ESA Migration to UC

skye_

Hi, 
I've received the dreaded letter saying I have to apply for UC now. I am currently on income related ESA with all the disability premiums. I get £480 every two weeks plus full pip and I'm in the support group.
Will I be losing any money moving over to UC or will it be the same amount. I'm single and I live alone. Thanks
Oh I also get full housing benefit, ty

KxMx

If your UC entitlement is lower than legacy benefits, Transitional Protection will be added to your payment to ensure at the time of transfer, you aren't worse off.
The TP does erode over time as other elements go up or new elements are added.
A good example of how this works is here:

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection/when-will-my-universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection-end

Or you have a major change in circumstances it ends, by that I mean your claim changes between joint & single, or vice versa. 

skye_

KxMx said:

If your UC entitlement is lower than legacy benefits, Transitional Protection will be added to your payment to ensure at the time of transfer, you aren't worse off.
The TP does erode over time as other elements go up or new elements are added.
A good example of how this works is here:

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection/when-will-my-universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection-end

Or you have a major change in circumstances it ends, by that I mean your claim changes between joint & single, or vice versa. 

Thanks.
So does my rent money and council tax money go into one payment and I have to pay that to the council?

KxMx

Unless you live in supported housing (which stays under Housing Benefit), your rent will be paid with Universal Credit, known as Housing Element. 
You can ask UC to pay your landlord directly if you'd prefer. 

Council Tax benefit is administered and paid at a local level with your council. 
You should advise your council when you have your UC award. Some councils treat UC differently to legacy benefits, this can change the amount of council tax you need to pay. 

poppy12345

skye_ said:

KxMx said:

If your UC entitlement is lower than legacy benefits, Transitional Protection will be added to your payment to ensure at the time of transfer, you aren't worse off.
The TP does erode over time as other elements go up or new elements are added.
A good example of how this works is here:

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection/when-will-my-universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection-end

Or you have a major change in circumstances it ends, by that I mean your claim changes between joint & single, or vice versa. 

Thanks.
So does my rent money and council tax money go into one payment and I have to pay that to the council?

Council Tax reduction isn't part of UC and continues from your local Authority as it always has been. It will likely be recalculated based on your UC award. 

For everything else then UC is one benefit made up of many different elements, this includes help with your rent. Unless you're living in either supported or temporary housing and then it will continue to be paid through housing benefit, as it is now. 

Your monthly UC payment will include standard allowance, LCWRA element, housing element and any other elements you maybe entitled to.. include Transitional Protection because your ESA includes SDP. 

You can ask for your rent to be straight to your landlord, rather than it being paid to you for you to pay it yourself. 

Newcad

Not quite,
Housing Benefit for rent will now be part of UC as a UC Housing Element, it should be the same as what you get now as HB only calculated monthly rather than weekly.

If your current HB is paid direct to the Council/Housing Association/Landlord then that can be continued with UC too.

(When I moved from HB to UC I didn't do that. My HB had been paid direct, but for UC I had it paid to me and simply set up a Direct Debit to pay my rent for the next month on the same day that my UC goes into my bank account. That ends up doing the same thing as direct payments from benefits, it goes into my bank from UC and straight out again to my HA, I don't have to do anything other than keep an eye on it and change the DD each year when the rent goes up).

Council Tax (and Council Tax Relief) has nothing to do with UC though, if you currently pay CT then you will still need to do that.
If you don't currently pay CT then that may or may not change. ie. You might have to start paying some but not usually much.
That's because you are no longer 'passported' to Full Council Tax Relief by having IR ESA - and so the council will now have to calculate how much CTR you are entitled to based on your income instead.
Some councils are more stingy than others and so some people migrating from ESA to UC then find that they have to pay a few quid of CT.
(I was one of the lucky ones with a decent council and still don't have to pay any CT.).

skye_

Thanks for all the replies.

because I’m changing over, do I need to go for an interview at the job centre? Or will it be all online? I’m disabled and normally have home assessments. Thanks! 

marcia_

skye_ said:

Thanks for all the replies.

because I’m changing over, do I need to go for an interview at the job centre? Or will it be all online? I’m disabled and normally have home assessments. Thanks! 

 Depends on if they can verify your ID online. My husband didn't have to go but I did. It was a 5 minute app where they checked my ID. 

poppy12345

skye_ said:

Thanks for all the replies.

because I’m changing over, do I need to go for an interview at the job centre? Or will it be all online? I’m disabled and normally have home assessments. Thanks! 

If an appointment is needed and you can't attend in person you can ask for a telephone appointment. 

TimeLord1

Some people manage to confirm their Identity online through government gateway but probably used that for sometime. I'm unsure if new accounts can be opened I opened one several years ago I think I used a passport, mobile, plus email to use it.

KxMx

Universal Credit no longer use Government Gateway. 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-verify-your-identity-for-universal-credit