Esa/change of address

Robbie64

pope said:

Robbie64 said:

pope said:

Robbie64 said:

pope said:

Because I am on contribution based ESA by making a change of address change still in the same county mean my ESA will end and I will be asked to claim UC?

I didn't know it was just conts based ESA (as you didn't mention this in the first post). Is there no means tested benefit in payment? Possibly the call centre agent unnecessarily filled in a form or perhaps it was some sort of ID check.

Your type of ESA claim will end at some stage but you won't be asked to migrate to UC if there are no means tested legacy benefits in payment. If you are on the old conts based ESA then at some point it will convert to new style ESA. The amount you receive won't change but it removes the ability to claim income related ESA if this was ever needed (new style ESA doesn't have a means tested equivalent).

I am confused I started claiming ESA contribution based in March 2023. As I was on long term sick leave. I applied for ESA contribution based as I had paid enough NI credits in the last 2 years I was then assessed and put in the support group. I get £138.50 a week paid every 2 weeks. 

So because I have had this change off address moved within the same county. Will this trigger to move me over to UC? Sorry I'm having difficulty understanding what your saying. I am panicking because of my mental health.

If you're only on contributions based ESA then you won't be asked to migrate to UC. Also, if you started to claim ESA in March 2023 then you are already on the new style conts based ESA so you can ignore what I posted about the ESA itself changing from old style conts ESA to new style conts ESA. Basically nothing will change so don't worry about your ESA changing as it won't.

However, do you claim a means tested benefit of any type? Child Tax Credits, for example?

Edit: just read your subsequent answer. If all you get is conts based ESA and PIP then nothing will change and you won't have to migrate to UC. It's only people in receipt of legacy benefits (income based JSA, income related ESA, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Working / Child Tax Credits) who, at some point, will have to migrate their claims to UC.

Thanks for clarifying Robbie64

As on the subject what is the situation with ESA assessments at the moment with new government in force. I was put in the esa support group on 7th July 2023 the report said review in 12 months time?

ESA reassessments are still ongoing but it seems to be a hit and miss affair. The priority is new claims and first time assessments. But some claimants are getting ESA50 forms to kick start a review work capability assessment process while many aren't. There just isn't the capacity within the system to reassess everyone who is due an assessement. Had your reassessment been happening on time, then you should have received an ESA50 around the start of May (the ESA50 is supposed to be sent out 8 weeks prior to the next WCA date, which in your case would / should be 7 July 2024). It's likely that, like many ESA claimants, that your WCA has been deferred to a later date.

To give you an example: I had a WCA in March 2019, 18 month prognosis so next WCA date was set for September 2020. Covid happened and the WCA date was reset to September 2022. Backlogs in the system pushed that back to September 2024 but out of the blue I got an ESA50 last December (2023). I returned the ESA50 just before Christmas and was placed in the Support Group in May 2024 with a 1 year prognosis, so my next WCA is set for May 2025. In theory I should get another ESA50 in March 2025. Whether I will remains to be seen. I've got a printout of all my ESA records so can see what actions are supposed to happen when in the next 12 months (the printouts not only list my next WCA date but also the date my file should automatically be referred to the assessment provider which in turn should be the date when I'm automatically sent an ESA50) but backlogs can, and do, push back WCA dates.

You may find the DWP have simply deferred your next WCA date by a year or two years. The problem is, the DWP won't inform you of this.

pope

8dayweek said:

That is a wee bit Idd. I mean it’s not entirely odd because the ID check questions randomly generate based on historic and current information held, but usually (not always) the system errs on the side of more current information rather than historic. 

Should I be worried?

pope

Spoonie_Turtle said:

pope said:

Just to make sure and get the worrie off my mind on page 3 of 4 of ESA letter it says. 

Your living expenses £90.50

Limited capability for work addition 

Extra money because you are in the support group

£47.70

Which gives you a total income - related amount £138.20

Income and benefits 

No incomecwill bectaken off your employment and support allowance 

Your income -related amount is £138.20 less £0.00 so you would have been entitled to. £138.20

However because you are entitled to contribution based employment and support allowance we will pay you £138.50

I claim new-style ESA too and my letters also refer to income, which is ridiculous because this type of ESA will never be income-based.

It's to misslead people who then panick like me

Spoonie_Turtle

pope said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

pope said:

Just to make sure and get the worrie off my mind on page 3 of 4 of ESA letter it says. 

Your living expenses £90.50

Limited capability for work addition 

Extra money because you are in the support group

£47.70

Which gives you a total income - related amount £138.20

Income and benefits 

No incomecwill bectaken off your employment and support allowance 

Your income -related amount is £138.20 less £0.00 so you would have been entitled to. £138.20

However because you are entitled to contribution based employment and support allowance we will pay you £138.50

I claim new-style ESA too and my letters also refer to income, which is ridiculous because this type of ESA will never be income-based.

It's to misslead people who then panick like me

I don't think it is, more likely that they simply couldn't be bothered to do a different type of letter to accurately reflect the benefit being claimed.

8dayweek

pope said:

8dayweek said:

That is a wee bit Idd. I mean it’s not entirely odd because the ID check questions randomly generate based on historic and current information held, but usually (not always) the system errs on the side of more current information rather than historic. 

Should I be worried?

Nope not at all. Like I said - telephone ID check just randomly generates questions based on historic and current information held. Sometimes if there’s not a lot of information at all you almost get the same questions worded differently. 

ID fraud is getting more and more sophisticated and often easier “at a distance” (phone / online rather than face to face). It feels intrusive but an earlier poster was right - take it in the way it’s intended, DWP should need to be satisfied they’ve confirmed your ID adequately before processing any changes etc. to safeguard you and your claim.