Any benefits advisors about? Need help so confused

[BenefitsTimingHelp]

I posted before re pip review I also have a move to UC to manage which actually needs done before that

I keep trying to get advice and help from places like cab but every advisor I speak to even within the same organisations and even the same office or branch is giving me conflicting advice and I have no idea what to do and time is running out as I have to report changes let dwp know stuff etc within a certain time period

Before boring the whole of mn with too much detail I will just give a brief outline and hopefully someone with suitable knowledge can help

I am on ESA support group at the moment when I started looking into everything for this move to UC I discovered I was eligible for but hadn’t been receiving severe disability premium. So applied for that and I’m now officially got that on record although not actually received a payment yet.

Need to start a claim for UC as just moved house (apparently this is classed as my choice even though it really wasn’t cos of it was due to landlord issues)

I don’t know how claiming UC works and I can’t get anyone to really tell me other than that it’s done online. I want to be prepared properly for making the claim and I don’t know what I will need to hand.

I also (great timing! Not!) have a pip review form to do with deadline fast approaching and I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing with that either never done one before as I was on DLA before.

A couple of people from thread on that were in touch and gave advice but I still feel muddled and confused and out of my depth on that one too. I get enhanced for both at the moment and I’m terrified I’m going to lose what I’m getting as my health situation has changed slightly to what was going on when I first claimed in some ways I’m doing a little better but in others worse.

I have tried looking at guidance online but again different sites seem to give conflicting advice so I don’t know what’s right

Can anyone help? I hope so feel like I am drowning here!

Well done for sticking to your guns and asking for a supervisor.
I did think it would be easier if you could provide a fit note. You need to persevere with getting a phone appt with the GP so you can get one. You might need to insist.
Another thing you could try is digging out your most recent ESA letter and showing it to them. Ideally you would scan it (or take a photo) and upload it to your UC account.
The fact that the supervisor agreed to 0 hours work search is good.
If it is difficult for you to attend appointments in person for whatever reason, you should state this clearly and follow up with a message in your UC journal so there is a record of it.
It will all be fine once you can give them a fit note and/or once they accept that you've been on ESA. It's just getting to that point, sadly!
sorry it was such a battle today

Well done for sticking to your guns and asking for a supervisor.

I was shaking and frankly crapping myself! 2 security men coincidentally headed in my direction and I was half expecting to get thrown out!

I have already been really insistent with gp surgery to point I've had receptionist giving it "there's no need to get annoyed with me" I've been calling every day since 12th April except when they were closed for Easter.

I had most recent esa letter with me as it's only thing with my NI number on it and I needed it for ID part. I offered and they wouldn't look at it

I've already put on journal very difficult for me to attend face to face for a number of reasons inc the agoraphobia. It's only quite recently I've been venturing out AT ALL after many years completely housebound. It's utterly terrifying to me to go out

Thanks for the flowers

That 1st person wouldn't give an inch. She was also doing this weird thing of talking quietly and very fast and she did this MORE when it was important info she was giving me. I kept making her repeat herself and she was eye rolling at me. But I wasn't agreeing to anything I hadn't heard or understood or made sense

"I had most recent esa letter with me as it's only thing with my NI number on it and I needed it for ID part. I offered and they wouldn't look at it"

" I kept making her repeat herself and she was eye rolling at me."

I'm so sorry they were such twats! Fuming on your behalf!

i know you want to prioritise sorting the UC and PIP but once you have, and once you have the headspace, please do consider making a complaint:
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure
UC complaints are here:
makeacomplaint.dwp.gov.uk

I hadn't thought as far as a complaint I'm just wanting to ensure I have an income at this point!

But you're right and I will do once my payments are in place

As I said before today I've read/heard the horror stories. I was hoping I wouldn't have a similar experience myself but I have had in the past - I should have complained about them

These included but not limited to being told :

I could not claim income support because my soon to be ex was military and I was therefore not entitled - this woman wouldn't even give me the claim form

I cannot claim housing benefit until divorce complete

I couldn't claim income support as I'd previously been self employed for a year even though I'd paid full stamp

I couldn't claim child tax credits as I wasn't working

I was sent around in circles for a full day at that first job centre when I went to hand in the forms, only to discover I was at the right desk the first time!

Endless forms and official paperwork inc birth and marriage certs been "lost" numerous times.

Job centre and council housing benefit dept staff refusing to give receipts for official papers they were taking off me "it won't get lost" yea right heard that before!

On one occasion the staff member signed a false name on a receipt which I checked against the PHOTO ID he was WEARING And I challenged him and he huffily changed it and put his real name...

So NOTHING these people do really shocks me! It angers me and I am livid on behalf of the many others that suffer their deception and incompetency!

I've never found a way to deal with them that doesn't result in my money getting messed with! When I've made informal complaints, challenged things low and behold the next time I was due to get money it either was short or didn't appear at all!

If a private company pulled this crap there'd be legal routes to go down but cos it's the govt you're stuffed!

And there's no "benefits claimants union" - hey! Maybe there should be!

