Applying for UC - Before or after April 7th?

Nobby_Room_101

Background: I must apply for Universal Credit, moving from Income Based ESA under "managed migration". I have plenty of time but want to get it over with (PTSD). ESA will be uprated on 7th of April with the new tax year. I will qualify for transitional protection as disability premiums on ESA make those payments higher than the UC amount I will be awarded. 

Can anyone confirm whether applying before or after 7th April will affect the rates at which my transitional protection would be locked at?

Yamor

What day of the week are you paid ESA normally?

Nobby_Room_101

Yamor said:

What day of the week are you paid ESA normally?

Hi Yamor,

Paid Wednesday. Advised to make the claim on a Friday, so would be Friday 4th this week if uprating is not going to be affected - last ESA payment would then be in 2 weeks, so Wednesday 14th.

Thank you.

Nobby_Room_101

And I'm going to hazard a guess that locks in the uprated rates.

Nobby_Room_101

Nobby_Room_101 said:

And I'm going to hazard a guess that locks in the uprated rates.

Which would be mistaken. 

Transitional protection calculated on ESA rates the day before claim is submitted. 

:: best wait till after the 7th.

Newcad

It's  a bit tricky to work out with different benefit rates changing on different dates, but I think that if you can I'd wait until the day after the start of your ESA week after the 7th. (Tricky to say as well).

That appears to give the best outcome, with the higest ongoing TP,  but like I say "appears" so other opinions welcome.

If possible then maybe even wait until after your first increased ESA payment following the 7th?

KxMx

On another forum we advise applying the day after an ESA payment, as that seems to increase the likelihood that the ESA run on payment is for the full amount. 
Taking into account that & the tax/benefit year, I'd advise claiming on the 17th April. 

Yamor

Nobby_Room_101 said:

Yamor said:

What day of the week are you paid ESA normally?

Hi Yamor,

Paid Wednesday. Advised to make the claim on a Friday, so would be Friday 4th this week if uprating is not going to be affected - last ESA payment would then be in 2 weeks, so Wednesday 14th.

Thank you.

Ok, so there are 4 possibilities:

1. Claim UC on or before 6th April: TP is calculated using old ESA rates and old UC rates, but TP will be eroded in your second AP by the increase in UC rates. 

2. Claim UC on 7th April: TP is calculated using old ESA rates and old UC rates. TP will not be eroded due to UC uprating.

3. Claim UC on 8th, 9th or 10th April: TP is calculated using old ESA rates and new UC rates. TP will not be eroded due to UC uprating.

4. Claim UC on or after 11th April: TP is calculated using new ESA rates and new UC rates. TP will not be eroded due to UC uprating.

Option 4 is the best, as the gap between the new ESA rates and new UC rates is slightly larger than the gap between the old rates, and the TP won't be eroded immediately.