducting.

    The money is the same.

    UC Standard Allowance & LCWRA* pays £823.41.

    Some people get that all from UC.

    You & I get £609.05 New Style ESA and £214.36 UC.

    Same total.

    To answer your question, yes I get PIP 4 weekly, UC monthly and NS ESA fortnightly. I did manage to find a budgeting formula which works for me!

    *I have excluded any rent or Transitional Protection for simplicity.

  • whistles
    whistles Online Community Member Posts: 2,058 Championing

    They've not worded the letter very well in that case. Thank you. I am glad I got stressed in that case as you've answered my issue.

    They actually said " your work coach will explain what you need to do to complete your new style claim. You must accept the work commitment to complete your new style claim. So it didn't sound like it was just going to be automatic, and it wasn't complete.

    I wish they wouldn't do this to people and make it clear. We will pay you **** amount from the so and so date would have been nice if it's automatic.

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 6,440 Championing

    That letter causes a lot of confusion - much like the old ESA letters!

    Unfortunately it's a generic letter that assumes every claim is a new one. When migrating to UC the NS ESA claim is actually treated as a transfer.

  • Catherine21
    Catherine21 Posts: 7,347 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/137307/what-a-benefits-mess

    My friend going through same said get 516 esa and 218 uc he hasn't a clue and uc dint know either he's I'm a right mess dreading mine

  • sunnydays
    sunnydays Online Community Member Posts: 97 Empowering

    That was so well explained Kimi87. That's helped me too so Thank You

  • Ranald
    Ranald Online Community Member Posts: 2,489 Championing

    I didn't receive any letters. I suppose some do and some don't.

  • whistles
    whistles Online Community Member Posts: 2,058 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1054751#Comment_1054751

    Doesn't it just.

    None of ESA letters ever mentioned it included contribution base.

  • whistles
    whistles Online Community Member Posts: 2,058 Championing

    So just had my first ESA payment, which means I am not currently without money as it was straightforward.

    It's for less money without the IR top up.

    By the looks of the thread I am the only one who feels the system is still a mess by giving people benefits that are all over the place time frame wise.

    I had organised myself for the change to UC and now I suddenly have three payments to suss out with days notice that this was happening. No where did it mention the possibility of being on contribution based new style, not even on this forum or the calculators.

    New Style was always for new claimants when they changed something else.

  • Ranald
    Ranald Online Community Member Posts: 2,489 Championing
    edited August 4
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1055438#Comment_1055438

    I suppose that mess or not , it's best to adapt to the changes, as we can nothing about it.

  • whistles
    whistles Online Community Member Posts: 2,058 Championing

    We could adapt if things weren't such an incompetent mess.

    One big bonus I hope it's I won't have to deal with the idiots working at the civil. They are the only department that I have a season ticket for!!!

    They have written to terminate my housing benefit. Okay that's expected.

    Then they go on to say they are giving me a two week transition to UC award. Okay that's expected it was two weeks in arrears.

    Then they claim I been over paid and intend to recover that transition award payment back. Not sure why as it's two weeks in arrears! And the rest of the money off my UC award.

    So guess where I will be this week, yet again, sorting things out.

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