UC haven't included WRAG support

mrmcc

I've had trouble with being moved across from ESA to UC. They failed to include any payment for being in a WRA support group, firstly they said they didnt know i was claiming ESA despite it being a migration claim, then they said ESA hadnt sent them the information they needed. After speaking to the ESA office turns out this was because UC hadn't sent them a MGP1 form, until after i enquired about the missing element.

They now say it will be sorted ASAP but my UC payment has gone into my bank and no support payment so im underpaid, on the other hand that means esa will still pay me as they havnt been told to close my esa so i will be overpaid by them!

When it is eventually sorted will I have to wait until next months payment or will they issue a seperate payment?

KxMx

UC will confirm the underpayment via a letter added to your Journal stating the amount owed. Payment will be sent to your bank account a few working days later. 

Newcad

As above for the UC.

The ESA should not be an overpayment either- that's because IR ESA runs-on for 2-weeks after you migrate to UC (so you get both for those 2-weeks).

If you have been paid more than 2-weeks ESA run-on by the time it's sorted then UC will deduct a small amount from your UC each month until the overpayment has been paid back.

mrmcc

Newcad said:

As above for the UC.

The ESA should not be an overpayment either- that's because IR ESA runs-on for 2-weeks after you migrate to UC (so you get both for those 2-weeks).

If you have been paid more than 2-weeks ESA run-on by the time it's sorted then UC will deduct a small amount from your UC each month until the overpayment has been paid back.

Update: My UC has now been sorted and backdated i received a payment covering 17 Feb to 17 March, however this morning i also received another full ESA payment, i believe this is because UC failed to notify ESA etc as this is beyond the two weeks from my claim date, would i be correct in assuming this will end up being an overpayment, if so will i have to pay it back all in one go or will they stagger it? should i wait to be informed by UC or get in touch now?

Newcad

Was the ESA exactly the same as you were getting before?

If you have had an overpayment of ESA then the recovery of it will now be spread over time as a slight deduction from your ongoing UC each month for a year, or is it 2 years now for overpayments? (I know it's 2 years for advances).

Unless you want to pay it off quicker, they do usually give you the option to do that.

mrmcc

Newcad said:

Was the ESA exactly the same as you were getting before?

If you have had an overpayment of ESA then the recovery of it will now be spread over time as a slight deduction from your ongoing UC each month for a year, or is it 2 years now for overpayments? (I know it's 2 years for advances).

Unless you want to pay it off quicker, they do usually give you the option to do that.

Yes it's the full two weekly amount, i tried ringing ESA but according to the automated message im also due another payment on the 9th April which makes me think they havent closed my claim off yet.

Newcad

Mmm, we were assuming that UC/ESA had made a mistake, but I think we need to restart here with which benefit you were being migrated from to UC.
In other words what did your Managed Migration Notification letter say was ending so that you had to claim UC instead?

There are various possibilities of what has happened, what it said on your migration letter should help narrow those down.

Did it say ESA (maybe Housing Benefit too), or were you being migrated from Tax Credits to UC?
examples:

or

mrmcc

Newcad said:

Mmm, we were assuming that UC/ESA had made a mistake, but I think we need to restart here with which benefit you were being migrated from to UC.
In other words what did your Managed Migration Notification letter say was ending so that you had to claim UC instead?

There are various possibilities of what has happened, what it said on your migration letter should help narrow those down.

Did it say ESA (maybe Housing Benefit too), or were you being migrated from Tax Credits to UC?
examples:

or

Sorry for the delay in responding i've been unwell. The letter said Universal credit is replacing Housing benefit and IR-ESA.

Newcad

OK, that seems clear that it's both ESA and HB

Next: Can you tell us exactly which ESA Group you were in?

Your thread title says WRAG, but then your opening post says Support Group - can you clarify which one?

Two more questions that should also help clarify things:
How much have your ESA payments been for each fortnight? If you did get one today (did you?) it may be slightly different.
That should also tell us which ESA/Group you were getting.
Did you first claim ESA before April 2017?

mrmcc

hi, i was awarded the WRAG after a tribunal from 15-11-18, i received 252.9 per fortnight (90.50 + 35.95 per week), i didn't get one this week so it appears that part has been sorted, i just need to wait to see if they overpaid me, my UC was paid on the 21 March, assessment period 17 feb to 17 March. my last esa payment i got was on the 26th March.

Newcad

That all sounds fine then, except the possibility for ESA overpayment.

In fact it looks certain that there was overpayment of ESA, but as said above don't worry too much they will take it back a bit each month from your UC.
The repayments should be affordable but if you find yourself struggling you can ask for them to be reduced.

PS. It's when you first claimed ESA that counts for if the WRAG is still paid, so I assume that you were in Support Group before being moved to WRAG, or that the claim-tribunal well took over a year? (or you typed that date wrong?).