Help with UC please

[Maxineputyourredshoeson]

I’m so sorry, I know it’s been absolutely done to death and I have been reading the other UC threads but I’m getting myself in a mess so have decided to start a new thread in the hope that someone can help.

Neither of us work, I am in the support group of ESA and my DH is my carer and receives CA. I also get higher rate PIP with higher rate mobility. We also get HB and CT benefit. We also receive TC and CB - we have 2 DD’s both school age and no childcare costs (we had both DD’s before I became ill).

After reading various threads about people being in a better position with UC rather than legacy benefits I had a look on Entitled to and yes, we would be better off.

I know you can never trust the calculators 100% but I’m wondering if anyone has any knowledge around this. I’m quite up to date on the legacy benefits side but simply do not have a clue about UC.

Any help would be gratefully received.

Sorry should have said I do not receive severe disability premium.

Best thing to do would be to get an appointment with citizens advice and get them to a comparison. The online calculators are good but don't allow for absolutely every situation.

Thank you, I’ve actually just been on livechat to citizens advice, why I didn’t do that first I don’t know, and they have come out with the same figures as me. So I guess it’s weather I feel confident enough to make the leap. It’s approx £16pw more, not huge amounts but it would help us budget so, so much better which would make us better off in the long run. No always playing catch up.

Remember that if you need to take an advance payment to tide you over the initial 5 week wait then that will be deducted from your UC. Also you would only get the LCWRA element of UC if you are in the support group of ESA and sometimes it can take a while to be added even though it should be added from the start of your claim. This can cause some problems if there is a delay. Your partners carers allowance continues to be paid separately and is then deducted form UC and a carers element added. I'm not sure whether the calculators reflect this.

I genuinely don’t know what to do for the best tbh. It would help us enormously in our budgeting to get one payment a month, even though I split what ever money we get to last the month we always seem to be robbing Peter to pay Paul, which on paper is stupid because overall we will receive more or less the same than if we got UC. Our rent is always showing in arrears, at one point by nearly £500 even though we have our HB paid directly to the HA and it is the full award. Yet on the other hand I don’t want to do something that is going to make us in an even worse position.

We have been in this situation for 5yrs, since I first became to ill to work and DH had to give up work to look after me and our DD’s. We have managed to clear 98% of our debt that we accumulated whilst we were transitioning to benefits in the first place, in that respect we are better off.

Thanks for giving me some food for thought.

Multiple your weekly tax credits and ESA by five . I image that’s a lot of £16’s!

Sorry, should have said yes I am in the support group for ESA. And on the UC award breakdown that both me and citizens advice did today showed DH carers allowance being paid separately as well as PIP.

@MyDcAreMarvel it’s approx £793 a year, it’s actually £15.25pw, so yes quite a bit actually when it’s written like that.

Am confused ? Your weekly tax credits plus ESA must be more that £15.25 a week.

Carers will be paid seperately from UC however your UC award will be reduced pound for pound. You will get a carers element.

For the love of god don’t go on UC! Please! It’s a nightmare that made my condition worse. Please don’t just trust me, look into the issues of transitioning to UC, how you cannot just come off UC - ever- and the incorrect human calculations (not computer) every payment, the nurses that they send you to to decide that because you can use your hands, despite all the paperwork from doctors and specialists saying you’re not fit for work, too bad! You can find something!

Honestly, please, look into the flaws and decide! It’s a no brained, keep the money you are guaranteed and forget the extra £17, it’s the cost of knowing you receive a sure thing!

@MyDcAreMarvel Sorry yes, it’s more than that but by the calculations I would receive an extra £15.25pw, that’s including the carers being paid separately and deducted from the UC.

@Mummoomoocow Thank you. I did ask citizens advice if I would need another assessment as I have had one very recently for my ESA and was awarded the support group again. They said that the DWP might do another assessment but as I had once recently they probably wouldn’t, but obviously she couldn’t say 100%.

My only reasons for wanting to move across are around my GAD anyway, I’m so anxious knowing that I will have to do it at some point and thought it would help my anxiety if I was in control, whilst the process is happening it will increase my anxiety but it will whenever I need to move over. And the getting one payment, well with the exception of PIP and it would seem CA. I have read horror stories but, stupidly thought they would happen no matter when I’m moved over.

Sorry what I meant was say your receive £250 a week now in tax credits and ESA. You would lose £1250 waiting for your UC.
At £15.25 a week extra it would take you 82 weeks before you broke even.

Ah get you now! Sorry I completely missed your point

I attempted to take my life and whilst waiting for therapy, 2 year long list, was told I was fine to work. The reassessment by UC happened 9 months later. I had the cmht and a&e paperwork to back up I had not received treatment and was still suffering severe depression and anxiety. I tried to appeal and was told that because my condition wasn’t life threatening I was capable of doing some work. Instead of the full support group amount my entitlement is £126. The rest of the esa I still receive because the support group amount is indefinite is deducted from the uc amount. Let them try fix the problems before you jump into it while it’s still just a cruel trial!

Mummoomoocow I’m so, so sorry to hear that. I have been in a similar situation 2 suicide attempts, told that my MH is serious enough to need face to face therapy, couldn’t have it over the phone and then an 18mth wait! I do have both physical and mental health issues, both made worse by each other.

I think I will heed your advice and stay as I am until I’m made to move. Thank you

Glad you made that decision op, when you do eventually move over to
UC you will get transitional protection, provided it’s not due to a major change in circumstances

Thank you