ESA + HB moving HA to a different area - when to apply for UC?

saintscouple

Yamor said:

It would be fine to make the UC claim before moving, and you would still get the SDP transitional element.
If the rent in the new place is higher you should consider claiming UC within the last month before the move, and claiming early within that period, as that would mean you start getting the higher rent earlier (UC pay based on the rent liability as at the end of each assessment period).
If the rent is lower, then I would claim as late as possible, but there is no need to leave a gap.
Either way, don't claim prior to 8th April, as otherwise your SDP transitional element will reduce after one assessment period due to the increases to the UC amounts in April.

That´s interesting, as the rent will be higher at the new property, aprox £30 a week higher. 

You mention assessment periods, how often are they? 

Thank you 

Yamor

Assessment Periods are one month long and start from the day you make your UC claim.

Say you claim UC on 15th April, then your first AP will be 15th April to 14th May. The second will be 15th May to 14th June. And so on.

saintscouple

Thank you so much.

Can anyone clarify my wifes situation, because at the moment with the ESA they know she has max PiP thus is not expected to look for work. 

When we link our UC claims, would this not be the same result, or would they chase her to look for work? 

As previously mentioned we were advised to state on her claim she is my carer, but this looks like it could make us financially worse off. 

Newcad

I hope that you spotted my typo in my previous post above, and realised that it was a typo.
The figure I had put for the SDP TE was missing the 4-hundred, the correct figure is in the entitledto link, I've corrected it now.

"If you currently get the higher rate of SDP then the SDP TE will be an extra £445.91 a month on you UC payment."

poppy12345

saintscouple said:

As previously mentioned we were advised to state on her claim she is my carer, but this looks like it could make us financially worse off. 

It was me that advised about carers element on a different forum. However, as has been advised here, what I actually advised was that you should wait until after your first assessment period for them to declare being your carer otherwise it will affect the SDP TE. 

However, when they do claim carers element the TE would reduce by the same amount anyway but I think you would still be better off by leaving the carers element until the 2nd assessment period. 

saintscouple

Newcad said:

I hope that you spotted my typo in my previous post above, and realised that it was a typo.
The figure I had put for the SDP TE was missing the 4-hundred, the correct figure is in the entitledto link, I've corrected it now.

"If you currently get the higher rate of SDP then the SDP TE will be an extra £445.91 a month on you UC payment."

Nope, didn´t have a clue lol 
But that does sound good, depending what the UC payment is of course. 
But as i will have to claim due to the move, it´s just knowing the best time to claim, what i have to notify and when. 

It all seems so complicated and designed to catch people out meaning they get less than they are entitled to. 

saintscouple

poppy12345 said:

saintscouple said:

As previously mentioned we were advised to state on her claim she is my carer, but this looks like it could make us financially worse off. 

It was me that advised about carers element on a different forum. However, as has been advised here, what I actually advised was that you should wait until after your first assessment period for them to declare being your carer otherwise it will affect the SDP TE. 

However, when they do claim carers element the TE would reduce by the same amount anyway but I think you would still be better off by leaving the carers element until the 2nd assessment period. 

Thank you Poppy, i wasn´t meaning to sound like i had been given incorrect advice, it´s just i don´t seem to know my !!!!!! from my elbow at the moment - and apologise as i didn´t read your previous response fully.... just caught me off guard in having to claim carers. 
The process of having to claim UC from ESA when moving to a different district, i innocently thought would be a simple click of a transfer button and bob´s your uncle. But it´s now apparent it´s a complicated process if like me, you don´t know what you are doing. 
I really appreciate your advice

poppy12345

No worries. When you claim UC during the first assessment period your partners PIP will not exclude the from work commitments, so they need to be aware of that also. Once they claim carers element then they will have no commitments. 

It’s not difficult to claim UC. I found it quite simple when I claimed on behalf of my daughter a few years ago. I also had never experienced it before. 

saintscouple

Thank you everyone again for the information you all supplied, I have an update:

Our moving date has finally been confirmed as a week Saturday, with the tenancy start date of the following Monday.

To confirm we shall make our claim on the Monday (will probably have already started the claim, but not pressed the submit button till Monday)

We don´t inform HB or ESA as they will be informed once we make the claim.

We don´t put my wife down as a carer until the 2nd assessment period. Will she have to provide anything in the 1st assessment period, or can any requests be ignored? 

Do we inform PiP of a change of address, or will they be notified too because of the UC claim?

I have a PiP renew tele assessment tomorrow - but guessing as it´s less than 2 weeks before the move, I won´t get a decision until the move has happened.

Finally, we have to make a seperate claim for council tax assistance?

I think if the above can be clarified we are good to go.

Thank you again for all your help, it´s making this move so much easier. 

saintscouple

I would really appreciate it if someone could confirm the above is correct please.