Income Support -> Esa -> Unversal credit ?

Karen_taris

Somebody is on income support, and being moved (through an application form process) to being applied to Esa (a new application ESA form)

they get housing benefit to.

Then how Universal credit fit in? when this new UC comes?

If ESA is awarded, then in 2013 April onwards, will the ESA be migrated to UC?
(so the ESA would have just been for a short time, as the UC application would have begun?)

or would they get both ESA and UC ? or one or the other.



also eventually will everybody who is now on
Income support,
incapacity benefit,
esa

be migrated to universal credit in the next years?

so those above 3 benefits will be extinct?

and will the universal credit transfer be automatic? or an application process for all migrates ?

wayne0

its a phased transfer...

not everyone at once... but once your universal credits application goes through, all other benefits stop
(as in one benefit replaces:
income based JSA
income based ESA
income support
housing benefit
CTC
WTC

it could be 4 or more years until UC is "fully live" and the transfers have all taken place...

Karen_taris

and how about the transfer process, is the universal credit transfer be automatic? or an application process for all migrates ?

Horseunderwater

Nobody knows exactly what will happen as it has not been started yet. Pilot starts in April 2013 in 3 areas up north, so until then one can only assume that current claimants will get sent a form/letter of some sort saying that it is now their turn to be moved onto UC at some point after Oct 2013 I think it is. What may happen is that each office gets trained up one at a time and then goes live area by area. Rolling out across the country. For now it is best not to worry too much. Once the pilot goes live more information will become available and we will learn what is needed etc.

benefitbaby

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Nobody knows exactly what will happen as it has not been started yet. Pilot starts in April 2013 in 3 areas up north, so until then one can only assume that current claimants will get sent a form/letter of some sort saying that it is now their turn to be moved onto UC at some point after Oct 2013 I think it is. What may happen is that each office gets trained up one at a time and then goes live area by area. Rolling out across the country. For now it is best not to worry too much. Once the pilot goes live more information will become available and we will learn what is needed etc.

However the pilot will only consider a very limited claim group as set out in the UC(TP) Regs 2013....

Be single, aged 18-60.5 years;
Have no dependent children;
Not be on (nor awaiting a decision about) JSA,ESA,IS,HB,WTC,CTC,DLA,PIP,IB,SDA;
Not have limited capability for work;
Not be pregnant not recently pregnant;
Not be a carer;
Not be homeless;
Not be in supported accomation;
Not be an owner-occupier;
Not be (expecting to be) self-employed.
Not be in education or training.
Not have savings over £6,000.

But they must already have a bank/building soc/PO account.

It’s a bit hard to see how this is going to be a useful test of the ‘live’ system.

For people transitioning to UC when it does go live this will be when there is a change of circumstances e.g. new member to household, someone leaving the household, a change in status (no longer having LCW etc), moving house etc etc.

People who do not have a change of circs will be reassessed as and when the DWP decide.