Urgent! Moving area from ESA Support Group to UC Postcode

worldlad909

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help me before the lines open to the DWP (Had no sleep and absolutely exhausted)

I'm on ESA Support with enhanced disability added on, I'm on PIP and Housing benefit/council tax reduction. Live in a area currently that is not Universal Credit but last night I found out by the new authority, I'm about to move into (next week) that they are on full Universal Credit, which they added a message onto my housing benefit application notes online. The new authority advised me to go to the Universal Credit website and wrote the following:

' Please forward your tenancy agreement to us. You will need to make a claim for Universal Credit https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit - its very important that you do this before the *** July 2018 because they will not back date your claim - Universal Credit will help you cover your rental cost. If your tenancy is in joint names then we can help you with your Council Tax Reduction.

I completed the application last night, although I don't think it's worked and a message came up that they could not verify me and will need to attend a ID interview and see a work advisor

I got my ESA today so purposefully waited until midnight last night so it didn't effect todays payment. I will need housing benefit for the new property nothing else has changed.

What do I do next and will my current benefits be protected? Should I call ESA and give them change of address...

I'm so confused,,, thanks x

poppy12345

Your current benefits will stop and you'll receive one payment for UC because it's all included. There's a 5-6 wait for your first payment for UC, so you'll need to tell your landlord this. Payments will then be made monthly. You will lose the Enhanced disability premium that you are claiming for ESA because premiums aren't paid on UC.


You will need to take your ID to your local job centre.
Council tax reduction is not included and you'll need to contact your new local council to apply for this.


As you're in the Support Group you should automatically be given LCWRA for UC.

sparkycat2

While transferring to Universal Credit may cause problems.
Once transferred you should get more money

ESA
Personal Allowance aged 25+ £73.10
Support Group Component £37.65
Enhanced Disability Premium £16.40
Total £127.15 a week = £552.50 per calendar month.

Universal Credit
Personal Allowance aged 25+ £317.82
Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount £328.32
Total £646.14 per calendar month.

If you receive severe disability premium you should not be transferred until managed migration takes place. The DWP announced a policy change on the 1st June 2018.

worldlad909

Thanks to both.

Moving to a different part of the UK, plus everything in boxes and dealing with new NHS trusts and finding doctors I was not expecting this with the DWP on top. It's hit me hard and now I've got my 'Universal Credit meeting' which includes taking a heap of ID to the job centre which I am absolutely dreading. Asking for utility bills etc when I've lived in the new property for just 2 days.

It's also strange that I spend 30 minutes online last night to go through a 'government identification' check which links to Experian and included them putting 1p in my bank, then adding my passport number and driving licence, then doing a mobile phone check, to be told I had passed with Experian then it takes me back to the government site to be told I had failed and will need to attend the job centre.

How are people coping with this?

worldlad909

I also notified ESA today, they didn't have a clue what to do when I gave them my new address and just told me to contact UC and that they had updated my address, I called at 8am (got straight through on the phones) so didn't have to endure the horrible music.

Called UC who offered an appointment (today) to attend job centre, which I had to decline due to moving etc so will need to attend next week (also got straight through on phone)

Will I need to call PIP as well to change address? I've notified housing benefit via email as they no longer take calls and council tax....

UC confirmed payday if everything works out ok as 4th August.

worldlad909

UC also advised against moving from monthly to two week payments (which is possible if you give good reasons), as you end up losing 2 weeks pay or something, it was hard for me to understand what he meant but he claimed many people find it hard to deal with cash or have gambling problems had requested to go on two week payouts but they quickly called UC and reverted back to monthly..

poppy12345

Yes, you will need to ring PIP to change your address and everyone else you haven't changed it with.



I've not heard of anyone receiving their UC payment every 2 weeks, as UC is paid monthly.



I've also never heard of a local council not receiving phone calls either, it's always better to ring to cancel a claim rather then email them. That way you know for sure, it's been canceled.

sparkycat2

worldlad909 wrote: »

UC also advised against moving from monthly to two week payments (which is possible if you give good reasons), as you end up losing 2 weeks pay or something, it was hard for me to understand what he meant but he claimed many people find it hard to deal with cash or have gambling problems had requested to go on two week payouts but they quickly called UC and reverted back to monthly..

ESA is usually paid every two weeks in arrears
Universal credit is usually paid monthly in arrears.
So switching from ESA to Universal Credit in effect results in losing two weeks money due to having to wait the extra two weeks.

poppy12345 wrote: »

I've not heard of anyone receiving their UC payment every 2 weeks, as UC is paid monthly.

For disabled people and for those who have difficulty managing their finances Universal Credit has "alternative payment arrangements" options available upon request.

payments weekly or fortnightly instead of monthly (not sure if that in effect adds to the length of the payment in arrears or shortens it)
and/or money paid directly to your landlord for rent
also in the case of couples payment split into two different bank accounts is also available.

worldlad909

Thanks again, Poppy you have been a great help.

The council will take calls for certain things but for change of circumstances they insist to either go in and write the changes on a sheet of paper, email them or write in. They say it's so they have a proper log but will not make changes over the phone.

I'll have to call PIP on Monday now. UC made it very clear today on the phone, that I must forget about ESA and that I am now a 'New' client and that everything starts from fresh including the medical assessments etc.

He informed me that the main UC call centre is based in Grimsby, they have a good understanding though of ESA as they used to take calls from ESA clients before UC came along.

huckster

If you were in the ESA support group and are still in a prognosis review period, then UC won't need a new WCA medical assessment until the prognosis review period comes to an end.

When you had your ESA medical, they would have said worldlad should be in support group for x number of months. You then don't need any medical assessment ESA or UC until the due date.

If you ask UC to check with ESA what the support group (LCWRA) pronosis review period was, then UC should just apply it from the relevant date. You would then receive the LCWRA amount and not have to have another medical assessment until the prognosis review end date is reached.

And in regard to Grimsby, that is just one Service centre out of about 10 still taking national calls. If you phone UC, you won't necessarily be speaking to anyone in Grimsby. They should still be able to help you.

worldlad909

Thanks guys just a little worried having to go into a job centre and take the heaps of evidence of my identity to them, especially as I've only lived in the new property for 3 days. I haven't stepped foot in a job centre in over 6 years.

I have been reading the whole online government verification system is a utter failure, especially when you are able to provide your driving licence and passport details.