Universal Credit is coming…..

Universal Credit (UC) is gradually being rolled out nationally and will be in full service soon. This means that all new claimants will have to claim UC rather than the legacy benefits of ESA, JSA and housing benefit.

If a claimant is living in supported housing or in temporary housing (effective from April 2018) housing benefit will be paid to cover the rent. If claiming UC it is important to remember to claim council tax reduction from your relevant local authority you live in.
If you receive a decision that your ESA has stopped due to failing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), it is important to obtain advice before claiming UC. Once you claim UC you cannot return to legacy benefits unless you move to an area that is not a UC full service area.

What makes up UC?

Stella claimed Universal Credit (UC) as she could no longer work due to ill health.

However she approached Nucleus when she received a decision from DWP that she is fit for work despite having doctors’ letters stating she has complex health conditions preventing her from working.

Her first step would be to request the DWP to reconsider the decision, known as a mandatory reconsideration (MR).

The decision wasn’t changed and we assisted client to appeal to the Tribunal Service. She had a benefit cap applied to her UC award that reduced her basic UC award of £317.82 a month to £207.

The cap would be lifted if her appeal is upheld and she’s awarded LCWRA (equivalent to the support group of ESA). Happily her UC appeal was upheld with the LCWRA which will be backdated to the date she claimed UC.