Seeking Advice About ESA to UC Migration - I Have Some Questions

Dear Everyone,

I have a neurological disability and am in receipt of ESA, HB, CTB, DLA (Mobility & Care). Last week I received the letter informing me that my ESA, HB & CTB will stop on 1/7/25. and that I will have to submit an online application for UC. I used to be a Citizens Advice adisor and also in the past when my then surviving parent was alive had a period of 5 weeks-2 months where the DWP 'lost' my paperwork and stopped my money and my parent supported me through paying my bills and buying me food. Before my surviving parent passed away they placed my share of their estate into a discretionarytrust fund. On Friday last week I went through the ESA to UC Migration posts on this forum and have the following questions:

Am I correct that as I have LWRA and am in the ESA support group that when my UC application is assessed that I will be placed in the LWRA group of Universal Credit and receive the transitionary payment without a work capacity assessment and won't be requitred to undertake work related activities?

Secondly, I saw on one of the replies to a post on here that on the online application that I should just discuss my main neurological disability and not any of the changes that I have developed since I was moved to ESA from IS in 2011 as if I include these then that will trigger an assessment of my work capacity?

I took the test on this website for applying for UC and although only a test the results said that I would score LWRA. and not be required to undertake activities related to finding work As I said I used to be a Citizens Advice advisor and since I had to give that up there has been some re-organisation of Citizens Advice in my area. When I received the migration letter on Thursday I contacted my local Citizens Advice via their website and requested assistance. On Friday lunchtime I spoke via online chat to the main Citizens Advice website. They advised me to email my local Citizens Advice and tell them that I cannot use the phone due to hearing loss and that I am unable to hold the phone to my head due to Scoliosis and disc degeneration in my spine and will need a meeting on Teams or Zoom as I am unable to visit their nearest office in person due to being CV. So I did that.

All my paperwork is in order but I don't have my P60U for 25-26 so tomorrow I am going to contact the DWP and request that as I will need it for identification - I don't have a passport only a driving licence. And I also noted that once I submit a UC that my ESA, HB, and CTB will stop 2 weeks later so the timing of my application is important. I plan to ask my trust fund to cover my housing society rent and utilities for July and August as my experience of having had my benefits stopped due to 'lost' paperwork means that I think the period from July 1st will be at least 6 weeks the middle of August or even later given that UC is paid 4 weeks in arrers and then there are backlogs and 'lost' applications etc, So I am not expecting a smooth transfer. I have downloaded all the relevant Benefitrs and Work advice sheets for migration from ESA to UC.

Apologies if my post is duplicating anything on the forum but I wanted to ask the above questions.

Thank you.

Regards

Haighleagh