UPDATE: Why "New Style ESA", when I am should be on UC with LCWRA?

Alice_Holt

1)   I'd recommend you don't end your ESA claim, since:
    -  You currently have 2 income streams, with one paid fortnightly. If the DWP muck one up you still have the other.
    -   ESA is not means tested (unlike UC) - could be useful if your financial circumstances change,
   -   ESA NI credits afford more entitlements than UC NI credits,
   -  Most importantly ESA & UC don't talk to each other. So if you cancel your ESA claim, then UC are likely to continue deducting £561 from your UC claim. Sorting that out could be a nightmare (see this thread):
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6468059/no-longer-eligible-for-esa-contribution-based-support-group/p1

2)   I suspect that could be a timing difference between your UC & ESA dates  (badly explained by UC). Put a note on your journal asking for a detailed explanation. It shouldn't be an ongoing deduction, but I'm not entirely sure.

Spoonie_Turtle

That means you have entitlement to contributions-based ESA, which continues being paid alongside UC and the £500-odd amount is correct (it's the same deduction I get). 

The £25 overpayment presumably is some income-related ESA maybe? but why you weren't entitled to it at the time, I don't know.  ESA is supposed to have a 2-week run-on after claiming UC so if that's what the £25 is, I don't know why they're claiming it back.

To answer your question 1, yes you can close your ESA claim but it can be beneficial as if your financial situation changes in the future (expectedly or not) - savings/inheritance, living with a partner with earnings too high to continue claiming UC, etc. - your ESA can continue.  If you close your ESA claim, then no longer qualify for UC in the future, then you can't claim anything as you won't have the right NI contributions to claim ESA again.

Question 2, I don't know - you shouldn't have, but that's pure speculation based on my uninformed assumption above.  If anyone has seen that kind of deduction before and can actually explain it (or at least deduce based on evidence) that would be useful!

RealGem

Alice_Holt said:

1)   I'd recommend you don't end your ESA claim, since:
    -  You currently have 2 income streams, with one paid fortnightly. If the DWP muck one up you still have the other.
    -   ESA is not means tested (unlike UC) - could be useful if your financial circumstances change,
   -   ESA NI credits afford more entitlements than UC NI credits,
   -  Most importantly ESA & UC don't talk to each other. So if you cancel your ESA claim, then UC are likely to continue deducting £561 from your UC claim. Sorting that out could be a nightmare (see this thread):
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6468059/no-longer-eligible-for-esa-contribution-based-support-group/p1

2)   I suspect that could be a timing difference between your UC & ESA dates  (badly explained by UC). Put a note on your journal asking for a detailed explanation. It shouldn't be an ongoing deduction, but I'm not entirely sure.

Thanks a lot for this.

OK I will keep thiings as they are. 

RealGem

Spoonie_Turtle said:

That means you have entitlement to contributions-based ESA, which continues being paid alongside UC and the £500-odd amount is correct (it's the same deduction I get). 

The £25 overpayment presumably is some income-related ESA maybe? but why you weren't entitled to it at the time, I don't know.  ESA is supposed to have a 2-week run-on after claiming UC so if that's what the £25 is, I don't know why they're claiming it back.

To answer your question 1, yes you can close your ESA claim but it can be beneficial as if your financial situation changes in the future (expectedly or not) - savings/inheritance, living with a partner with earnings too high to continue claiming UC, etc. - your ESA can continue.  If you close your ESA claim, then no longer qualify for UC in the future, then you can't claim anything as you won't have the right NI contributions to claim ESA again.

Question 2, I don't know - you shouldn't have, but that's pure speculation based on my uninformed assumption above.  If anyone has seen that kind of deduction before and can actually explain it (or at least deduce based on evidence) that would be useful!

Thank you. 

I am not sure about the run-on. I did think the ESA payments were the run on, but when they continued, I was happy(!) but also thought they were a mistake, so didn;t dare spend the money!

Also the letter I got that I mentioned in my first post said the Contribution based ESA is changing to "New style" ESA, so that sounds like I no longer get Contribution based. 

Not sure... I have NEVER understood the names they give to these benefits. Only ever understood the AMOUNT I get to live on! 

...and not having rent arrears!

That's why I am so grateful for the lovely people on this forum to explain it to me... especially when my UC person seems to have gone AWOL!

