UC or ESA

qurious

I recently started claiming UC and at the end of my five week period had a payment of two weeks, is this right?, sorry but there are several enquiries in this question. I had been ill for quite some time that meant I am virtually unable to walk or stand for more than a few minutes and had been unable to see a doctor but on experiencing again some distressing symptoms managed to get an appointment and was hospitalized, I have sent in a sick line and the doctor says he doesn't think I can work I will be on the sick. Can I claim ESA I was a carer for a family member before this for a lot of years. I have to go to the hospital twice a week for tests costing £10 in taxi fares each time collecting prescriptions will also have to be done by taxi and out of my UC payment means there is very little left.

pmlindyloo

qurious wrote: »

I recently started claiming UC and at the end of my five week period had a payment of two weeks, is this right?, sorry but there are several enquiries in this question. I had been ill for quite some time that meant I am virtually unable to walk or stand for more than a few minutes and had been unable to see a doctor but on experiencing again some distressing symptoms managed to get an appointment and was hospitalized, I have sent in a sick line and the doctor says he doesn't think I can work I will be on the sick. Can I claim ESA I was a carer for a family member before this for a lot of years. I have to go to the hospital twice a week for tests costing £10 in taxi fares each time collecting prescriptions will also have to be done by taxi and out of my UC payment means there is very little left.

Once you have started a claim for UC there is usually no way of returning to other benefits.

I am sorry but you are going to have to give us a lot more information if we are going to help you.

Timelines are important as is your personal situation. If you care to share then we would need to know...….

Single/partner (works or not)/children/housing/savings?

Are you currently working? If not, have you been working and are now off sick? Full time/part time? When were you last paid?

Basically your UC award is worked out according to your personal circumstances. Any income during your assessment period is deducted from your UC.

Can you post your UC award and the breakdown?

Have you handed in fit notes to your employer and/or the DWP? For how long?

You could get an appointment at Citizens Advice (take recent bank statements with you) who could advise on present and future options.

cattie

Regarding taking a taxi to collect prescriptions, there are plenty of high st pharmacies that offer a delivery service free of charge. If no such pharmacy near to you then there are also quite a few online companies that offer a regular delivery service, so no need to pay out to collect your medications.

Alice_Holt

Claiming New style ESA once you have claimed UC will not result in any increase, you stay on UC with any ESA payments just reducing the amount of UC paid.

Ask your UC work coach for a work capability assessment
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Universal_Credit_Work_Capability_Assessment
http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/med2/indexxx.php

Consider making a claim for PIP:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

tomtom256

Alice_Holt wrote: »

Claiming New style ESA once you have claimed UC will not result in any increase, you stay on UC with any ESA payments just reducing the amount of UC paid.

Ask your UC work coach for a work capability assessment
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Universal_Credit_Work_Capability_Assessment
http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/med2/indexxx.php

Consider making a claim for PIP:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

They don't need to ask, they should get auto referred at day 29 aslong as they keep providing a fit note.

poppy12345

tomtom256 wrote: »

They don't need to ask, they should get auto referred at day 29 aslong as they keep providing a fit note.

Should and what actually happens are usually 2 different things. For UC LCW referrals many claimants go way past those 29 days. Yet another one of the many issues that comes with UC.

WillowCat

qurious wrote: »

I recently started claiming UC and at the end of my five week period had a payment of two weeks, is this right?, sorry but there are several enquiries in this question. I had been ill for quite some time that meant I am virtually unable to walk or stand for more than a few minutes and had been unable to see a doctor but on experiencing again some distressing symptoms managed to get an appointment and was hospitalized, I have sent in a sick line and the doctor says he doesn't think I can work I will be on the sick. Can I claim ESA I was a carer for a family member before this for a lot of years. I have to go to the hospital twice a week for tests costing £10 in taxi fares each time collecting prescriptions will also have to be done by taxi and out of my UC payment means there is very little left.

Your first payment, one month plus one week after you applied, should be for the entire first month, not two weeks. Did you have any overlapping benefits or final wages?

If you haven't been working enough to pay NI contributions recently, but have claimed carer's allowance in the previous tax year then you can use any years NI contributions to meet the contributions conditions, so you would be able to claim NS ESA if you want to. This will be deducted in full from UC but depending on your circumstances (partner etc) this could give you more income than UC alone.

If you have earnings of less than £435 on your last UC statement, (£935 if you have children or have been assessed as LCW) then you can talk to your hospital about transport costs refunded. I don't know if they would pay taxi if public transport is available but you may be able to access hospital transport instead.

WillowCat

poppy12345 wrote: »

Should and what actually happens are usually 2 different things. For UC LCW referrals many claimants go way past those 29 days. Yet another one of the many issues that comes with UC.

Where fit note is for longer than 28 days we are now seeing referrals in the first assessment period.

Crazydennie

WillowCat wrote: »

Where fit note is for longer than 28 days we are now seeing referrals in the first assessment period.

This happened to me I handed in a 4 month fit note and was referred
for the WCA 2 weeks into my claim.

tomtom256

poppy12345 wrote: »

Should and what actually happens are usually 2 different things. For UC LCW referrals many claimants go way past those 29 days. Yet another one of the many issues that comes with UC.

Being referred and then actually getting 1 are 2 differnt things, there are that many outstanding that even if referred from day 1 it would still be weeks before they have to attend.

NedS

poppy12345 wrote: »

Should and what actually happens are usually 2 different things. For UC LCW referrals many claimants go way past those 29 days. Yet another one of the many issues that comes with UC.

The claimant can also bypass the referral should they wish to speed up the process by downloading and completing the UC50 questionnaire and returning it themselves, at which point they will enter the queue for a WCA.