Am I to lose out under the new Universal Credits Scheme?

[time2movon]

Hi, I hope you can help.

I’m trying to find out what effect the new Universal Credits might have on my benefits.

I’m single and live alone. I was receiving Income Support and Incapacity Benefit but I’ve just been switched over to the new Employment & Support Allowance and have been put in the ‘Support Group’. I receive DLA care and mobility at the highest rate. I am very severely disabled due to Muscular Dystrophy and receive 17+ hours of care support a day, which I manage through the Direct Payments Scheme. I’m very concerned about the news being reported at the moment that “…severely disabled people who do not have another adult to help them could receive between £28 and £58 a week less”. Will this include myself?

[Lighttouch]

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/f55.htm

[vikstar]

Hi, I hope you can help.

I’m trying to find out what effect the new Universal Credits might have on my benefits.

I’m single and live alone. I was receiving Income Support and Incapacity Benefit but I’ve just been switched over to the new Employment & Support Allowance and have been put in the ‘Support Group’. I receive DLA care and mobility at the highest rate. I am very severely disabled due to Muscular Dystrophy and receive 17+ hours of care support a day, which I manage through the Direct Payments Scheme. I’m very concerned about the news being reported at the moment that “…severely disabled people who do not have another adult to help them could receive between £28 and £58 a week less”. Will this include myself?

It's hard to say.

If you were in receipt of IS and IB before being transferred to ESA, then you should now be receiving Income Based ESA ( to replace IS) and Contribution Based ESA (to replace IB).
IB ESA is being replaced by UC, CB ESA is staying as is, DLA is changing to PIP from October next year for anyone who has not reached 65 by April 8 2013. Then Council Tax Benefit is going, and is being administered locally. If you are also getting full HB for rent, from April 2013 the "Bedroom Tax" comes into force, where most people will have to pay 14% of their rent for one extra bedroom , or 25% for two or more.

Next year is not going to be great. These links should be informative.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/a14-2010.pdf

http://policyinpractice.co.uk/univer...-credit-claim/

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ucpbn-tra...protection.pdf

http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/wel...droom_tax.aspx

[time2movon]

Thanks for your replies, I read the information in the links but I was still none the wiser, so I rang my local disability advice bureau. They told me that no definitive information was available yet so neither they nor anyone else would be able to confirm anything at this stage. Looks like I'll just have to wait until more definite information is available. Thanks again for your replies.

[wobble1]

Thanks for your replies, I read the information in the links but I was still none the wiser, so I rang my local disability advice bureau. They told me that no definitive information was available yet so neither they nor anyone else would be able to confirm anything at this stage. Looks like I'll just have to wait until more definite information is available. Thanks again for your replies.

I understand people worry about things BUT.........it's not healthy.

[davewhit]

the only thing we know for sure is no one will be better off

[time2movon]

Yes, I agree, there's no point in worrying about things that you have no control over, I'm happy enough to wait.

[Stig]

I have said this in a number of threads previously . All these changes that are suposed to be happening are not here yet and there may be many U turns and changes to what people are saying is going to happen . I do not believe anything i read on a .gov.uk web site as what is says today could be completely different tomorrow,next week or next month. Even the personell atempting to implement the change over to PIP etc do not have a clue what is happening at this point in the proceedings and most of the threads/posts regarding these changes are made by over worriers and/or scare mongers . Its all a bridge that you do not yet need to cross and will only have to when you come to it . It could be years before you are assessed for PIP are you going to spend 1,2 ,3 or even 4 years worrying . Just forget about it and have a bit of a worry when the PIP form lands on your doormat . Until then enjoy life as best you can