UC and new Style ESA

Rubyroobs

Can anyone explain to me what happens if someone already has an active UC claim and then wants to claim New Style ESA ? Can the form just be submitted with a sick note ? I assume the person does not need to go to the jobcentre for another ID interview? I understand that any New style ESA will be deducted from UC.

huckster

Unless the process has changed, the ESA new style forms are completed, one of which is an ID form. A call is made to book a Job Centre appointment, where they will check ID again, Work Coach will put notes on UC claim that an ESA new style claim is being made and they will send the forms off to ESA with the Doctors fit note.

Spoonie_Turtle

A friend of mine opened claims for both, ESA after UC. They had to fight to get her ESA identity appointment at a similar time to one of her UC appointments because she finds it so difficult to get there. They were told the claims go through different systems so they can't combine appointments :doh: the Jobcentre eventually relented and booked the appointments one after another, but it seems they *are* dealt with separately.

So, in short, expect to have to go in, at least to start with.

Rubyroobs

Spoonie_Turtle wrote: »

A friend of mine opened claims for both, ESA after UC. They had to fight to get her ESA identity appointment at a similar time to one of her UC appointments because she finds it so difficult to get there. They were told the claims go through different systems so they can't combine appointments :doh: the Jobcentre eventually relented and booked the appointments one after another, but it seems they *are* dealt with separately.

So, in short, expect to have to go in, at least to start with.

Yes it is possible to get an ID appointment for a dual claim if starting both claims at the same time. In this situation the person already has a UC claim but SSP now ending and needs to make a claim for new style and as they are terminally ill I was wondering if there was any way of avoiding them having to go to the job centre again. I know the DWP can do a home visit but my recent experience is that these can take weeks .

calcotti

Rubyroobs wrote: »

Yes it is possible to get an ID appointment for a dual claim if starting both claims at the same time. In this situation the person already has a UC claim but SSP now ending and needs to make a claim for new style and as they are terminally ill I was wondering if there was any way of avoiding them having to go to the job centre again. I know the DWP can do a home visit but my recent experience is that these can take weeks .

When you say terminally ill are you referring to someone for whom a DS1500 has been issued?

Unless the ESA is going to be worth more than the UC, thereby effectively ending the UC claim, is there actually any point in claiming the ESA? There are reasons why a claimant might want to claim both but in the case of someone terminally ill with a short life expectancy I would have thought it was an unnecessary hassle.

If they are unable to attend a job centre they can request a home visit.

The government advice for claiming ESA if already getting UC is to complete the form and then speak to your work coach https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/how-to-claim?step-by-step-nav=a661e652-204c-4abf-a2ce-9f183aca85b9

If you’re getting Universal Credit
You need to fill in the NSESAF1 form and then speak to your work coach or case manager about claiming ‘new style’ ESA.

Your existing Claimant Commitment will be updated to include ‘new style’ ESA. You will not have another Work Capability Assessment.

Not clear how to apply this advice if you do not have a work coach due to already having LCWRA.

Spoonie_Turtle

Rubyroobs wrote: »

Yes it is possible to get an ID appointment for a dual claim if starting both claims at the same time. In this situation the person already has a UC claim but SSP now ending and needs to make a claim for new style and as they are terminally ill I was wondering if there was any way of avoiding them having to go to the job centre again. I know the DWP can do a home visit but my recent experience is that these can take weeks .

Yes, I understand. My point was, my friend's claims were not quite simultaneous so she did have to have a separate identity appointment for each and it was a fight to get the Jobcentre to be reasonable. I was sharing her experience of also having separate claims, although I don't know how it will go for your person. I do hope they may get to speak to someone helpful sooner than my friend did.

Rubyroobs

calcotti wrote: »

When you say terminally ill are you referring to someone for whom a DS1500 has been issued?

Unless the ESA is going to be worth more than the UC, thereby effectively ending the UC claim, is there actually any point in claiming the ESA? There are reasons why a claimant might want to claim both but in the case of someone terminally ill with a short life expectancy I would have thought it was an unnecessary hassle.

Yes I have thought of that. The Uc claim has just been re-opened after being closed for some months and I don't think they will get any UC for the first month due to final wages being paid ( plus owed holiday pay ) so I was just thinking the new style could be in payment within a few weeks. Ds1500 is in place.

calcotti

Rubyroobs wrote: »

Yes I have thought of that. The Uc claim has just been re-opened after being closed for some months and I don't think they will get any UC for the first month due to final wages being paid ( plus owed holiday pay ) so I was just thinking the new style could be in payment within a few weeks. Ds1500 is in place.

That makes sense.
Assuming they have already claimed PIP they should not have to show DS1500 again but UC are very bad at this and often ask for another copy. ESA are better.
There should be no Work Capability Assessment. ESA will be Support Group from the start and similarly UC should include the LCWRA element from the start.

ESA has the advantage of being paid fortnightly a# against monthly for UC. I assume the PIP is being paid weekly.

Rubyroobs

Thanks. Yes PIP special rules claim has been made. I usually send a copy to UC as the LCWRA element rarely gets added as it should !

tomtom256

You will either need to do a dual claim to UC and ESA, in which case it's all done via UC or just a new claim to ESA which is done via the service centre who will send an email to your loacl JCP's PAC email inbox, who will then arrange a face to face appointment for you.

If you mention special rules/ternially ill, this should speed the process up, if need be you could request a home visit if required at the same time.