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63,000 ESA claimants to migrate to UC every month from February

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The DWP has announced that it is ramping up the managed migration of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants to universal credit (UC) over the next few months. The department aims to send out  63,000 migration notices every month from February 2025 until early December.

The targets were made public by DWP minister Stephen Timms, who said that since 2022 the DWP had notified 943,343 households that they must move to UC.

According to Timms there have been just 10 complaints about the process, with only 10 of those upheld.

Timms also revealed that the Citizens Advice Help To Claim service, will receive ā€œup to a further Ā£15mā€ to provide free and confidential advice to ESA claimants subject to the move.

The DWP are clearly confident that they can carry out the migration process to schedule.  But the numbers involved will be very much greater than the department has dealt with before, up from an average of 36,000 a month to 63,000.

In addition, a significant proportion of ESA cases are likely to be more complex than those the DWP have dealt with so far.  Many of the claimants may be more vulnerable because of their health conditions, less accustomed to dealing with the DWP because they have been ignored for years and some may also be unable to manage the default online claims process.

Moreover, it is clear that so far the DWP failed to sort out the basics of dealing with ESA claimants, such as ensuring that they are not required to provide fit notes and that work coaches understand that claimants in the support group must not be expected to agree to work-related commitments.

Readers can contact the free Help To Claim service here and members can download our 50 page guide to ā€œSuccessful ESA to UC Managed Migrationā€, from the ESA/UC Guides page.

If you have begun or completed your mandatory migration, please share your experience with other readers here.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Harry
    · 1 days ago
    I've put this here as I believe it's relevant.I fully agree with the DPO,why haven't the Main Disability Charities not applied more intense pressure on this Government to halt or slow down the process to UC or stop the cuts to disability benefits,and other heinous measures that are causing severe human suffering to disabled people.


    Disabled peopleā€™s organisations (DPOs) have made a plea to the government to listen to their ā€œauthenticā€ voices rather than disability charities that are not led by disabled people, which they say are ā€œactively harmfulā€ to their movement. In a response to the [ā€¦]

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    T
    · 19 days ago
    For those who received SDP back payments (from theĀ  IC to ESA underpayment disaster) & as a result have savings over the minimum, have the life of the award exemption from being counted carrried over to UC as it is a forced migration to another benefit? Or do they only have protection from it being counted as part of their savings for 12 mths. Different advisors are giving different answers
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    A
    · 28 days ago
    The long-waited dreaded white paper of nasty Liz Kendall, which she parrots to involve "the biggest overhaul of the benefit system in history and the most radical reforms to get Britain working" is going to be released Tuesday, so fasten your seat belts.

    For instance, she's threatening young people who refuse to take up jobs or training with losing their benefits, but very recent studies have found out that the majority of these young people are not on benefits at all, and therefore such a threat will only have a very limited effect or impact.

    Apart from introducing and imposing more pressure and hassle on benefit claimants, all she's offering is to give Ā£240 million to local governments, as if these corrupt, cronyism-infested, and highly bureaucratic entities had miracles.

    It's all about finding ways to cut the miserable benefits to people, who are already finding it hard to survive on these benefits.

    And the sad thing is that, unlike the late winter fuel payment cut and inheritance tax, there won't be much protest or resistance to defend and fight for poor claimants to challenge the demonic proposals of Liz Kendall and Co.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      (No) hope
      · 27 days ago
      @A Yes, this is the article. Someone on here on another thread Ā has gone in to Ā some detail about what is going to be in this white paper, and how the world of work will be the cure that we all need. Laughable, if it wasnā€™t such a serious matter, an affront to our dignity, and likely to Ā be fatal for many. Collateral is how they would refer to it as.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 28 days ago
      @(No) hope Do you mean this article?

      Yeah, it's worth reading it.


      I gave up on Liz Kendall, when she got appointed as the shadow secretary of the DWP and she said that she had always been dreaming of holding this post one day, which, to me, clearly hinted at her cruel plan in store for benefit claimants.

      Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and Liz Kendall are all parroting getting people back to work, when they've increased employer national insurance contributions and businesses including supermarkets are warning of shop closures and massive job losses, leave alone hiring more people to get them back to work. Where are the jobs, as even minimum wage jobs at supermarkets and warehouses are vanishing?


      Keir Starmer's lame duck dishonest Labour is not Labour at all but the other side of the same evil coin.


    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      (No) hope
      · 28 days ago
      @A Yes, there is also something in the canary from earlier, well worth a read, confirming her doubling down on her reform proposals, and the general tone deafness to organisations who highlight and state the harm that these proposals will likely have, based on fact, further harm on large numbers who are always the first to be reached by the tentacles of cruel government policy. She (Kendall) really is something else.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bronc
    · 1 months ago
    Is it just people on income based ESA who are being forced onto UC?
    Are people on contribution based ESA safe from this forced migration?
    Many thanks

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Scorpion
      · 20 days ago
      @Fibrogal Then, things have changed and now they want all claimants to move on to UC.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Fibrogal
      · 27 days ago
      @A You are wrong. Iā€™m on CB ESA and have received a letter inviting me to migrate todayĀ 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Andy81795
      · 29 days ago
      @Jon Contributions based esa and income related top-up are receiving migration notices. The contributions esa switches to new style esa.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 29 days ago
      @Bronc If you receive Contribution-Based (CB) Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you will not be invited to claim UC, and thus you do not have to migrate.Ā 

