UC application done, but an application glitch could cause the applicant to lose money!

katesheet

UC application done, but an application glitch could cause the applicant to lose money!
Thank you for all the help from everyone on this forum.
The UC application has been completed online, with all questions answered.
The claimant is in receipt of:
* ESA income
* PIP (Higher Mobility and Higher Care)
* Severe Disability Premium
_________________________________________________________
Regarding the UC application, where they ask:
In this question on the application:
Income other than benefits or wages - To-do list - Universal Credit
We need to know if you receive or claim any of the following:
any UK benefits, for example, tax credits, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Child Benefit, or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
We selected this: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Now, when the whole form was complete and we go to the end Review Form/Summary, it states:
"is not getting any other payments or benefits."
That is incorrect; possibly a glitch in their system, as they are receiving ESA.
_________________________________________________________
Here are two threads where members have had a similar issue:

https://benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum/10-dla-esa-queries-results/147497-esa-to-uc-online-claim-form

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/127611/uc-form-income-other-than-earnings
Questions:
1) Is this a glitch in their system? Here are two threads that also explain the same issue.
2) How do we ensure they correct this on their side?
3) Is there a risk they will keep it like that and underpay the UC due to thinking the applicant does not receive other benefits?
4) Has this happened to anyone you know or even yourself? How did it get resolved?
5) UC is paid monthly; they say they can pay every fortnight too. What is the procedure to request being paid fortnightly instead of monthly?
6) Automatic calculation?
Do they calculate your entitlement based on: a) the information you provided in the questionnaire? b) looking at what you currently receive (they check your current ESA award and Housing Benefit you currently receive) and say, "Oh, it looks like you get this, so you should be entitled to UC of £xxx?" For example, they would check that they are currently receiving the Severe Disability Premium. c) a combination of a) and b)?
7a) I have read that many people who are on ESA and receive the Severe Disability Premium should receive the same amounts when moving to UC with transition protection. However, there have been some cases where applicants are requested to provide a sick note from their GP, which they shouldn't need to as they are transitioning—this may be a glitch in their system.
7b) Could this error lead to them asking for a sick note?
Thank you, everyone, for your answers to this post and the previous ones. Please answer in a 1), 2), 3), 4) format, so it will be easy to follow.
oh and there is a Case Manager allocated.
Thank you! xxx

8dayweek

1. Probably as the inclusion of ESA in that section is fairly new to automate capture of Managed Migration cases. 

2. Once ID is verified then the ESA info will start to be transferred across. Generally most cases automatically flag as Managed Migration (and if they don’t initially, do after ID is verified).  

3. No not really - ESA (IR) apply run on of after ID is verified and any ESA (C) converts to New Style. This is part manual but part automated. 

4. Most of the kinks are largely ironed out with Move to UC, and getting ID verified promptly is by far the most important factor in everything else being transferred / verified before your first payment is due. 

5. It’s never fortnightly. It’s twice per month. You would need to request this with your reasons for being unable to budget etc. 

6. Yes and no, some information is automatically verified and some is cross referenced with other Gov systems or Social Landlords etc. Some information, such as Wages from Employment, is captured in real time (via HMRC). Some transfers from other Benefit systems. 

Transitional Protection is a different, separate calculation that looks at Legacy Benefits on the day before migration and compares that to the indicative UC award - with Transitional Protection added if UC is estimated to be less.

SDP Transitional Protection is also technically a different, separate calculation when someone is identified as receiving SDP within IS / JSA / ESA within 1 month of their UC claim. The system auto-identifies this as this is an existing process, not just part of Managed Migration. 

7. Fit Note issue should be resolved. The only people who seem to be reporting this now as “an error” are those with no existing WCA outcomes - think someone who was a Partner of the prior Legacy Benefit recipient, or a Carer who has been on IS but has reported their own Health Conditions impacting their ability to Work upon moving to UC. It’s the system working wholly to design to request a Fit Note from those NOT identified as prior ESA recipients with existing WCA outcomes. 

katesheet

thank you for that help and thank everyone else on this forum.

1) so does anything else have to be done at this stage besides wait for the 4-5 week wait for their decision?

2) Is it worth messaging the work coach that this glitch was found by us, and they should be aware of it, that the claimant is receiving the benefits?

8dayweek

1. As long as ID is verified, you’ve accepted your Commitments and confirmed Housing details / uploaded proof of housing costs (if applicable) then there should be little else to do. I would suggest logging in and checking a week before payment is due as a minimum. 

2. If moving over from ESA SG you won’t have a Work Coach. It’s not a glitch per se, it’s the fact ESA has been added on that screen when it wasn’t previously because of the Migration activity - but the summary part still looks like it always did. Essentially that part is to capture unearned income in the main - like pensions, spousal maintenance. It’s been expanded to list ESA in the other benefits because it then stops people adding their ESA and PIP under some randomly picked category (like “overseas pension”).

katesheet

3) have you had this exact same glitch /problem happen before in other people? or heard the same thing has happened ?

4) what was the outcome ?

5) if the amount they decide to award in 4-5 weeks, £ is still incorrect due to this glitch then what is the process /steps to rectify this so the correct amount is awarded ?

thank you xx

katesheet

6) oh when I say Work coach, I mean case manager.  The person has been allocated a Case Manager  (not  a work coach)

Corrected it on the above entry

6) Does that change anything ?

poppy12345

katesheet said:

3) have you had this exact same glitch /problem happen before in other people? or heard the same thing has happened ?

4) what was the outcome ?

5) if the amount they decide to award in 4-5 weeks, £ is still incorrect due to this glitch then what is the process /steps to rectify this so the correct amount is awarded ?

thank you xx

3/ It’s not a glitch it can take a few weeks for ESA to send the details across to UC. Once that’s done the claim will be updated.

4/ Many people migrate to UC from ESA without any issues.

4/ Put a message onto the journal under the payment section to tell them what the problem is with the payment. 

I really do think you are overthinking this.