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Universal credit SDP

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Please copy and paste on here the whole paragraph where it states that because i've read through it several times and i can't see what you're seeing. It states that the changes haven't yet taken place....
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    Copied and pasted the whole contents of the link and highlight where it says the changes for those claiming SDP haven't yet taken place, paragraph 5.

    Universal Credit is gradually being rolled out across the UK in stages. From 1 January 2018 onwards, whether you will be asked to apply for Universal Credit or existing benefits will usually depend on where you live.

    When your postcode moves to Universal Credit you can no longer make a new claim for tax credits, Housing Benefit or out-of-work benefits like Income Support.

    If you are making a new claim for benefits, or are already claiming benefits and have a change in your circumstances, you may have to claim Universal Credit at some point before December 2018 as the roll out for new claims will have covered the whole of the UK.

    This date does not apply to families with three or more children making a new benefit claim who can continue to apply for existing benefits and tax credits until at least February 2019.

    Things will also be a little different for those receiving the Severe Disability Premium (see our guide to SDP). The government announced in June 2018 that the rules will be changed to exclude anyone in this group from making a new claim for Universal Credit until something called transitional protection is in place for them. Theses rules have not yet been put in place but we will update this guide when the details are announced.

    Once the full roll out for new claims is complete, existing benefit claimants who have not had a change in circumstances will be moved over to Universal Credit at some point from 2019 onwards. A small number will be moved from January 2019 but the main 'managed migration' will start in July 2019 and is currently due to be completed by March 2023. See our What changes might trigger a move to Universal Credit guide for more information.

    You can find out exactly when you could be affected by putting your postcode into our Universal Credit postcode checker.

    What were the rules before 2018?

    Until 1 January 2018 there were slightly different rules in place. There were some areas, called live service areas, that only asked single unemployed people without children to claim Universal Credit.

    If you made a claim in a live service area you will eventually convert to being full service area at the same time as almost everyone else in your area.

    Are you already claiming benefits?

    Existing benefits and tax credits claimants who do not have a change of circumstance (see our What changes might trigger a move to Universal Credit guide) will not be asked to claim Universal Credit until July 2019 at the earliest. The government expects to finish moving existing benefit and tax credit claimants onto Universal Credit by March 2023.

    Are you moving from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit?

    From 11 April 2018, if you are transferring from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit your Housing Benefit payment will continue for an extra 2 weeks after the start of the Universal Credit claim.

    This extra 2 weeks of Housing Benefit is to help with your housing costs while you wait for your first payment of Universal Credit, which will take at least five weeks.

    The payment will be made automatically when you apply for Universal Credit and you don't need to pay it back. It also won't affect how much Universal Credit you get.

     


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • livonia
    livonia Community member Posts: 75 Courageous
    Poppy123456 I think I’m correct that should I get offered social housing (currently bidding) an d because it will(hopefully) be different local authority back close to family for support that I can choose to stay on Esa support group, sdp and pip : just do change of address and NOT claim housing benefit and wait until the legislation/regs amendment  is passed. It will obv cause hardship and I won’t be able to pay a helper any more etc. Is this a plan ?
  • aylasnan
    aylasnan Community member Posts: 33 Connected
    @livonia why would you not claim housing benefit? Housing told me I could and stay on ESA keeping SDP.
  • livonia
    livonia Community member Posts: 75 Courageous
    edited October 2018
    Because the regs giving us protection for sdp are not confirmed by parliament yet they say on parliamentary news autumn but who knows. if I claim hb in a new area and the one I want to move to is definitely now full uc area  I automatically get switched to uc so Lose sdp plus likelihood of new assessments yet again of whether I am fit to work. If I stay as I am on esa sdp and pip (pip not affected anyway) I will be protected under transitional arrangements when migration starts providing govt pass those regs

    Do let us know if yu are successful claiming housing benefits but All advice I’ve received is it wd be the housing element of universal credit as a change of circumstances ie moving outside your local authority is my choice  (which is what my posts about)
    ie move to a new authority now means yu cannot have old style housing benefits it must be paid under universal credit umbrella which currently means yu lose sdp and get reassessment for disability benefit so more evidence gather form fill and medical. I’ve just had a horrific year of exactly that undervesa and pip so no way I’m going through that again if I can possibly avoid it

    apols for long post but is very complicated at present. 

