Moving to universal credit from ESA due to getting a job

amyjaj
amyjaj Posts: 106 Forumite
in Benefits & tax credits
I’m due to receive my first universal credit payment in six days. I am changing to universal credit from being on ESA in the support group due to finding a job, with much-needed support! On my universal credit claim I did state that I had a job with the hourly rate and on 20 hours. The DWP have continued to pay me ESA. I received an email this morning saying to log into my universal credit account and check my notifications. It was one that says that being on employment and support allowance affects my universal credit claim. It said I can still continue to claim ESA but they will adjust my universal credit accordingly. Has anybody else experienced this? I thought that when you claimed universal credit your ESA claim stopped. When I went for the Appointment at the job centre, it said on the UC credit job coach’s computer that ESA would be informed by 18th May. Nothing ever appeared on my UC account about this!
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  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,049 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    amyjaj wrote: »
    I’m due to receive my first universal credit payment in six days. I am changing to universal credit from being on ESA in the support group due to finding a job, with much-needed support! On my universal credit claim I did state that I had a job with the hourly rate and on 20 hours. The DWP have continued to pay me ESA. I received an email this morning saying to log into my universal credit account and check my notifications. It was one that says that being on employment and support allowance affects my universal credit claim. It said I can still continue to claim ESA but they will adjust my universal credit accordingly. Has anybody else experienced this? I thought that when you claimed universal credit your ESA claim stopped. When I went for the Appointment at the job centre, it said on the UC credit job coach’s computer that ESA would be informed by 18th May. Nothing ever appeared on my UC account about this!

    Is any part of your ESA claim contribution based as this remains outside of UC.

    If it is a totally income based ESA claim then it often takes a while for them to close the account and transfer you completely to UC adjusting it as is necessary.

    All you can do is wait/ask in your journal what is happening.

    Have you had a breakdown of your UC award?
  • amyjaj
    amyjaj Posts: 106 Forumite
    edited 28 May 2018 at 9:31AM
    My ESA is all income related! No universal credit breakdown yet?
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,049 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    amyjaj wrote: »
    My ESA is all income related! No universal credit breakdown yet?

    I am afraid this is very common :( Try not to worry. Just keep making a note in your journal to make sure someone is actioning it.
    Eventually it will get sorted and your ESA claim will be closed, then they can work out your UC award.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,820 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    What happens is that UC computer identifies ESA from a central database. A stop notice is sent by UC computer to ESA, but it can take awhile for ESA to process.

    In the meantime, UC will pay you the relevant UC components, but it will deduct the ESA amount, so you don't receive more than you are entitled.

    Once ESA is closed, UC computer will identify that the ESA is not paying you any more and the ESA deduction from UC will stop.

    You don't need to do anything at the moment. If ESA is continued and you see the ESA deduction on your second UC statement, then it might be worth calling ESA, to make sure they action the closure of ESA from the relevant date.

    Hope this makes sense.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • amyjaj
    amyjaj Posts: 106 Forumite
    I came home from work to a letter from a compliance officer, inviting me to an office interview!
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,820 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Not necessarily connected to this. Compliance interviews are used to check information, to make sure what you have told DWP is accurate.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • amyjaj
    amyjaj Posts: 106 Forumite
    To be honest I’m finding this universal credit really confusing now. I’m supposed to get £317 personal allowance each month along with 379 housing element. I earn £645 a month which I stated on my claim l but they still deduct 246 of my universal credit for this. I thought universal credit was meant to make you better off in work not worse off!
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,820 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    You would never get full benefits and employment earnings as well. Of course they take into account earnings.

    The idea is that benefits help you while you try to find better paid work, so eventually you earn enough that you don't need any benefit payments at all.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • amyjaj
    amyjaj Posts: 106 Forumite
    edited 16 July 2018 at 9:55AM
    It turns out that UC did not inform ESA about my UC claim. Also learnt that my UC is all wrong. As I was on ESA,in the support group, immediately prior to my UC claim and I am in receipt of DLA, medium & High, I should of had the Limited capability of work and work related activity element added on at £328 a month, this then applying the £198 work allowance. I went to the doctors on Friday and got a sick note backdated to the start of my UC claim. My doctor said he has had a lot of disabled people whos UC has been messed up. My job coach I see through Maximus on the Job Choice programme cant believe they got it so wrong.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 4,176 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Photogenic First Post
    amyjaj wrote: »
    It turns out that UC did not inform ESA about my UC claim. Also learnt that my UC is all wrong. As I was on ESA,in the support group, immediately prior to my UC claim and I am in receipt of DLA, medium & High, I should of had the Limited capability of work and work related activity element added on at £328 a month, this then applying the £198 work allowance. I went to the doctors on Friday and got a sick note backdated to the start of my UC claim. My doctor said he has had a lot of disabled people whos UC has been messed up. My job coach I see through Maximus on the Job Choice programme cant believe they got it so wrong.


    Can you get limited capacity for work allowance and a work allowance together? Sounds odd!
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