Migration from esa to universal credit

I’m hoping someone can help me make sense of my Universal Credit situation, as I’m feeling very confused and stressed.

I recently migrated from ESA and Housing Benefit to Universal Credit. My weekly payments under ESA were £240.55, and my Housing Benefit was £101.71. This totaled £342.26 per week, or roughly £1,370 per month.

For my first assessment period (6th November to 5th December), I’ve been told my total entitlement before deductions is £809.64, which seems much lower than what I was receiving on ESA and Housing Benefit combined.

They’ve made deductions as follows:

1. £206.19 for ESA – I think this is for one week of ESA I received, but it doesn’t align with the two weeks I was paid ESA during this assessment period.


2. £174.36 for Housing Benefit – This also doesn’t make sense, as my Housing Benefit weekly rate was £101.71, so for two weeks, it should have been around £203.42.



After deductions, my total payment for the month is £429.09, which is much less than I was expecting.

I’ve contacted Universal Credit, but I’m struggling to get clear answers. My questions are:

1. Shouldn’t my starting Universal Credit amount reflect my previous ESA and Housing Benefit entitlement under transitional protection?


2. Are the deductions for ESA and Housing Benefit correct, or should they be recalculated?


3. Am I missing anything in how this works?



Any advice or clarity would be greatly appreciated. I feel really lost and worried about how this will affect my ability to manage financially.

Thank you

Thanks I will send a message again on my journal. It looks like the housing element is missing. Also do you know if I have to reapply for council tax reduction as it asks this on the form but I assumed that this was separate and would continue until March.

Hello rina74,

If I were in your situation I would call Citizens Advice Bureau Help to Claim on the number given on your migration notice.
They will ‘ fight ‘ for you to get the correct amount.
You can see my post at the top of the forum page where I recommend CAB Help to Claim where I give more detailed information.

Best wishes