Pension and ESA/Universal Credit

Rockerbox60

Any help would be greatly appreciated as the benefits system appears to have fried my brain! Due to ill health I receive contributions based ESA and am in the support group. My partner (who is working) and I also have a joint Universal Credit claim. I am 60 and have a couple of pensions from previous employments. I am thinking of accessing the whole of my smallest pension which would give me approx. £6000. If I do this will it affect my ESA and Universal Credit? Do I have to notify ESA and UC? We don't receive any other benefits and it has taken months and months to get any help from the DWP so I really don't want to go back to square one and start all over again. Apologies if this question has been asked before but I'm finding it difficult to get a straight answer out of anyone.
Thanks.

calcotti

A limp sum of £6000 makes no difference to your ESA (indeed a lump sum of any size makes no difference to your ESA). You do not need to tell ESA.

For UC if your joint capital exceeds £6,000 there will be a deduction of £4.35/month for every £250, or part thereof, over £6,000. Was your savings reduce you simply keep UC informed and your Uc is calculated accordingly. You must therefore keep UC informed about changes to your capital. It is the amount of capital on the last day of your assessment period that matters.

Rockerbox60

Thanks very much for your reply and the info.