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Jane1964
Jane1964 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
in Universal Credit (UC)
Hello everyone. We are all on here for different reasons and if i can help I will . I have been diagnosed with Bipolar and have been on ESA for many years. I have always tried to work but it ends in disaster. I had a call from DWP on Friday to tell me that I no longer qualify for ESA and have to go onto Universal Credits. Nothing has changed in me for years,so why are they doing this and how can I fight it please? Thank you x

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    HI,

    Did you recently have a face to face assessment and were then found fit for work?
  • Jane1964
    Jane1964 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Hi Poppy
    Yes I did.
  • Hartley
    Hartley Posts: 114 Contributor
    @Jane1964

    Hi

    Is Bipolar a lifelong condition?....
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Hartley said:
    @Jane1964

    Hi

    Is Bipolar a lifelong condition?....
    It is
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Jane1964 said:
    Hello everyone. We are all on here for different reasons and if i can help I will . I have been diagnosed with Bipolar and have been on ESA for many years. I have always tried to work but it ends in disaster. I had a call from DWP on Friday to tell me that I no longer qualify for ESA and have to go onto Universal Credits. Nothing has changed in me for years,so why are they doing this and how can I fight it please? Thank you x
    For your ESA you now have 1 month from the date of the decision to request the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) you should put this in writing stating which group you think you should be in and your reasons why. Knowing the reasons you were placed into the group you were previously in will help.

    Were you claiming the Severe disability premium in with your ESA? If you were then you won't be able to claim UC.

    If you weren't claiming the SDP then you will be able to claim UC but if you do claim it then you won't be able to go back onto ESA.

    If you decide not to claim UC and the MR decision remains the same and most do then you'll be able to go back onto assessment rate for ESA once the Tribunal accept your appeal. You'll need fit/sick notes from your GP to be able to do this and they will need to be dated from the date you were found fit for work.

    If you're claiming housing benefit then because you've been found fit for work this will also stop BUT you'll be able to claim this through nil income while waiting for the MR decision, if you decide not to claim UC. For the nil income form you need to contact your local council.

    Some face to face advice maybe helpful here because it's a lot to take in. See this link https://advicelocal.uk/

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,754 Online Community Programme Lead
    Hello @Jane1964 and welcome to the community. 
    I see Poppy has already advised you regarding your ESA decision and potential move to Universal Credit.
    Please let me know if I can help any at all or if there's anything you need further clarification on. :)
  • Jane1964
    Jane1964 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Hi Poppy123456
    I was getting 100.00 a week off ESA and allowed and encouraged to do permitted work. So I do a 12 hour a week job and obviously get paid for that. I also get Housing Benefit of 92.00 per week. So if I go on UC. How much money will a get a week?

    I filled in the UC online but haven't been to the job center yet for them to confirm my identity.

    I'm so worried that I won't be able to pay my rent and bills, I don't know what to do. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    £100 per week so i'm assuming you were in the WRAG? Did the work you do go against you do you think? Yes, you can do permitted work but it can sometimes go against you if the work you do contradicts the reasons for your claim. :(

    Standard allowance is £317.82 per month single person claim. Then you'll receive the housing element on top of that and you'll need to check your local housing allowance to know what you'll receive for that. Check here. https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/ Your housing benefit will stop completely and be paid through UC as 1 total monthly payment.

    Do you live with dependent children? If not then because you don't have limited capability for work or dependent children you won't have a work allowance. This means that your earnings will reduce your UC payment by 63%.

    If you have dependent children then you will have a work allowance of £287 per month, which means you can earn up to this amount without it affecting your UC payments.

    I'd advise you to put all your details into the benefits calculator and it will tell you what you can claim. Don't forget to put your earnings in too. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

    I would still advise you to appeal the ESA decision by requesting the MR and you have 1 month to request this.


  • Jane1964
    Jane1964 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Thank you Poppy, they have aseesed me whilst just coming off a manic phase abs haven't taken into consideration how I am when I'm very low. Thank you for your advice. 

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