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No income for a month when migrating from ESA to UC
- Spaceman
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2 days 9 hours ago #308989 by Spaceman
No income for a month when migrating from ESA to UC was created by Spaceman
The application for UC was quite straightforward. I don't have a driving license or passport (because I'm too ill to drive or travel) so I couldn't do the identity checks online, but a nice woman phoned me and just asked me some questions to confirm my identity, so I didn't need to go anywhere or ask for a home visit for that. It says on my account that they'll tell me how much I'm going to get on 24 September and my first payment will be on 28 September.
When I applied for UC it said I won't need to be medically assessed again because I'm already in the ESA support group, but since then I've received three ESA letters, one dated 27 August which says my IR-ESA will end on 22 August and I will receive a final payment to cover the period 22 August to 4 September; one dated 28 August which says that from 5 September my CB ESA will be £140.55 (that's the right amount); and one dated 3 September which says that my CB ESA will change to New Style ESA on 5 September and they're going to book me an appointment with a work coach where they will ask me to explain how my illness or disability affects my ability to work.
So it seems like I won't be receiving any IR-ESA or UC for three weeks, between 5 September and 28 September and I'll have to persuade a work coach that I'm ill enough to qualify for New Style ESA to replace my CB ESA before they'll pay me that.
I've also had a letter from the Council about my rent, saying that the payments of Housing Benefit have already stopped. My weekly rent is £140.51 but I had some credit on the account, so my arrears as of 8 September were £68.16. The letter says that I need to phone the Council to confirm the date when I will receive my first UC payment, at which point I will need to pay a minimum of £634, that being my monthly rent of £608.88 plus £25.12 towards the arrears. That doesn't seem right, because on 29 September I will owe 3 x £140.51 (that includes payment for the w/c 29 September) + the arrears of £68.16, which is only £489.69.
How are we supposed to survive and pay our rent if migrating from ESA to UC results in us not getting any ESA or UC or Housing Benefit for three weeks?
When I applied for UC it said I won't need to be medically assessed again because I'm already in the ESA support group, but since then I've received three ESA letters, one dated 27 August which says my IR-ESA will end on 22 August and I will receive a final payment to cover the period 22 August to 4 September; one dated 28 August which says that from 5 September my CB ESA will be £140.55 (that's the right amount); and one dated 3 September which says that my CB ESA will change to New Style ESA on 5 September and they're going to book me an appointment with a work coach where they will ask me to explain how my illness or disability affects my ability to work.
So it seems like I won't be receiving any IR-ESA or UC for three weeks, between 5 September and 28 September and I'll have to persuade a work coach that I'm ill enough to qualify for New Style ESA to replace my CB ESA before they'll pay me that.
I've also had a letter from the Council about my rent, saying that the payments of Housing Benefit have already stopped. My weekly rent is £140.51 but I had some credit on the account, so my arrears as of 8 September were £68.16. The letter says that I need to phone the Council to confirm the date when I will receive my first UC payment, at which point I will need to pay a minimum of £634, that being my monthly rent of £608.88 plus £25.12 towards the arrears. That doesn't seem right, because on 29 September I will owe 3 x £140.51 (that includes payment for the w/c 29 September) + the arrears of £68.16, which is only £489.69.
How are we supposed to survive and pay our rent if migrating from ESA to UC results in us not getting any ESA or UC or Housing Benefit for three weeks?
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- latetrain
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4 hours 18 minutes ago #309029 by latetrain
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by latetrain on topic No income for a month when migrating from ESA to UC
Hi Spaceman
Thank you for your post, which set out your journey to claiming UC.
You should have two week run on of your HB.
CB ESA claimants have to undertake two claimant commitments one for UC and the other for NS ESA, remember NS ESA is paid every two weeks.
We would advise you to seek help from your local Welfare Rights Specialist in regards to your UC award; you can find your local Welfare Rights Organisation to help you with advice by clicking on the link below and putting in your post code, it will then come up with a MAP with a list of agencies in your area advicelocal.uk
You can ask your work coach for an advanced payment which is repayable over time (max 2 years).
Gary
Thank you for your post, which set out your journey to claiming UC.
You should have two week run on of your HB.
CB ESA claimants have to undertake two claimant commitments one for UC and the other for NS ESA, remember NS ESA is paid every two weeks.
We would advise you to seek help from your local Welfare Rights Specialist in regards to your UC award; you can find your local Welfare Rights Organisation to help you with advice by clicking on the link below and putting in your post code, it will then come up with a MAP with a list of agencies in your area advicelocal.uk
You can ask your work coach for an advanced payment which is repayable over time (max 2 years).
Gary
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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