Please help, UC and new style/Contribution based ESA

Twotwotwo

Hi,

If anyone can please help I would be so greatful.

I am in the universal credit assessment phase but I think I will eventually be placed in the LCFWRA group. I get PIP at the moment which is standard rate for both parts. I left my job as my disability has got a lot worse and I cannot manage any longer.

My questions are

If I have enough contributions, can I claim new style esa which is contribution based as well as universal credit?

I know it's five weeks until I will get my first UC payment but I saw online that someone said it takes up to 14/16 weeks to get the LCFWRA part, is that right?

Thanks very much,

T

poppy12345

Twotwotwo wrote: »

Hi,

someone said it takes up to 14/16 weeks to get the LCFWRA part, is that right?

Thanks very much,

T

If you're placed into LCWRA then your money will increase from weeks 14 of your claim. Assessment times vary and will depend on the back log in your area. A lot of people go over the time stated, if this happens and you're successfully placed into LCWRA group your money will be backdated to week 14 of your claim. It's exactly the same for New style Contribution based ESA.

calcotti

Twotwotwo wrote: »

If I have enough contributions, can I claim new style esa which is contribution based as well as universal credit?
T

Yes but you won't actually get any extra money because the ESA is deducted pound for pound from your UC.

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding whether it is worth claiming.

ESA is taxable. UC is not. Obviously this doesn't matter if your income for the year is too low to pay any tax anyway but if someone has been in a well paid job before claiming benefits it can be a consideration.

ESA can be backdated for up to 3 months if you qualify and you don't need a reason to request this. UC can only be backdated for maximum 1 month and even then only if you have a good reason for not claiming sooner.

You get Class 1 NI credits on ESA, class 3 credits on UC.

ESA is paid fortnightly. UC is paid monthly.

If your circumstances are likely to change in the future having the non means tested ESA may protect you from a future drop in benefit income.

ESA has limits on the amount of work you can do. UC has no such restriction although obviously UC is reduced as earnings increase.

TELLIT01

poppy12345 wrote: »

If you're placed into LCWRA then your money will increase from weeks 14 of your claim. Assessment times vary and will depend on the back log in your area. A lot of people go over the time stated, if this happens and you're successfully placed into LCWRA group your money will be backdated to week 14 of your claim. It's exactly the same for New style Contribution based ESA.

I don't know how the terminology matches between UC and ESA. If LCWRA equates to the Support Group of ESA then yes there would be an increase on ESA from week 14, but if it's the equivalent of the ESA WRAG there is no increase on ESA.

poppy12345

TELLIT01 wrote: »

I don't know how the terminology matches between UC and ESA. If LCWRA equates to the Support Group of ESA then yes there would be an increase on ESA from week 14, but if it's the equivalent of the ESA WRAG there is no increase on ESA.

For UC LCWRA is equivalent to Support Group for ESA. LCW for UC is WRAG for ESA.