UC Benefits calculator giving a lower proposed UC amount = inaccurate? (compared to ESA)

katesheet

UC Benefits calculator giving a lower proposed UC amount = inaccurate? (compared to ESA)

This is regarding an applicant applying for Universal credit UC

it is a migrated move to UC from esa.

Applicant is in receipt of

PIP Higher Mobility, Higher Living

Esa income related, 

Disability premium

Housing benefit

When putting in all details in this benefit calculator

https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/find-information/benefits/benefits-checkers/benefits-calculator/

they end amount of calculation of UC (esa and Housing benefit) gives a monthly figure, in the calculation.

This monthly figure is less than the current amount the applicant receives of ESA and Housing benefit.

at the calculation end page it says

Total deductions, and shows £ -353.17 per month

when clicking on that it gives a list of Total deductions, under Unearned income.

The list of Unearned income are here: (Copy and pasted)

Unearned income

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most unearned income which you could use to meet your living costs will be taken into account in full, so your maximum  

Universal Credit award will be reduced by £1 for every £1 of unearned income.

Benefit income taken into account:

* contribution based Jobseeker's Allowance

* contributory Employment and Support Allowance

* Carer's Allowance

* Carer Support Payment (Scotland)

* Widowed Mother's Allowance

* Widowed Parent's Allowance

* Widow's Pension

* Maternity Allowance

* Industrial Injuries Benefit - excluding any increase where constant attendance is needed and for

exceptionally severe disablement

* State Pension

but the applicant has none of those elements in the list, so why has there been a loss of amount/income reduction in their  

calculation?

is that inaccurate?

If when doing the final application, it takes 4 weeks for them to assess, and they pay out in week 5.

Question a) When do they tell you how much UC you will be receiving?  at the end of your applicant? (day 1)?

or in 4 weeks?  or in between, 2 weeks?

b) Do they tell you this with email? phone text? or letter?

it is a migrated move to UC from esa.

c) If after the decision is made the amount of uc they offer is too low to what is actually entitled, what it the procedure to challenge this decision ?

d) Have you had this issue on the benefit calculator, the amount they say is less due to Unearned income? was it correct/inaccurate ?  

e) if you have all the  details, persons address, income, identity documents to upload, and everything else ready,

how long should the UC application comfortably take? 30 mins? 60 ?

thanks you xxx

KxMx

Benefit calculator results are only as good as the information put into them, if something inaccurate has gone in the results will be too.

Also remember that UC is paid monthly, UC & ESA are weekly benefits, there are 4.3 weeks in a month not 4.

To get monthly figures for hb & esa you multiply the weekly amount by 52 then divide by 12.

A) When you apply for UC it is based on a calendar month, known as the Assessment period. After the AP ends, you will be paid 7 days later. The payment statement will be available 1-3 days after your AP ends.

b) If you apply online your online UC account is called the Journal. All letters will be uploaded electronically (nothing through the post). Any messages from UC will be written on your Journal.

C) You can send them a message via Journal, under the Payment category.

D) As above, check your input or try another calculator 

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

E) It's not a super long form. Once you've started you can save progress at various stages, and go back later to do more. You have 28 days to submit the form. After 28 days, you'd have to start again.

poppy12345

I found that very hard to read with the large gaps between each line. The benefit calculator figures doesn't mean that is what you'll be entitled to. You won't know for certain until you receive your first statement. 

The benefit calculator you used it mentions unearned income and then gives a list of benefits. Have you ticked that you're claiming contributions based ESA or Carers allowance? both of those will. be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Although the deducted amount doesn't reflect the amount that would actually be deducted. 

PIP isn't part of UC so that will continue as normal. If they are in the Support Group for ESA then their UC will include the LCWRA element from the start. Their UC will also include standard allowance and housing element. 

If their ESA includes the Severe disability Premium then their UC will also include Transitional Protection, which tops up their income so they are not worse off when they migrated across. 

Newcad

What I find somewhat odd is the amount of deduction given there: £ -353.17 per month.

That's the monthly equivalent of current weekly SDP, or SD Addition in PC. (Both are £81.50).

I'd say that being to the penny then that's unlikely to be a coincidence.

I suspect that something has been entered incorrectly into the calculator, eg. maybe the SDP amount has been entered as something like 'Other Benefit Income' for some reason rather than as a part of ESA?
(Or maybe that calculator is just confused when it comes to SDP and the SDP TE, it wouldn't be the first time).

I'm not familiar with that Gingerbread calculator, but do note that it was last updated in August 2023, so you may be better instead using the Entitledto or Turn2Us calculators on the DWP page (already linked above).

kkkklinky

Newcad said:

What I find somewhat odd is the amount of deduction given there: £ -353.17 per month.

That's the monthly equivalent of current weekly SDP, or SD Addition in PC. (Both are £81.50).

I'd say that being to the penny then that's unlikely to be a coincidence.

I suspect that something has been entered incorrectly into the calculator, eg. maybe the SDP amount has been entered as something like 'Other Benefit Income' for some reason rather than as a part of ESA?
(Or maybe that calculator is just confused when it comes to SDP and the SDP TE, it wouldn't be the first time).

I'm not familiar with that Gingerbread calculator, but do note that it was last updated in August 2023, so you may be better instead using the Entitledto or Turn2Us calculators on the DWP page (already linked above).

£-353 
Isn't that the same amount as Carers Allowance when deducted from UC. I recall mine being very similar.

poppy12345

kkkklinky said:

Newcad said:

What I find somewhat odd is the amount of deduction given there: £ -353.17 per month.

That's the monthly equivalent of current weekly SDP, or SD Addition in PC. (Both are £81.50).

I'd say that being to the penny then that's unlikely to be a coincidence.

I suspect that something has been entered incorrectly into the calculator, eg. maybe the SDP amount has been entered as something like 'Other Benefit Income' for some reason rather than as a part of ESA?
(Or maybe that calculator is just confused when it comes to SDP and the SDP TE, it wouldn't be the first time).

I'm not familiar with that Gingerbread calculator, but do note that it was last updated in August 2023, so you may be better instead using the Entitledto or Turn2Us calculators on the DWP page (already linked above).

£-353 
Isn't that the same amount as Carers Allowance when deducted from UC. I recall mine being very similar.

The deduction for carers allowance is £354.90/month.