Another Person Migrating From ESA IR To U/C Questions

Starbright2

Hello,

I will pick the keys up for the new property on Thursday. There is going to be an overlap of two weeks where I will have to pay for the new one & the one I'm in now. Obviously U/C are not going to pay for both properties for two weeks.

Do I inform U/C that I have moved on the day I pick up the keys and start paying for the new one & just have to find the money for this one for two weeks?. Because my tenancy for the new one will start Thursday?.

Edit: Or do I wait until I actually move in & keep U/C paying for the one I'm in now?.

Thank you

KxMx

UC can't handle future changes, so you need to report your new details once you've moved in.

Housing Element for that current Assessment Period will then be paid for the new property.

Starbright2

Hello again,

I've just had my first U/C payment statement? since the rent & amount you get on U/C has gone up. My TP has gone down I knew this was going to happen but the money they take off for other benefits for me ESA looks wrong, I've ended up with about £150 more.

So the statement before these changes for other benefits ESA they take off £609.05 they are now only taking off £320.38

That's got to be a mistake?

Thank You

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81972859#Comment_81972859

Yes, it's likely a mistake.

Apparently it's a common (known?) issue. There is a discussion about it on Rightsnet here:

https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/21626/

I would suggest you query it on your journal stating that you don't believe the deductions for ESA are correct and that you may have been overpaid. You may as well get it sorted sooner rather than later as DWP have the power to recover any overpayment from you anyway, once they realise their mistake.

Robbie64

It's an error but has happened to a number of people, me included. My UC statement (produced yesterday) has a deduction for ESA of £360.42 instead of £609.05 or whatever it should now be due to uprating of ESA.. As a result my UC is for a much higher amount.

I sent a message to the Case Manager via the Payments option on my Journal. I've not had a reply to that but did get a message 4 hours after sending my message that my claim was being reviewed (annual automatic review that everyone gets apparently). It's probably a coincidence…

Starbright2

Thank you @NedS and @Robbie64

I have put a message on my journal saying I've had my payment statement today & there has been a mistake calculating the deductions for ESA and I think I have been over paid. Please can you look into it?.

KxMx

Yes this happens from time to time especially around the annual uprating.

Happened to me 2 years ago.

Starbright2

I'm hoping they get it sorted out before the first payment which is a weeks time. If they don't will the over payment be taken back out of my bank account or wait for the next payment which is in two weeks for me & take it off that?.

KxMx

You'll know when this has been looked at as a letter will be added to your Journal stating the amount owed due to overpayment.

Repayment instructions will be on the letter. You can send the whole amount back to DWP Debt Management, or a small amount will be deducted from subsequent monthly payment statements (doesn't matter how often you are paid) until the amount is repaid.

NedS

I agree with @KxMx, unfortunately there is little chance of them correcting it before you get paid, so they will generate an overpayment and give you options of how to repay.

As @KxMx says, once they have issued an overpayment letter to you on your journal, you can either repay the full amount over the phone on a debit card, or agree they will take monthly payments from your UC until it is repaid.