As I said above, I will keep the two benefits then, if it saves me a bigger headache down the line.

Thank you

kaMelo

RealGem said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

That means you have entitlement to contributions-based ESA, which continues being paid alongside UC and the £500-odd amount is correct (it's the same deduction I get). 

The £25 overpayment presumably is some income-related ESA maybe? but why you weren't entitled to it at the time, I don't know.  ESA is supposed to have a 2-week run-on after claiming UC so if that's what the £25 is, I don't know why they're claiming it back.

To answer your question 1, yes you can close your ESA claim but it can be beneficial as if your financial situation changes in the future (expectedly or not) - savings/inheritance, living with a partner with earnings too high to continue claiming UC, etc. - your ESA can continue.  If you close your ESA claim, then no longer qualify for UC in the future, then you can't claim anything as you won't have the right NI contributions to claim ESA again.

Question 2, I don't know - you shouldn't have, but that's pure speculation based on my uninformed assumption above.  If anyone has seen that kind of deduction before and can actually explain it (or at least deduce based on evidence) that would be useful!

Thank you. 

I am not sure about the run-on. I did think the ESA payments were the run on, but when they continued, I was happy(!) but also thought they were a mistake, so didn;t dare spend the money!

Also the letter I got that I mentioned in my first post said the Contribution based ESA is changing to "New style" ESA, so that sounds like I no longer get Contribution based. 

Not sure... I have NEVER understood the names they give to these benefits. Only ever understood the AMOUNT I get to live on! 

...and not having rent arrears!

That's why I am so grateful for the lovely people on this forum to explain it to me... especially when my UC person seems to have gone AWOL!

As I said above, I will keep the two benefits then, if it saves me a bigger headache down the line.

Thank you

New style ESA is contributions based ESA by another name, it's the same thing. In the past ESA came in two flavours, income based and contributions based. Income based ESA was means tested whereas contributions based ESA is not. No new claims for legacy income based ESA has been possible for some time but new claims for contributions based ESA has. I can only guess (with no evidence to back this guess up, but it seems logical) contributions based ESA got a new name 'new style ESA' to avoid any confusion as to what type of ESA was being claimed.

RealGem

kaMelo said:

RealGem said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

That means you have entitlement to contributions-based ESA, which continues being paid alongside UC and the £500-odd amount is correct (it's the same deduction I get). 

The £25 overpayment presumably is some income-related ESA maybe? but why you weren't entitled to it at the time, I don't know.  ESA is supposed to have a 2-week run-on after claiming UC so if that's what the £25 is, I don't know why they're claiming it back.

To answer your question 1, yes you can close your ESA claim but it can be beneficial as if your financial situation changes in the future (expectedly or not) - savings/inheritance, living with a partner with earnings too high to continue claiming UC, etc. - your ESA can continue.  If you close your ESA claim, then no longer qualify for UC in the future, then you can't claim anything as you won't have the right NI contributions to claim ESA again.

Question 2, I don't know - you shouldn't have, but that's pure speculation based on my uninformed assumption above.  If anyone has seen that kind of deduction before and can actually explain it (or at least deduce based on evidence) that would be useful!

Thank you. 

I am not sure about the run-on. I did think the ESA payments were the run on, but when they continued, I was happy(!) but also thought they were a mistake, so didn;t dare spend the money!

Also the letter I got that I mentioned in my first post said the Contribution based ESA is changing to "New style" ESA, so that sounds like I no longer get Contribution based. 

Not sure... I have NEVER understood the names they give to these benefits. Only ever understood the AMOUNT I get to live on! 

...and not having rent arrears!

That's why I am so grateful for the lovely people on this forum to explain it to me... especially when my UC person seems to have gone AWOL!

As I said above, I will keep the two benefits then, if it saves me a bigger headache down the line.

Thank you

New style ESA is contributions based ESA by another name, it's the same thing. In the past ESA came in two flavours, income based and contributions based. Income based ESA was means tested whereas contributions based ESA is not. No new claims for legacy income based ESA has been possible for some time but new claims for contributions based ESA has. I can only guess (with no evidence to back this guess up, but it seems logical) contributions based ESA got a new name 'new style ESA' to avoid any confusion as to what type of ESA was being claimed.

Thanks a lot. That's very helpful.