Posted some queries on journal and far as I can tell nobody has even read them!

my deadline for accepting claimant commitment is today

I’ve finally managed to get appointment with gp and fit note arranged but not sure when it will be ready to be collected and when I will be able to get it to job centre/journal

do I accept claimant commitment and hope for best or keep challenging and get them to sort properly with esa department ?

what do I do re journal entries not being acknowledged let alone responded to ? So far phoning in doesn’t seem to have made any particular difference although I can try that again?

in addition got an advance on uc but also Esa still paid me even though I have spoken to them and notified them of change to uc occurring so what has happened there and if that’s an overpayment do I contact them? And if that means I have to repay it then do i have to repay it all at once immediately or can I repay in instalments and if so how much and when and either way how do I arrange this? I’ve been trying to get through to esa by phone again but no luck so far

this is all so stressful and confusing

Desperate bump as need to decide before 5pm

still no reply on journal to any of my queries

do I phone or wait for them to contact me?

I'm at work and really busy so don't have much time to respond fully... well done for sorting GP appt, when did you see/talk to GP today? Try and get the fit note as soon as you can and add it to your journal.

Call UC helpline and if you can't get through call Help to Claim on 08001448444. If necessary they can talk to UC on your behalf.

You get ESA for 2 weeks after starting UC claim so it's not an overpayment. Same with HB.

Thanks for replying I’m sure you’re super busy!

spoke to gp today not sure when fit note will actually be available to collect. Will arrange that as soon as I can

UC helpline ok. Why don’t they even acknowledge the journal entries it’s very frustrating, also the supervisor gave me the impression I’d hear from them early this week and I didn’t.

do I accept the claimant commitment?

basically -

provide fit note
attend appointments
keep journal up to date

Good news re esa that’s a nice little surprise!

I just wanted to check that you are aware that if you are eligible for Council Tax Reduction, this is not part of UC and needs to be applied for separately via your council. The job centre are supposed to tell everyone this but in my experience they sometimes either don't or it is not made clear.

Yes if that's all they're asking then yes accept it

@Elefant1 thanks for that I was told by both council and dwp that they’re all linked up it’s too late for me to check on that now as council closed for bank holiday at 4 but I will chase it on Tuesday

Thanks @AnotherEmma I will do that

You usually need to apply online for council tax reduction. They are linked but you still need to apply. You can do that today as it's online, no need to call.

Although it's a bit expensive, the Disability Rights Handbook is a excellent resource and one I regularly refer to:

shop.disabilityrightsuk.org/products/disability-rights-handbook-2022-2023

I think I have already applied for council tax reduction online but my councils online page is rubbish! I’ll need to phone and check Tuesday

@Greyisgood thanks for the book ? Tip I’ll have a look

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped.

just going through budget

Uc advance appears to not include disability element even though the job centre person I saw for this part DID see my esa letter. Also only one months worth not 5 weeks - Is that right?

and if so on the basis that I will be entitled to the disability element once they sort everything out will they backdate to initial claim?

not sure at all how all this works. Not sure how I’m gonna get through this next few weeks until hopefully it’s all sorted as it should be.

Hoping this posts ok as site seems to be playing up again

I saw a copy in my local library once. You could try and do this and photocopy parts if need be.

The advance is based on the amount you might normally get for one Uc payment which will be for one month.

Yes the payments are monthly. And they won't include things like the LCWRA element in your advance payment, but it will all come through and be backdated when you do get it.

Remember UC is paid in arrears not in advance. So your advance payment is a loan which will be repaid via deductions to your monthly payments. The amount can vary and the amount that varies is your actual entitlement starting from your first payment 5 weeks after you claimed. The 5 weeks thing is because you're paid a week after the end of your assessment period (which is a month long).

www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/how-and-when-youll-be-paid/

Sorry, typo which made that unclear.

The amount [of advance payment] can vary and the amount that varies matters is your actual entitlement starting from your first payment 5 weeks after you claimed.

I've not been on mn for several days as mood was extremely low. Trying to lift myself out of that now.

@Rahrahrahrahannoyed thats an idea I'll think about that

@Babyroobs so if that's the case if I am correctly assessed as being disabled and having transitional protection plus that was only one months worth over 5 weeks, when I get the next payment will that include the correct amount for disability/transitional protection plus the week that's missing minus the repayment for the advance?

but it will all come through and be backdated when you do get it.

Ok

Really hoping you're right this is all so so stressful

How much SHOULD I get in the next payment and if that's incorrect what do I do?

I've also had on the journal a request AGAIN to accept the claimant commitment I'm not sure why that happened but it said I may not get payment if I don't accept the commitment so I've accepted it more out of fear than anything else I hope it was the right thing to do

Perhaps try sending messages under the payments tab on the home page. I believe this should then go straight to your case manager.

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread so not sure where you are up to but perhaps try leaving a message for your case manager saying that you should have transitional protection ( regulation 19) as you are currently in the support group of ESA. Ask them to confirm this with ESA to ensure that you ahve the LCWRA element on your UC claim in time for the first payment.

On your first UC statement you need to check that the following elements are there.
Standard element ( with sdp)
Rent element
LCWRA element - hopefully this will be there if Uc have communicated with ESA correctly and confirmed your support group status.