Another Person Migrating From ESA IR To U/C Questions

Starbright2

@Newcad Thanks glad the council letters seem right.

Yes I was emailing them anyway because it turns out someone from the rent Dept told me to pay too much when the rent went up in April. So before I got the migration letter I was having an email discussion with them. So I tagged it onto the end letting them know the date I started my U/C application & that the rent will be coming to me so I will pay for it all every week, & I said I thought I would tell them in case there was something they needed to do their end. And the first U/C payments date clearly shows a gap of three weeks rent. 

They just came back and said well if the U/C payment is on time every month you will be fine. They are obviously not worried about it 

Newcad

I think I've already said that I did similar and switched from Direct HB payments to my having the UC-HE paid to me.

What I did was to set up a Direct Debit to pay a months rent on the day that I get my UC.
(Plus a bit more at first to make sure the rent account was always 'in advance' even if there are 5-Mondays in a UC month*).
So the HE from UC goes in and my rent for the next month goes out the same day, (unless it's a weekend/bank holiday so the UC is paid early).
I have to do nothing other than agreeing to the HA changing the DD amount as needed for each years rent rise.

*TBH that one has gone by the board now. - When I pointed out this year that their new proposed DD amount would leave a few days 'arrears' in most months and a full weeks arrears in some they were not bothered as long as it all worked out and reached zero at the start of next April.
(It will actually be £50 in credit, assuming that my turning SPA at the end of Feb and so going back onto HB doesn't mess things up).

Starbright2

I don't like DD's I don't know why really. 

I've had another letter from the council rent dept saying We have been notified you have applied for U/C If you haven't applied before for Council tax support then you should make a claim. 

If you receive an award the payments will usually be made directly to your bank. You can ask for the housing element to be made directly to your rent account. U/C payments are made in arrears you can get an advance to be repaid over the year. 

This bit makes me laugh they are finally realising there's going to be a gap before I get the first rent money they have typed it in bold:

It is advised that you apply for the payment in advance immediately, as your rent is due weekly in advance and this will prevent arrears accruing on your rent account. 

The other funny thing is I paid Monday the whole rent so my account is one payment in advance like it should be 

Starbright2

Today is my first NS ESA payment. You said I should get paid £281.10 I was paid £303.43

Obviously I'm pleased   but wonder why the payment is more than expected 

KxMx

New style esa is £281.10 a fortnight.

If you have been paid too much IR ESA by mistake then this will be deducted from your UC award. 

Robbie64

It's possible that there was a small residual amount of income related ESA owing. Did you claim UC on 22 May 2025? Also did you last receive your last ESA payment on 2 June? if so, there should be a small amount of IR-ESA oustanding (for 03/06/25 and 04/06/25 if you claimed on 22/05/25 and got your last ESA on 02/06/25).

Starbright2

@Robbie64 Yes I claimed U/C on 22nd of May & my last payment of old style ESA was paid on the 2nd of June.

Thanks so much for working that out for me & explaining

Starbright2

Just had a message in my journal saying Changes to your U/C payment.

You'll now get two payments a month. From the 28th of June (which is a Saturday so will probably be paid on the 27th Friday) you will be paid approximately every two weeks. You'll get the same amount overall - the payment will be split into two payments. 

If you do not agree with this 

You should add a journal message or call us for it to be reviewed.

I'm pleased the payments going to be split into two payments that's what I wanted, but it's sounding like the first payment will just be a two week payment instead of the first one being a full payment. 

I will be OK if that is the case though because PIP's due tomorrow

EDIT: 

I've just looked at the payments section & it says 

Your monthly amount is paid in two parts on:

28th June (which is a Saturday so probably paid on 27th Friday) you will be paid the first half
12th July you will be paid the second half.

You will be paid on the same date every month. The amount can differ each month if your circumstances change 

So it does look like they are going to start straight into the split payments 

Newcad

That's interesting, because that isn't what their own guidance says should happen.

I guess we'll have to say they have changed things but haven't updated the standard guidance.

I have just this minute clipped from the Gov.UK website:
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-youre-paid

Starbright2

Yes I remember someone linking to the link you have provided before (probably you Newcad) 

They could have changed the rules & not updated or whoever the agent was got it wrong. But I'm going to be OK money wise because of PIP coming in tomorrow, so I'm going to go with it rather than ask in my journal if that's correct. 

We won't have too much longer to wait because they are telling me what they will pay me on Tuesday 24th so just 6 more days to go, not that I'm counting or anything 

I will let you know what they say then. It will be interesting what the statement will say.