First statement shambles

Bruno78
Bruno78 Online Community Member Posts: 42 Contributor
in Universal Credit (UC)

Hi, Have just migrated over from Income related ESA to Universal Credit and got my first statement today. On ESA(IR) I was in support group and also received a social sector sized criteria supplementary payment for having an extra bedroom. It appears I was receiving contributory ESA with the IR top ups as the letter I received last week said I would continue to get CB ESA(no mention of new style ESA)

Anyway, first UC statement has no Transitional payment, it also says I have to pay £43 for having an extra bedroom(clearly states online this would be protected when migrating over) (BTW I migrated over before the deadline)

So I'm left with a 214 monthly universal credit payment to be paid on Friday(paid fortnightly in Northern Ireland so £107 this week) My fortnightly payment of CB ESA is £281 down from £489 so I think I'm down in the guts of around at least £400 a month when told this would be protected. I have left a message in my journal but my nerves are shattered as I have bad anxiety and am very confused. Have I done something wrong, if anyone can shed any light please comment. Thanks

Comments

  • dolmenman
    dolmenman Online Community Member Posts: 20 Connected

    Hi. I'm in Northern Ireland too. I was migrated last month and was getting the same as you on ESA…my first statement said I would get £13 a fortnight UC. I contacted them through the journal, phoned ESA to make sure they had forwarded my claim and they told me to not waste time with the journal and to phone 0800 0121331 and ask them to escalate it to a case manager and to update it….most probably they have left out your LCWRA component… I got mine finally sorted today see my thread on this page

    What to do if UC has miscalculated the amount you are to receive. — Scope | Online Community

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,444 Championing
    edited October 6

    https://www.nihe.gov.uk/my-housing-executive/advice-for-housing-executive-tenants/social-sector-size-criteria-bedroom-tax#:~:text=Financial%20help%20/%20Welfare%20Supplementary%20Payment,indicated%20on%20your%20quarterly%20statement.

    This says that the extra housing payment doesn't originate with UC, so you wouldn't I think see anything about it on your UC statement. Making your Housing Element correct on the statement.

    You would need to contact whoever was paying it before, or a local welfare rights organisation for assistance

    https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

    With a £214 UC payment, that adds up to Standard Allowance +LCWRA element (less the New Style ESA deduction).

    So yes, you should receive Transitional Protection to make up for the loss of SDP.

    Add a Journal note (using the payment option) stating you believe you are entitled to Transitional Protection and that this is missing.

    For information, UC does have a different payment cycle, UC entitlement unlike legacy benefits is calculated monthly (even if you actually get 2 UC payments a month).

    Excluding Housing Element, assuming you are single +no dependant children, you should when correct end up with a UC award made up of:

    £400.14 Standard Allowance

    £423.27 LCWRA element

    £236.74 Transitional Protection

    = 1060.15

    Minus £609.05 New Style ESA

    Leaving your income as:

    £452.10 UC

    +

    £609.05 New Style ESA.

    =£1060.15

    Your previous ESA award was the same (as a monthly equivalent).

    £244.65 x 52 /12

    (this is how you convert a weekly benefit into a monthly one).

    =1060.15.

  • Bruno78
    Bruno78 Online Community Member Posts: 42 Contributor
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1072998#Comment_1072998

    Thanks, They have got back to me and updated my statement which matches the figures you have quoted so thank you. They are still however disputing my extra bedroom supplementary payment. It clearly states on the Northern Ireland housing executive website if you got the payment before moving to universal credit then you will continue to get it. This case manager is convinced I don't qualify because I don't use the bedroom for carers etc despite the housing executive and NI direct saying otherwise. So annoying, I even quoted the paragraph on the website to her. So confusing, will contact the NIHE to see if they can shed any light on this.

  • Bruno78
    Bruno78 Online Community Member Posts: 42 Contributor
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1072993#Comment_1072993

    LCWRA is on there, just the transition payments(resolved now) and the extra bedroom problem. Thanks

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,444 Championing
    edited October 6

    Glad your TP is sorted.

    I think you are best off contacting NIHE as they unlike UC are used to these payments.

    Within UC they themselves only pay for an extra room under certain circumstances so they are probably advising on those rules, and not the ones that apply to this NI specific payment.

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