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How UC affects ESA IR top-ups (or are they?)

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5 years 7 months ago #216590 by FlemingWay
Universal Credit rolls out in my area this December. I was hoping to dodge it as I don’t claim housing benefit and my ESA claim is contribution based – or so I thought. I’m now confused about whether parts of it are income-related as I know IR ESA does fall under Universal Credit. The wording is ambiguous.
My original award said I was entitled to contribution-based and to call and enquire about income-related – and I didn’t call. But my most recent letter breaks down the award as follows:
Your living expenses - £73.10
Extra money because you are severely disabled - £64.30
Extra money because of the Disability Income Guarantee - £16.40
Extra Money because you are in the support Group - £37.65
Which gives a total income-related amount: £191.45

So which bits of this are income-related – is the whole thing? How can I tell which is contributions-based and which is income-related? Which parts are the Severe Disability Premium and the Enhanced Disability Premium? (I understand they’re fighting to keep the SDP but that EDP has gone to the wall)

I thought I might be safer under Transitional Protection just waiting until UC comes in as the only areas I could move to are already UC so I’d lose the protection (or would I?)

I’m trying to work out what will happen to the amount I have coming in, come December. I’ve just been reading horror stories of people with the same health condition as me and on ESA being hundreds of pounds worse off a month since their areas became UC areas.
I just need to know if I will lose money, and what I’ll need to do e.g do they reassess your health or your circumstances, would I need to apply for UC to cover the IR top ups etc

Apologies for the whole post, I’m just trying to get all the information down.
Thank you for any help on this. Baffled and worried.

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5 years 7 months ago #216614 by Gordon
FlemingWay

The first thing to be aware of is that you areas becoming a Universal Credit Full Service area will have no effect on your existing benefits at this time. No ESA claims are being migrated to UC unless the claimant needs to make a new claim for one of the benefits that come under the UC umbrella.

You are Income Related ESA, at least as a top-up. The extra money because you are severely disabled and the Disability Income Guarantee are both ESA Premiums, the Severe Disability Premium and the Enhanced Disability Premium respectively and are only paid as ESA(IR).

At this time there is no Transitional Protection for claimants being "naturally" migrated to UC, however, the UC Regulations are being amended to take account of this but it will be at least a couple of months before this is actually done.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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5 years 7 months ago #216618 by FlemingWay
Replied by FlemingWay on topic How UC affects ESA IR top-ups (or are they?)
Thank you again, Gordon.
Do I have to do anything - will they look again at my health condition or circumstances etc?
So I'm assuming that unless something changes in the next couple of months and the UC legislation is updated (is there any way I can stay up to date with this?), I will lose those premiums?

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5 years 7 months ago #216625 by Gordon
FlemingWay

I'm sorry if I am repeating myself but your ESA will not be affected by your area going to UC, you will continue to receive it as you do now. At some time in the future, possibly years away, you will be moved to UC but not at the moment.

Even if you report a change in your conditions then you will be reassessed for ESA, you will not be transferred to UC.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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5 years 7 months ago #216654 by FlemingWay
Replied by FlemingWay on topic How UC affects ESA IR top-ups (or are they?)
Hi Gordon - no it's not you repeating yourself, it's me panicking and not grasping the information the first time round, so it's for me to apologise, not you - I'm sorry.
Thank you for your patience and help.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gordon

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5 years 7 months ago #217025 by pollenpath
Replied by pollenpath on topic How UC affects ESA IR top-ups (or are they?)
Ten days ago an ESA50 came through the letterbox. I'm in the SG and haven't been reassessed for a good 4 years, but my area is becoming full service UC on Oct 3rd. Feels like it's not a coincidence that I'm suddenly being reassessed. I've got plenty of medical evidence and a support worker who'll come with me to the assessment, schedule permitting. But if they knock me out of SG to WRAG, say, my area will be full service UC by then, so will I have to claim UC instead of ESA? Currently getting PIP standard care, for another 2 years, and the same top ups as FlemingWay.

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