Applying for universal Credit
Posted , 5 users are following.
Has anyone on ESA had to go onto Universal Credit, and if you have, did you find another way of applying, without doing it via the internet? I have done no end of reading about the Universal Credit, and they seem to expect all disabled people to use the internet. Or they tell you to go to Citizens Advice Bureau, who will give you lessons. But I know there are a lot of disabled and mentally ill people who would not be able to apply using the internet themselves. I hear the online form is very difficult, doesn't allow you to save it and do it in bits, and expects you to have photo ID, and upload this and other documents. And worst of all, they expect all claimants to maintain a online account with them and they do not send anything via the post. Not even proof that you are claiming it. I know in my case, I have nobody who can apply on my behalf. I can not cope with questions at the best of times. And there is no way I can do it in 40 minutes. I find this whole thing, discriminates against the disabled, mentally ill and people with learning difficulties.
0 likes, 5 replies
denise15811 Worriedjoe
Posted
HI,
You can ring the Universal Credit helpline to apply for UC, if you don't have access to the internet. However, you will need to attend your local job centre to confirm your identity when you first apply. If you don't attend then you won't receive any UC payments.
Most of UC is indeed done through your online journal.
The managed migration for UC doesn't start until at least next year, unless of course you live in Harrogate North Yorkshire where up to 10,000 people are being invited to apply because the pilot launch which started in July this year.
The only ones exempt from claiming UC at the moment are those that are claiming severe disability premium and they won't be able to claim UC anytime before January 2021.
david9482 denise15811
Posted
if hes already claiming esa wont it just be a straightforward transition for him that the Dwp will take care of rather than making him go through the stress and process of making a new claim??
denise15811 david9482
Posted
No, that's not how it will be. Even though UC and ESA are part of DWP they are different departments. When managed migration starts there will be millions of people moving across so DWP won't automatically do it for you.
They will send letters out and give you a maximum timescale for when you must apply by. If no application has been made by that particular date then all of your existing benefits will stop. If this happens then you may lose your transitional protection.
This has always been the process in the past when old benefits have ended and a new benefit has replaced it.
Worriedjoe denise15811
Posted
Thank you Denise for your reply. I am on Severe disability premium. But with all these benefit changes, I am worried I will lose it.( I know there is no SPD within the Universal Credit). It is what makes my rent affordable and other expenses, such as heating. And I buy disability related items that soon add up. Today a new tubagrip support for my wrist. I know my GPs are trying to reduce what they prescribe on prescriptions, due to cut backs.
I know if you don't do as they tell you, then you lose your benefits. I know a lot of people live in fear of the DWP, as I do. Due to various problems I have, I couldn't not cope with a online journal. Just like writing a letter, my mind goes blank and I can't think. I feel that if I did phone the Universal Credit helpline, they would try to force me to apply online, and ignore me saying I can't cope. i find it hard to speak to the DWP, whether in person or via the phone. One thing I won't do is give them my phone number. Yes I can show them my birth certificate at the Job centre. Although I will be a nervous wreck. I have rarely set foot in that place.
denise15811 Worriedjoe
Posted
No problem.
My opinion don't worry until you have something to worry about. I have a lot of problems in life right now and if i worried about future benefit claims then i'd most likely tip myself over the edge, so i push them to the back of my mind and that's where they will stay..for now, at least.
When we do get transferred over to UC the transitional support protection will be in place so that we won't be worse on than we are on legacy benefits.
There's a lot of flaws in UC and DWP have had very little training for it, which is why they lack knowledge. It's complex and totally different to legacy benefit and has different rules. My knowledge of it has improved greatly since it was introduced.
The whole purpose of the pilot scheme in Harrogate is so they can iron at all the problems before people actually start transferring across. DWP are never on time for anything so i'm certain that the transfer timescales will be many years off for 1000's of people.
All you can do for now is forget about it.