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

Newcad

Just to note for interest on referrals for a re-assement WCA in either ESA or UC.

Talking (well more like chatting) to my work coach yesterday:

 She confirmed that I'm well overdue for referral for WCA reassessment and have been overdue both from ESA before I moved to UC and now my UC account shows a WCA referral date in 2022 after I had moved to UC. Obviously that date has been missed.

She was also keen to state that re-assment referrals are now happening, - but when pressed admitted not many WCA reassements can be fitted in at the moment.

Personal note here, talking to an acquaintance later yesterday evening she told me that she had just sent off a new ESA50, her first one since 2018 - so they are still happening, in ESA at least and I assume some  in UC too. Just a lot more slowly. (Years more slowly, again).

I reckon that I may even do the year and a half I've got left to State Pension Age without ever getting a UC50.

HillStreetBlues

Mine was 7 years (May 2016 -May 2023) between assessments although  the 2016 one I did have to appeal.

Newcad said:

I reckon that I may even do the year and a half I've got lef State Pension Age without ever getting a UC50.

Hopefully you won't get a UCD35 before SPA.

saintscouple

Update from me.

Made the claim on our tenancy start date, 1 week later we have an appointment at the job centre for identity check and meet our work coach.

We have a questionnaire in our to do list about searching for work.
I asked the question in my journal about migration from income related esa support group, and reply was I need a fit note to request a work assessment!

Is this true? That despite protected migration I have to basically start from square one again?

Yesterday I had a text to contact esa urgently, which I did....they said by informing pip of a change of address it alerted them, so I had to go through a form with them over the phone, new address,  GP details, etc.

I hope the uc application won't be as daunting as it seems, I thought the migration was a simple process.

Spoonie_Turtle

saintscouple said:

I asked the question in my journal about migration from income related esa support group, and reply was I need a fit note to request a work assessment!

Is this true? That despite protected migration I have to basically start from square one again?

No it's not.  It's usually just the default message the system spits out before it gets the info from the ESA system, so whomever answered your message was clearly just reading from a screen without actually knowing the answer.

Depending on how long it takes for them to request the info from ESA it might be an idea to get a fit note anyway to cover yourself, but you will not have to go through a WCA to start from scratch.

Unfortunately by asking it as a question there's more room for them to be wrong. 
You could leave a journal message saying you've been advised that UC need to request confirmation from ESA of your support group/LCWRA status.

HillStreetBlues

When I had to claim UC because of moving area, I put a note on my journal stating I was in the Support Group so need to moved over to LCWRA.
Apart for the identity check that was it. 

saintscouple

Thank you both, I'll make a note in my journal now

HillStreetBlues

Sorry I did have to go to the JC twice, first one ID check and proof of rent, then a week later "your first commitments"
I was expecting a battle as I was going to refuse any form of having to look for work etc. All I had to so is sign the commitment  saying I had to check my journal for time to time and I think also to inform them of any changes. The appointment didn't even last 5 minutes.

saintscouple

Hoping that is all this is required, thank you

Newcad

The fit note thing is as already said - it's spat out automatically by the computer because there hasn't been confirmation of your LCW status from ESA yet.
As far as the computer is concerened until it is told by ESA about your status then fit notes are needed.

Once your status had been confirmed by ESA the UC computer will be updated with that information and the requirement for fit notes will be withdrawn again.
That usually takes less than a week to happen.

I had the same thing myself when I moved over, as have most who move from ESA to UC.
It can be bloody confusing, and upsetting, if you don't know what is going on though.
(They are supposed to be changing things so that it doesn't happen in future with Managed Migration from ESA, but nobody is holding their breath).

saintscouple

Pheww..... the identity interview went a lot better than expected, and was reassured of the process.

UC can only approach ESA once the identity process has been completed, so they will now approach them. 
They have given me a 1st commitments interview for 2 weeks time, which should ensure enough time to get the ESA claim pulled through, and once it is the interview will drop off my to-do list. 

My wife had the same identity interview today (we were seen together) and she has the same 1st commitment interview, so has 2 weeks to get a fit note from the GP - not easy as newly registered, and been told it can be 2-3 weeks to be seen. Although we were assured not to worry if not obtained in time as long as we are proactively getting it. 

Being we made our claim on 8th July, am i correct we can claim my wife is my carer from 9th August? 

Thanks again everyone, all your comments have helped made sense of a process that is very alien to me, yet one that is so important to get right.