Impact of change of circs on ESA

cdy

Hello all, thanks in advance for reading. I have been receiving ESA (support group with disability premium) for 3 years, and was successfully reassessed last week. (I also receive higher rate daily living allowance PIP). I will be moving home soon and I read online that once I move the 'change in circumstances' will mean I may need to be: 1. reassessed again, 2.move from ESA to UC, and, 3.possibly have a reduction in my benefit amount.
Could anybody here clarify these queries for me?
Many thanks

calcotti

More information is needed in order to advise you.

cdy wrote: »

Hello all, thanks in advance for reading. I have been receiving ESA (support group with disability premium) for 3 years, and was successfully reassessed last week. do you mean enhanced disability premium or severe disability premium, you may be getting the latter if you live alone and no-one gets Carer’s Allowance for looking after you(I also receive higher rate daily living allowance PIP).
I will be moving home soon Are you currently renting your home and receiving housing benefit? When you move will you be renting and will you be changing the local authority you live in?and I read online that once I move the 'change in circumstances' will mean I may need to be:
1. reassessed again,
You do not have to be reassessed because you change address
2.move from ESA to UC,you do not have to move from ESA to UC just because of a change of address. If you are renting and receiving housing benefit you can switch it to your new address if it is in the same local authority. If you move to a new local authority and want help with your rent you will not be able to claim housing benefit and will have to claim UC. This will end income based ESA (if some of your ESA is contribution based this will continue and will be taken into account when your UC is worked out. and,
3.possibly have a reduction in my benefit amount. if you do currently get the Severe Disability Premium you will get less money if you have to switch to UC, if you only get the Enhanced DIsability Premium you may be better off on UC
Could anybody here clarify these queries for me?.
Many thanks

As you see the answers depend on your exact circumstances

cdy

Hi . Thank you for your detailed response.
I do live alone and receive the severe disability premium at present.
I am presently receiving housing benefit but that won't be necessary once I move as I won't be renting.
Thank you

calcotti

In that case you can stay on ESA, there is no need to claim UC. However you will need to tell DWP about your move.

Will you still be living alone when you have moved? If not you may lose the Severe Disability Premium depending on who you live and whether they get a DLA, PIP or Attendance Allowance.

cdy

calcotti wrote: »

In that case you can stay on ESA, there is no need to claim UC. However you will need to tell DWP about your move.

Will you still be living alone when you have moved? If not you may lose the Severe Disability Premium depending on who you live and whether they get a DLA, PIP or Attendance Allowance.

Thanks again. I will be continuing to live alone once I move. I just won't need housing benefit any longer.

Kind regards

calcotti

Remember to claim Council Tax Reduction for your new address.

cdy

calcotti wrote: »

Remember to claim Council Tax Reduction for your new address.

Yes, thanks. I'm looking into that, and the possibility of SMI support too

Thanks

cdy

Hi, Calcotti, and others. Following on from my post last night, I've called both the UC call centre and ESA call centre this morning (in addition to CAB and the Moneyadvisoryservice) . Needless to say, after 3 hours on the phone I've received a mixed bag of answers. UC told me I'd ''probably not'' need to transition/migrate to UC from ESA because of a change of address. However, ESA advised a change of address constitutes a change of circs and as such I'd need to actually make a new claim for UC from ESA (rather than migrate). So, essentially, 2 contradictory answers. The NGOs I phone simply recited what's on their respective websites.
With all that said, I wonder if anybody here has any additional input?
My situation will be that I will be moving address, into a different council borough in the new year. However, I won't be applying for housing benefit after I move. Currently I am receiving IR ESA support group with severe disability premium and disability income guarantee.

calcotti

Unless you want help with housing costs do not need to claim UC. Simply advise DWP that you have changed address and ask them to send all future correspondence to your new address. The regulation mean that you cannot make a new claim for HB or ESA but moving does not end an existing ESA claim.


You will not be renting so do not need help with your rent.


However I note that you said you are looking into SMI. SMI is now a loan which attracts interest and has to be paid back later when the property is sold (a charge is put on the property to secure the loan). If you decide this is something you want to do you will have to claim UC in order to be eligible for the SMI loan. Even then you have to wait until you have had 9 months of UC payments before you can get the SMI loan.

cdy

calcotti wrote: »

Unless you want help with housing costs do not need to claim UC. Simply advise DWP that you have changed address and ask them to send all future correspondence to your new address. The regulation mean that you cannot make a new claim for HB or ESA but moving does not end an existing ESA claim.


You will not be renting so do not need help with your rent.


However I note that you said you are looking into SMI. SMI is now a loan which attracts interest and has to be paid back later when the property is sold (a charge is put on the property to secure the loan). If you decide this is something you want to do you will have to claim UC in order to be eligible for the SMI loan. Even then you have to wait until you have had 9 months of UC payments before you can get the SMI loan.

Many thanks for the detailed and insightful advice. I'll probably decide against SMI in light of your input, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that my change of address will not force me into universal credit, as I was advised by the ESA advisor....

cdy

https://www.gov.uk/support-for-mortgage-interest/eligibility

Presumably this link is out of date? Re SMI.