ESA vs Universal Credit?

Zedcor

Hello everyone,  I would very much appreciate some help and advice on the following.

Approximately 6 years ago I was awarded the support element of Employment and Support Allowance and currently receive £298.10 every 2 weeks.

I have a friend who is in exactly the same circumstances as I am in regarding his health issues, disability and living circumstances but because his claim only started 2 years ago, he was put on Universal Credit and is currently receiving £758.80 per month.

I am 56 years old and he is 54, but why is he receiving approximately  £150 more than I am per month/28 days just because his claim is more recent and he had the luxury of going straight onto the higher rate of Universal Credit?

Many thanks

poppy12345

It's got nothing to do with their claim being more recent. No one is "put on" UC and you have to claim that yourself. 

LCWRA element for UC pays more than ESA Support Group if your ESA doesn't include the Severe disability Premium (which yours doesn't)

This will be why they are receiving more than you. This is why the Government have delayed those claiming Income Related ESA form migrating to UC until at least 2028 (unless they also claim Tax credits) because it will save them millions. 

If you claim UC you will be entitled to the standard allowance £393.45 and the LCWRA element £416.19 = £809.04/month plus help with the rent if you rent your home. Figures are the new rates. 

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

Zedcor

Many thanks for your help. 

Newcad

Your payment for ESA is the amount for a single over 25, in Support Group, with EDP but not SDP - so you should be better off if you claim UC instead of ESA.

Use one of the benefit calculators to double check just how much you could expect to get if you claimed UC.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

If as expected you would be better off on UC then nothing is stopping you making a claim for UC yourself.

That's called 'Voluntary Migration'.
(I did it myself in November 2021 moving myself from ESA WRAG to UC-LCW).
(Unlike basic Support Group>UC-LCWRA where your money increases there is not really extra money when moving from basic WRAG>UC-LCW. I did it mainly to get my payments being made on a set day each month for easier budgeting with Direct Debits, etc. I chose to claim UC on the 14th so that my payments are on the 20th).

It's easy enough to claim UC and your Support Group will carry over to UC-LCWRA automatically.

You will also get another 2 weeks payment of IR ESA after claiming UC, that doesn't get deducted from the UC and you don't have to pay it back.
(If you get Housing Benefit that also runs on for 2 weeks after claiming UC and doesn't need to be paid back).

Note that if your ESA is part CB and part IR then the CB part stays outside of UC, it will still be paid fortnightly but will be deducted from the UC payments so that you aren't being paid it twice. You still end up better off overall.

Something to be aware of is that the automatic messages in the first month of the move to UC can be confusing.
For example you will almost certainly get an automatic message saying you have to send in Fit Notes.
That's because the computer does not have your details confirmed from ESA yet, and so is treating you as if you hadn't already been assessed.
You don't need to send any Fit Notes and once the details are confirmed by ESA they will stop asking.
Another one is 'Confirm previous earnings from work', of course you don't have any so just put £0.00.
(When I did it you had to put £0.00 it wouldn't accept just £0).

Zedcor

Thanks so much Newcad, your experience is a great help to me.🙂

Zedcor

An update on the transition process.

It unfortunately took me 3 months to pluck up the courage to even apply for UC.

I have had to attend one interview at the Jobcentre with my work-coach and have another interview lined up in 5 days, but this time it's a telephone appointment. This new appointment has so far been put back on 2 occasions, with it now being 8 days later than originally planned.

Newcad said:

Something to be aware of is that the automatic messages in the first month of the move to UC can be confusing.
For example you will almost certainly get an automatic message saying you have to send in Fit Notes.
That's because the computer does not have your details confirmed from ESA yet, and so is treating you as if you hadn't already been assessed.
You don't need to send any Fit Notes and once the details are confirmed by ESA they will stop asking.
Another one is 'Confirm previous earnings from work', of course you don't have any so just put £0.00.
(When I did it you had to put £0.00 it wouldn't accept just £0).

My work-coach also asked for a Fit Note so I did arrange to see my GP,  with the  appointment scheduled for Monday. Should I also have ignored his request as he was likely only repeating what was on the system? As he saw me struggling with the whole process he did subsequently say that there was no hurry for this Fit Note. I would much rather not be visiting my GP on Monday as my anxiety levels are going through the roof, I cannot even eat now because of the worry of seeing my GP.

Even writing this update has been very difficult as I have been trying not to think about the whole situation.

Thanks again so much for everyone's help.

HillStreetBlues

Zedcor said:

An update on the transition process.

It unfortunately took me 3 months to pluck up the courage to even apply for UC.

I have had to attend one interview at the Jobcentre with my work-coach and have another interview lined up in 5 days, but this time it's a telephone appointment. This new appointment has so far been put back on 2 occasions, with it now being 8 days later than originally planned.

Newcad said:

Something to be aware of is that the automatic messages in the first month of the move to UC can be confusing.
For example you will almost certainly get an automatic message saying you have to send in Fit Notes.
That's because the computer does not have your details confirmed from ESA yet, and so is treating you as if you hadn't already been assessed.
You don't need to send any Fit Notes and once the details are confirmed by ESA they will stop asking.
Another one is 'Confirm previous earnings from work', of course you don't have any so just put £0.00.
(When I did it you had to put £0.00 it wouldn't accept just £0).

My work-coach also asked for a Fit Note so I did arrange to see my GP,  with the  appointment scheduled for Monday. Should I also have ignored his request as he was likely only repeating what was on the system? As he saw me struggling with the whole process he did subsequently say that there was no hurry for this Fit Note. I would much rather not be visiting my GP on Monday as my anxiety levels are going through the roof, I cannot even eat now because of the worry of seeing my GP.

Even writing this update has been very difficult as I have been trying not to think about the whole situation.

Thanks again so much for everyone's help.

If you were in Support Group then there is no need for a Fit note, the WC is mistaken in asking for one.
Make an entry on your journal stating that you have transferred to UC from ESA Support Group and  that automaticity put you in LCWRA, so not need for a Fit note.

Zedcor

Many thanks HillStreetBlues, took your advice, left the note in the Journal, also quoted the Gov website which also states that position.

Would have replied earlier as I was expecting email notifications of any replies.

Zedcor

Almost 8 weeks after my initial claim for UC and there is still no sign of the LCWRA entitlement coming through. Is it now a deliberate tactic to push as far as they can before the claimant breaks? I am being continuously pushed towards the edge every day.

Spoonie_Turtle

Rarely are UC problems deliberate, rather incompetence.

Have you had any response at all to your journal message?  Any appointments since?

I'm not sure what your best course of action is here.  What category did you click for your journal message?  If you didn't do it as a payment issue then it could be worth trying that, they are supposed to check those at the end of the assessment period at the very least.

Zedcor

Thanks so much for your reply Spoonie_Turtle, will try the payment issue on the journal.

BTW, had my second telephone work/health appointment yesterday which was good with them only interested in my health and what they could advise me to do, regarding getting more help from the various services etc.

Many thanks Spoonie_Turtle