ESA has dropped from £450per fornight to £259per fortnight and no reason given!!

KxMx

Universal Credit replaces IR ESA.
So you should be getting CB ESA and UC tops up your income, after deduction of the CB ESA. 

Could you take paperwork to local welfare rights, see if they can help you sort it out? 

money08

Alice please read my updated post on this re/; latest ESA statement thnx

money08

Alice_Holt said:

       Yes, it's most confusing.

     I think the crucial thing to check is that the deduction UC make from your UC claim for ESA is exactly the same as you have received from ESA in that month.* 
   If this is correct then your ESA amount dropping shouldn't affect the total of UC and ESA you receive a month, as UC should deduct less for those months.

  If UC are deducting more than you have received in ESA for the month, then you will be out of pocket. If so, then it's UC you need to contact - put a note on your journal and show proof of your ESA payments.  

*  To convert from fortnightly to monthly -  multiply the fortnightly sum by 26 (to get to an annual figure) , then divide by 12.

The UC statements have always been up and down like a yoyo though my ESA in the bank, and the UC payment to bank always remained the same. It seems every month or so there was a different "average" deduction on the statements but the actual payments I got in the bank stayed the same.

money08

KxMx said:

Universal Credit replaces IR ESA.
So you should be getting CB ESA and UC tops up your income, after deduction of the CB ESA. 

Could you take paperwork to local welfare rights, see if they can help you sort it out? 

I did call CAB and they said get an explanation from DWP first and then they can try and resolve. I might also ask UC what their figures are based on. Easier said then done sadly these days. Thats why I dont like rocking the boat cos it usually ends in tears.

Spoonie_Turtle

I'm sorry if I've missed anything (or if someone has brought this up already, I have read the thread but my brain is mashed potato) - I don't understand why you were getting so much ESA after claiming UC.  You should have had a 2-week run-on at most, then all ir-ESA stopped so you should have been getting the £200-odd per fortnight cb-ESA for being in the support group.

So I'd be concerned that you've maybe had (years?) of ESA overpayment - but unlike UC I believe they are not automatically entitled to recover it if it was due to official error (which would clearly be the case here, if it is an overpayment).

poppy12345

What was the reason why you claimed UC? I can't see that you answered that question. As your ESA included the SDP then you would have been worse off when you claimed UC. 

Your ESA should be £129.50/week. Then your UC would be standard allowance, LCWRA element and housing element (if you're claiming for help with the rent)

The deduction for your ESA from UC should be £561.16/month. 

poppy12345

money08 said:

Muttleythefrog said:

Check.... £259 per fortnight sounds correct for C Based/New style ESA with LCWRA (2023/4 rates).... are you getting confused with which benefit is which?

(The intention of this government over time is to eliminate the Work Capability Assessment and use PIP as a determinant as to disablement in relation to work. The associated extra payments have not been specified. The timeline is up in the air and with general election looming it is anyone's guess how benefit policy in relation to sick/disabled will actually be changed in coming years)

There was an error after the changeover from Incapacity to ESA in which I was on contributory but then that was resolved and now I am on income related. Mind you must double check it still applies.

Your ESA would not be Income Related, it would now be known as New style ESA. This is because you're now claiming UC. 

money08

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I'm sorry if I've missed anything (or if someone has brought this up already, I have read the thread but my brain is mashed potato) - I don't understand why you were getting so much ESA after claiming UC.  You should have had a 2-week run-on at most, then all ir-ESA stopped so you should have been getting the £200-odd per fortnight cb-ESA for being in the support group.

So I'd be concerned that you've maybe had (years?) of ESA overpayment - but unlike UC I believe they are not automatically entitled to recover it if it was due to official error (which would clearly be the case here, if it is an overpayment).

Oh dear mny thoughts entirely hence why I am reluctant to mention it officially in cas ethey decide to burn me at the stake.

money08

poppy12345 said:

What was the reason why you claimed UC? I can't see that you answered that question. As your ESA included the SDP then you would have been worse off when you claimed UC. 

Your ESA should be £129.50/week. Then your UC would be standard allowance, LCWRA element and housing element (if you're claiming for help with the rent)

The deduction for your ESA from UC should be £561.16/month. 

I was on Incapacity benefit with disbaility addition back in 2013 when they stopped it and changed over to ESA I guess. UC then came in and it was optional to change over. But the benfits groups showed I would get more on UC then ESA alone. Its UC who have mixed the benefits into 1 claim. So I also wonder if maybe the ESA now was in transition and thats now stopped via timeline?

huckster

Has there been any change to Housing ?