Declaring Savings/U.C Reviews

It is confusing so you're not alone with that.

Basically New Style ESA does require NI Contributions if we were going to get payments from it.

However, because we don't have enough NI contributions for payments, it will just add NI credits to our record instead. Hence the 'credits only' claim.

The credits go towards the state pension, so they are worth having. But the important part for us is that it maintains our LCWRA status (albeit called Support Group on ESA) so that we wouldn't have to go through another WCA when we apply for UC again.

You can put a claim in for New style ESA at anytime but it must be before your UC ends due to excess capital.

ok thanks poppy

The up to 3 months in advance that you're referring to are for those that are claiming SSP from their employer. This is the stage where they would receive their SSP1 form and can then start a claim for NsESA. Payments would not start until 7 days after SSP ends because both can't be paid at the same time.

Usually a claim for NsESA shouldn't take any longer than about 1 month but in your case, there wouldn't be any payments anyway so the claim should be much quicker than that.

You can claim online here, rather than ring.

https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/how-to-claim

It would not affect your UC or LCWRA because you won't be entitled to payments for ESA and it would be a credits only claim because you already have LCWRA. No, you wouldn't have 2 claims open because a credits only claim for ESA is not an actual claim as such, it's just credits only.

Once you go over £16k yes your UC claim ends. The NI credits for ESA will continue as normal but when your capital goes below £16k because you've claimed ESA you would not need to go through another WCA assessment again and your UC would include the LCWRA element from the start of your claim.

Thanks Poppy. I was just working on the idea that it shouldn't take any longer than 3 months based on that.

In my case, I will be trying to do it all online, which will most likely take longer than people who can do it over the phone.

Although they allow online applications now, it still says they'll phone you for evidence (not sure whether any is needed for us on UC) and I'm also aware that usually the commitments would be accepted by phone as well. So I'm expecting a delay or even a total refusal by trying to do it all online. Do you know if there is anywhere on the online form to ask for adjustments? I will just try the standard DWP email address if not.