Moving from ESA SG to UC, my experience

[nukecad]

Sorry kimmy123, this is your thread about your UC journey, and we seem to have gone off on a tangent there.

[TimeLord]

Yes apologies for derailing I will edit or delete it later. If there is a delete post. Cheers Nuke

[Kimmy123]

No apologies needed, it's a public forum everyone is free to post & comment.

I'm totally miffed I have to do the Claimant Commitment in person, and not by phone or online, because I have LCWRA from day 1, but when you're asked to in, best to go along with what they ask.

Thanks for the tip that "we will call you" sometimes changes to an online action.

Todays update:

No call from UC as of yet. Work coach wasn't able to help with an appointment for this call but said if I miss it, they will call again.

ESA payment due Monday normal amount, as expected I didn't think a week was enough time to sort anything out that end, listed as JSA though so possibly some changes happened already.

[Kimmy123]

No call yet, but I see from another topic it doesn't necessarily mean that a call is imminent.

Had my First Commitments appointment today.

The work coach didn't know what she was doing, but I was aware of my rights and after she consulted a more experienced colleague, we all know where we stand.
Colleague said straightaway, it's a case of waiting for confirmation from ESA, once that happens I am classed as LCWRA.

My work coach turned a load of stuff off in my account, unfortunately until the confirmation from ESA comes I am classed as "intense" on the system and will be required to go in for an appointment weekly.
Work coach was apologetic, I am annoyed but do understand it is the system.
I'll put up with going in a few more times and if they still haven't heard from ESA, i'll ask to be changed to phone appointments.

My bank account was verified and my claimant commitments were to notify them of any changes and attend appointments, which I was happy to accept.

[nukecad]

Mmm, WCs could previously turn off all such requirements.
I had no such problem, but I had to go into jobcenter to verify which slowed things down a week giving ESA time to respond.

ESA used to be very slow responding to UC, but they have done a lot more migrations to UC now and it's usually all sorted before your first payment.
But as it's only just over a week since you claimed it probably not quite been long enough.

With luck they'll have responded before you have to go next week.

[Kimmy123]

Letter today regarding ESA, dated 31 March.
Usual clear as mud language.
Gives me my amounts for 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 no less.
Final page gives me the 2019 calculation.
2022 amount on page 1 still includes IR ESA.

I'm guessing things are moving behind the scenes as expected following UC Claim ESA end, which is the important bit, and that I'll get another letter with the correct CB only ESA 2022 rate in due course.

This one is just a nonsense computer generated letter as a reaction to my UC claim!

[nukecad]

As it's got 4 years on it I'd take a guess that's more of a letter about the tax liability on the CB ESA than anything to do with moving to UC?
Just concidental that you are moving to UC at the end of a tax year?

I didn't get anything like that, but my ESA was all IR.

[Kimmy123]

As it's got 4 years on it I'd take a guess that's more of a letter about the tax liability on the CB ESA than anything to do with moving to UC?
Just concidental that you are moving to UC at the end of a tax year?

I didn't get anything like that, but my ESA was all IR.

All I usually get annually is the normal uprating letter & a P60.

It does also mention they've looked again at my claim following a recent change.

So I'd bet on a computer generated nonsense letter issued as a reaction to my UC Claim, before they do the proper more detailed work of switching me to New Style ESA.

[nukecad]

It does also mention they've looked again at my claim following a recent change.

Nah, that phrase is standard for the anual uprating letter. The 'recent change' is the change in benefit rates.

Don't know why they had 4 years rates on there, maybe something to do with making sure they are caught up after covid?
(Of course I didn't get an ESA uprating letter this year so I've nothing to compare).

I'd expect a couple more letters from them yet, and it's fun if/when they come in the wrong order from different sub-departments.
You sometimes have to wait a day or two to get a letter that makes sense of the one you just got, because the second one should have come first.

[Kimmy123]

No more letters yet from ESA.
I noticed this morning (following a tip on another thread) that my available advance has gone from the standard allowance to the LCWRA amount.
I've now left a journal message asking about my LCWRA status and whether I still need to attend the appointment tomorrow afternoon.