ESA Support Group migration to Universal Credit: Questions

Just chatting with Citizens Advice Help To Claim now...
They say that if the first initial large UC payment including the Housing Element takes me over the 6000 limit...

"That is fine, that should not be classed as savings as the income that would push you to the threshold it is a benefit and will be spent on housing etc.

An assessment period is 4 weeks and if the U.C is going to be spent before that 4 weeks is over, I cannot see a time where the 6k would be classed as income and create a source of income.
Also, as it is 6k, it is not over the limit to create a source of income. it is every £250 over 6k that is taken as income:

"If your client has more than £6,000 of capital it will reduce their Universal Credit payment. The DWP will take off £4.35 a month for each £250 (or part of £250) of capital between £6,000 and £16,000."
Emma Louise at 13:39, Feb 14:"

Citizens Advice Help to Claim also say...

"What is classed as capital and what is classed as living costs are different. How long they are their also factors in and once you pay your housing costs I imagine it would take you under the 6k, I don't feel you would need to worry about that affecting further payments.

Cost of living is excluded from capital/savings, that is correct.

It is only if your capital was going to remain over 6k for the foreseeable future due to adding more into the savings, you will need to report. if it fluctuates due to benefits being in before bills spent, that is fine as it will only be like that for a short while until bills are out the account."


She said i shouldn't worry about going over short term due to the timing of benefits payments. (And long term it's only a small deduction anyway.)

I hope this provides some helpful info and clarity for other people too. I recommend the Help To Claim service from Citizens Advice - I have used the webchat a couple of times now.

Hi, i am back again. I wasn't sure whether to start a new topic or not but decided to add here instead...

Update...

I finally submitted my form for migration from ESA Support Group to UC last Monday 3rd March. I thought I had successfully confirmed my ID online as a page came up saying "you have answered the security questions successfully for Credit Reference and Uk Driving Licence" which I took a screenshot of. And my UC journal said (and still says) "3 Mar 2025 at 3:47pm
Confirm your identity completed". The online ID process was not easy or straightforward for me so i was worried it was unsuccessful. I also agreed to a basic claimant commitment online, my journal says "3 Mar 2025 at 3:57pm
Accept your commitments completed".

However, I was unsure that everything would go smoothly so as Citizens Advice suggested I added a note to my journal asking for reasonable adjustments to be made, just in case. This is what I put...

"I wish to request that reasonable adjustments are made for me.
Due to my Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), anxiety, and because I suffer with dizziness and nausea as part of this long term illness, I find travelling and walking any distance extremely exhausting and it also makes me very feel sick. Any travelling, walking and face to face appointments would also be extremely stressful for me due to my anxiety, and would cause my condition to worsen greatly. I therefore request that as a reasonable adjustment my ID and claimant commitment are verified online, or by telephone if absolutely necessary. I cannot cope with the stress and exhaustion of getting to the Job Centre, 25 miles away, or seeing someone in person. Please note that I am in the ESA Support Group. Thank you.
I am hoping that my ID was verified online successfully."

Yesterday I received this message in my journal and I am EXTREMELY stressed now about a home visit...

"Thank you for your messages.

Regarding your identity verification for this new claim for Universal Credit, I can see that the online verification process was not successful. We have also looked at using the 'telephone' identity verification process for you, but similar to the online process, this was not successful. This means that we need to verify your identity another way. Please do not worry about this.

We will not ask you to travel to our local Jobcentreplus but we can arrange for a DWP Visiting Officer to come to meet you at your address.

The Visiting Officer will view your identity documents and gather the verification information we need.

I will pass your details to the Visiting Team today. They will contact you to arrange a suitable appointment time.

They may take up to 10 working days before they contact you.

Kind regards, Kathleen"

They have not tried to confirm my identity by telephone at all and I don't understand why they can't. I am very very stressed about this whole process and I am looking for more information about these home ID checks.
1. Can I have someone here with me even though I live by myself?
2. Will they be here long and will there just be one of them?
3. Do they ask questions re:health or my situation etc.?
4. Do they report back what they see or are they purely checking ID?
5. What ID will I need to show them?

I have nothing to hide but I cannot go through another WCA - I only had one Feb last year and it nearly finished me off. I am worried they will report me to have another WCA. I am not well at all but my home is neat and tidy. I do very very little housework or cleaning but i don't don't do anything during the day to make a mess cos I am not well enough to do anything - I am on the bed and sofa most of the day, my parents cook for me at their house (I eat at theirs in an eve and my mum gives me homemade soup to reheat at home for lunch) and they do my clothes washing and drying at their house. All of this was stated in my last WCA, my mum wrote a letter telling them what they do for me. Any small amount of mess I make here during the day is tidied up more or less straight away as I CANNOT live in a mess, it is very stressful for me. I am worried that all of this will be used against me if they visit to check my ID.

Assurance and advice is needed as I am super super stressed which is making me paranoid!
Citizens Advice advised to leave another message so i have left I reply in my journal asking them to reconsider doing my ID by phone. I'm finding this all very overwhelming. Sorry this post is so long, I hope it makes sense. Thank you