    I really hope parliament pass the amendment to regs and the worry will be over for so many of us


  • aylasnan
    aylasnan Community member Posts: 33 Connected
    Thankyou. Still dont know why the actual manager of housing benefits said this. So confusing and extremely stressful. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    aylasnan said:
    @livonia why would you not claim housing benefit? Housing told me I could and stay on ESA keeping SDP.
    I've been trying to tell you that they are not correct here. If you move and change local councils you will have to claim UC even if you claim SDP ...why? because the changes haven't yet taken place, once the changes are in place then those claiming SDP will not have to claim UC under a change of circumstances. The link i posted yesterday fully confirms this and i've no idea what you were looking at when you were reading this. If you move before the changes take place then you will indeed find that you were informed incorrectly by your local council and you'll  have no option but to claim UC.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • livonia
    livonia Community member Posts: 75 Courageous
    edited October 2018
    I believe as far question is concerned  above please I think I am  I am able to choose not to claim housing benefit and just do change of address for my esa and so keep sdp is that not correct? That was my question on my post 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    It's extremely difficult to keep up with multiple questions on the same thread, which is why it's always better to start own own post asking questions rather than asking them on other peoples threads.

    To answer your question... if you chose not to claiming housing benefit after you move then it will just be a change of address for your ESA and you'll remain on it. However, wouldn't you be worse off if you didn't claim housing benefit under UC? Maybe using a benefit calculator to speak to your local CAB for a full benefits check may help here.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • livonia
    livonia Community member Posts: 75 Courageous
    I have started a new discussion, sorry if it caused confusion.  I can understand the frustration being given incorrect advice.  All we can do is compare the advice given.  I think if you can ask any officer giving you advice for the  link (where they got their information) this advice needs to have a source to the most current regulations whether that be dwp ones or local government (your council's ) you can't go wrong with that.  Don't take word of mouth I suppose.  very very complex system. Hugely stressful.  keep us updated how you get on Ayalsan
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    I have just randomly rang a local council in a different area to where i live and said i have just moved area and claim ESA and SDP and would like to claim housing benefit. I was told that because the area is a full UC area then i would have to claim UC regardless of the fact that i claim the SDP. I told the person that i spoke to that DWP have announced about those claiming SDP wouldn't have to claim UC under a change of circumstances... the person told me that the rules are not in place yet and a change of circumstances means claim UC in a full UC area. Unless of course you stay with the same local council and then you can keep housing benefit, ESA and SDP.

    Hopefully DWP will make a further announcement soon.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • aylasnan
    aylasnan Community member Posts: 33 Connected
    Thankyou all. Im not being thick or argumentative when I say what I was told. Just desperate. Apologies for keeping on. So, if they announce mandatory migration has started does that mean we can then move and keep SDP immediatly or do we have to wait until they get around to contacting and moving us which Ive heard could take upto 10 years!
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,356 Disability Gamechanger
    aylasnan said:
    Thankyou all. Im not being thick or argumentative when I say what I was told. Just desperate. Apologies for keeping on. So, if they announce mandatory migration has started does that mean we can then move and keep SDP immediatly or do we have to wait until they get around to contacting and moving us which Ive heard could take upto 10 years!
    No problem. Yes, i totally agree how frustrating it really is but i really didn't want you to move house and then find out the advice you were previously given by your local council was in fact wrong.

    Once DWP make the official announcement that those claiming the SDP  will not have to claim UC when a change of circumstances prompts a move (like a house move to a different local council) then yes you'll know you can move house and not be forced to claim UC because you won't be able to at that point. You'll be able to claim Housing benefit with your new local council, remain on ESA and keep your SDP.

    Managed migration is different, once this starts and it won't be until 2019 at least but possibly much later than that for a lot of people then there will be a transitional protection in place so we won't be worse off. No ones knows yet exactly how they plan to do this and we'll just have to wait until they announce the managed migration plans.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • aylasnan
    aylasnan Community member Posts: 33 Connected
    Any chance of the first option being announced in the budget coming up? Sorry, probably a silly question..

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