Help with upcoming UC claim..

poppy12345

shell1965 said:

poppy12345 said:

shell1965 said:

The advisor said ESA will continue but in UC? I queried it should remain as is as he's had questionnaires for it previously and a medical but she mumbled yes but this is UC and has to be this way?
We have no further to do's apart from the fit note part.... feel like I'm confused.. is he within his rights to contact ESA and ask to stay on it as it is and ask them to pass his info over to them? Will this likely help?

If part of his ESA is contributions based this will continue as normal but it will be deducted in full from your UC entitlement.

As he's in the Support Group for ESA then he'll be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. This has clearly not updated yet on the system as it usually takes a few weeks. No fit notes should be needed but it's not unusual for them to ask for them when you first claim UC.

Your advance payment is low because of the missing LCWRA element and housing element that's missing from their calculation.

  I felt today like they were hinting that he'd be moving to the new style ESA

Yes, that will be correct. Though contributions based/New stye are both contirbutions based benefits. UC will then top up your income.

shell1965

Just wondered why UC are pushing for fit note, so far we've actually tried to get one but being that gp surgery's are not doing appointments unless its urgent and the practice nurse can't sort one as he's never had one before it really would need to be a gp appointment, even a phone call with gp would be weeks away at the earliest, yet UC want one by August 8th.. I'm going to see if we can call ESA this week to see if they can forward hubby's entitlement to UC and if that might mean they'd take off the need for a fit note. I assumed having been through this years ago for his ESA benefit and him being put in the support group would mean he would just be put in the LCWRA on UC. I have tried to explain on the journal but there are no replies.

calcotti

UC ask for Fit Note by default, entitlement to ESA Support does means that a Ft Note isn't required and LCWRA element will start from start of UC claim but it can take some time for ESA to provide the necessary information to UC.

shell1965

Just a quick update.. we had a lengthy saga even trying to get a fit note, in the end we were supposed to get a call back from a pharmacist attached to our GP surgery to discuss tweaking my husbands meds due to not coping well with stress.. fortunately the pharmacist was busy and he got a call from a GP who went into detail of hubby's conditions (as she is new to the practice) she has never seen him, he explained how making this new claim and then not being able to get a fit note was taking it's toll mentally.. she said as well as tweaking his meds, she would give him a fit note for a month.. so we managed to move a step forward, we have now received a letter from ESA saying it still carries on as was and at the same rate..

We will know by 10th of this month what amount of UC we should receive.. next thing will probably be a 2nd fit note and waiting to find out if he will be put in the lcwra part of UC at some point.. plus a fight for council tax reduction as we as of yet have had no reply since claiming on the same day we claimed UC and even after messaging them, still heard nothing. 

Thanks to all who helped us getting this far.

shell1965

Seems to be all sorted now.. after deductions for Carers I receive and ESA he receives plus £20 deducted for the advance we took, our payment is £1409 which includes £360 for the rent, hubby has received the LCWRA on this payment so hopefully they'll not ask for anymore Fit notes.

NedS

shell1965 said:

Seems to be all sorted now.. after deductions for Carers I receive and ESA he receives plus £20 deducted for the advance we took, our payment is £1409 which includes £360 for the rent, hubby has received the LCWRA on this payment so hopefully they'll not ask for anymore Fit notes.

Great

Correct - now the LCWRA element has been added to the claim, they will not ask for any more fit notes.

shell1965

Such a relief as that part was a real battle.. took a while before a doctor agreed to give one... cheers everyone who replied and hopefully this thread will help others in similar situations who like me felt like UC claiming is a minefield.