Less money after being switched over to Universal Credit

xxxxxxxx

I will also say this -for now-,

If you are having a medical assessment on UC on Monday it is because you presented UC with Doctor's Fit notes. If you trust what Calcotti said on the bottom of page 1 and you do not want UC to make a decision on your recent medical assessment,  you could go into your UC journal and end your Health Journey by reporting a "change to your health" before the decision is made to award you LCWRA. (assuming you are eligible for LCWRA).  I have no experience on the practical steps i.e. what you would have to click on and say in the health change report to end the health journey - perhaps others here can advise how you would do this.

Is there any reason you think you would be awarded LCWRA ? 

It is a bit of a gamble, ending your UC health journey, although we all agree *if* Income Support is reinstated up until the day before UC started, then yes, you should have SDP on UC. But the IS could take a year or more to sort out on appeal and then another year to sort out the SDP on UC on appeal.  Instead of closing your health journey, you could instead either cancel the medical appointment or not answer the phone, if you don't answer the phone it will go down as a Fail To Attend, UC are usually very lenient on the 1st Fail To Attend.

I don't have much comment on what Calcotti said on this as I have no knowledge of SDP on UC and LCWRA. 

Calcotti, is it all based upon erosion of the SPD Transitional Protection?  So you are saying the addition of a new element (in this case LCWRA) will erode the SDP TP ?   and of course, I agree, the Carer Element would stop paying by virtue of the LCWRA coming in to payment.    But looking at it from a different angle ....   Let's say she becomes entitled to the SDP TP element after she wins the CA and the IS challenge,   then she has the SDP element from the start of the UC claim.  Would this not then also be eroded by the addition of the Carer Element from the point at which it was added to the UC claim? 

Bailey,  no worries on the too much to read comment from me, it's not a big deal (even though it was made in to a big deal by other posters here) . I will still write a comment in reply to your latest below this one. so come back tomorrow.

calcotti

xxxxxxxx said:

..If you trust what Calcotti said on the bottom of page 1

For the avoidance of doubt, I am only reporting what is said in the Rightsnet thread I referenced.

I am inclined to agree with xxxxxxxx that, given the uncertainty about the IS and SDP, it may be prudent to continue the assessment process to see if you can get the LCWRA element.

xxxxxxxx said:

Calcotti, is it all based upon erosion of the SPD Transitional Protection? 

Yes. SDPTE is eroded by any elements added or increased after the claim starts. Because the carer element is already payable from the start of the claim it does not affect the SDPTE.

When the LCWRA element is added the SDP is reduced by the LCWRA. The problem set out in the Rightsnet thread is that the LCWRA is deducted in full even though the claimant is losing the carer element. 

So at the outset there is SDPTE plus carer element £285 plus £163.73 = £448.73
When LCWRA is added both the SDPTE and the Carer element are lost so £343.63 remains. This is a loss of £105.10.

It would clearly be fairer (and less perverse) if the SDPTE was only reduced by the net difference between the LCWRA and carer elements but, according to the Rightsnet thread, that isn’t what happens.

Here’s the link again 
https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/17679

thebailey

xxxxxxxx said:

I will also say this -for now-,

If you are having a medical assessment on UC on Monday it is because you presented UC with Doctor's Fit notes. 

I was told to sign up for UC in September.  I was asked if I had medical problems which I said yes, and that I also claim PIP.  I was then told they would send me a medical questionnaire to fill in which they did, at the beginning of November.

When my auntie won her PIP on 10th of November, I informed UC and medical services, I was her carer once again.  They then told me I no longer had to fill in the medical questionnaire, and they removed it from my journal. 

And, I've not heard anything from them since, regarding medicals or filling in the questionnaire, till today.

P.S  I never sent any fit notes in or anything.

calcotti

Thebailey, you don’t need to quote earlier posts in full. If you do and they are long ones it makes scrolling through the thread more difficult.

In light of your comments, it sounds as if the medical referral is a mistake.

thebailey

Had my appointment today with the other benefit group in Aberdeen and sadly, it was of no use.  The woman I seen said my situation is way above what they are capable of dealing with.  She asked if I've tried citizens advice as I would be best going to them.

I said no because, I thought going to see an actual benefits help group would be better than citizens advice.  She said "Yes but that really just applies to things like filling out a PIP form, where as your situation is going into law legislate and that's why citizens advice would be better".  She then said OR I should try the 1st benefits group again that I tried in Aberdeen, to see if I could get someone better this time, than who I got last time.  I just thought Oh my God.

I mentioned everything you guys on here have told me, and I said that now I am getting CA again backdated from March (well, I'll need to wait  a bit longer as only applied 24th December) that we can write to the DWP explaining this and that would mean I am once again entitled to Income Support PLUS that would mean I shouldnt have to repay the £2500 that IS is asking for.  Her reply was "Yes, but I'm just worried I would word it wrong"  I said "I would do it myself but I think it's better if I get professional help writing it" and her reply was "Oh, don't do it yourself, ask Citizens advice to help you"

Unbelievable.  I just keep getting people passing the buck.  The deadline for the appeal for the IS overpayment is in 14 days too so, I'm worried I won't even get to see anyone at the citizens advice (unless things have changed, I just remember people used to have to wait weeks for an appointment).

I think I might have to end up writing to the DWP myself, to say I'm getting CA again, ask them to revise the IS and that would help me get the SDP and also not have to repay back £2500.

P.S The backdated CA once I get it, will just be going from my hand into the IS hand to help recover the overpayment.  It just sounds ludicrous.

Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks.

calcotti

Have you tried
http://www.rascot.co.uk/ras/contact-ras/local-council-advice/aberdeen/

thebailey

calcotti said:

Have you tried
http://www.rascot.co.uk/ras/contact-ras/local-council-advice/aberdeen/

Yes, that's the 1st benefits group I tried.  It just seems to be a different name now, and called "Financial Inclusion Team"

They're the ones that said "Nothing you can do and it's just sods law"

Thanks.

thebailey

I've just seen something online about UC and SDP payments. That people were not giving the SDP and got less money on UC (I get £92 less a week now) would this be the same thing that I'm struggling with?

P.S phoned citizens advice this morning. Told me they have a 3 week waiting currently but will put me down as an emergency seeing as I only have 2 weeks left to  appeal the IS over payment. Fingers crossed.

calcotti

thebailey said:

I've just seen something online about UC and SDP payments. That people were not giving the SDP and got less money on UC (I get £92 less a week now) would this be the same thing that I'm struggling with?

No, it’s not.