      Hope this answers your query.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 1 months ago
      @Bronc Yes your safe
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    T
    · 1 months ago
    I got my letter today to migrate over to UC by 20 Feb 2025.Ā 
    Ā I dreaded this moment, especially as I will also receive my pip review form in January and I am also due ESA renewal right now.Ā 
    Ā I doubt it is a coincidence but I knew my ESA should have been up for renewal on the '19 Nov 2024' ,,, the UC migration letter I received this morning (22nd Nov) was sent out on '19 th November'.. (must have arrived in record breaking time for a dwp letter!!). I beg to god that they haven't also sent out a esa50 form too, they always take longer in post to receive.Ā  Ā Ā 
    Ā But it can't be a coincidence, sending uc migration letter when ESA is up for renewal.Ā  Ā  Maybe that's how they will migrate other people over.Ā 
    Ā  Ā I just don't know what to do, migrate now just get it over with or wait untill early February.Ā  Ā I think I should wait a week or 2 at least just incase a esa50 form is also on its way...Ā  Because i couldn't be doing that and migration together :(
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Tom
      · 28 days ago
      @T I received my letter last week to migrate over to UC by 08 Feb 2025.
      am on IR ESA Support Group.Ā 
      It is an anxious time and there is no way I am going to make a claim today because that would mean no money over Xmas.

      At least we got three months to prepare in advance!Ā 
      I hope it will be a painless straightforward move otherwise I will fight hard for my rights. Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 29 days ago
      @T The unprofessionalism of the DWP is that it's not the healthcare professional who has carried out the medical assessment that decides whether one is fit or not for work, but a DWP decision maker who has no medical expertise whatsoever and who often disregards what the health professional has pointed out and who makes their decision depending on how your name sounds to them and your personal history rather than medical.

      As an example, when I called the DWP to ask them for how long my award was, they told me that it was till end March 2023, which means the biased DWP decision maker scumbag gave me only 12 months, albeit the gravity of my long-term health conditions.

      Guess what I haven't received any letter or ESA50 form calling me in for a reassessment to date, even though I would prefer to have one before they make changes to the descriptors in the WCA to make it harder to pass as forwarded by the Tories and recently "inherited" by the Labour.

      Therefore, if they told you that your ESA would be up for renewal on the 19 Nov 2024, be assured you're extremely unlikely to be called in for a reassessment anytime soon due to the large number of people who are in front of you who were due to be reassessed, many of them pre-Covid 19, while yours has just reached their suggested end date.

      Hope this will give you a little peace of mind.


    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      T
      · 1 months ago
      @A After my last ESA reassessment my mum called ESA/DWP up and asked how long my award was for and that was the date given. He told her it was for 3 years the longest they can give and give the date of when it was when I would be up for review.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 1 months ago
      @T How do you know that your ESA is up for renewal on the 19 Nov 2024, as they don't write any end date in the WCA report? When was your last assessment?

      ESA is an ongoing award till you're called in for a reassessment and got a different award.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Colin.
    · 1 months ago
    After some advice.When my last job ended i claimed JSA.
    I then went through a difficult period and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

    Was advised to claim Incapacity Benefit,which i did.(Contribution based IB).

    Was on CB IB for a few years before being moved to ESA(employment support allowance).

    I was placed in Support Group and was on Contribution based ESA.

    Some time later it was found that when claimants were being moved from Incapacity Benefit to ESA some may have been entitled to income related ESA but instead only awarded contribution-based ESA,and therefore missed out on premium payments,like enhanced disability premium(EDP).

    I was one of the claimants who missed out on these premium payments so DWP contacted me and after 6 weeks wait i was awarded Ā£5000 in back payments.

    I know that claimants on ESA are being migrated to UC.

    I am still on ESA Contribution Based and still in Support Group.The only change is that i have a small income related ESA to up(enhanced disability premium) which is added to my Contribution Based ESA.

    Will i be migrated to UC considering I am in receipt of CB ESA SG with small income related top up? Thanks in advance
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bethan
    · 1 months ago
    Im on ESA pip why should the disabled be pushed into UC when UC doesn't work and also very discrimatingĀ 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      James h
      · 1 months ago
      @Bethan @Bethan Because they donā€™t care at all itā€™s about saving money and rushing everybody in as quickly as they can well 63,000 a month is going to be interesting already got my speech and rights prepared for when itā€™s my turn and Iā€™m not backing down to the ā€œwork coachā€Ā 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JUSTINUK73
    · 1 months ago
    Oh, for crying out loud! The SWP and co are desperate, aren't they? This is madness and many of us are going g to really go through the ringer. All due to craving as many of us through and making big mistakes, sometimes fatal.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Pamela smith
    · 1 months ago
    I'm on cb esa in support group is migration being brought forward from 2028 no other benefitsĀ 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Pamela smith
      · 1 months ago
      @Pamela smith What if you are over savings limit for Uc you get nothing ?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jake
      · 1 months ago
      @Pamela smith Migration has been brought forward by the last Tory government.Intially migration was deferred until 2028 then some not so bright spark in the last tory government with a general election looming decided to bring migration forward to 2024.This 'date' has now been honored by the dark lords of the labour party.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jake
    · 1 months ago
    Hard to believe a Labour party could be worse than the tories,but they(Labour)are rapidly approaching the contemptable detest reserved for the tories.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Maria Nelson
    · 1 months ago
    I put in my pip review form early February. I then had four texts stating I might need to have a face to face assessment during this time. I got same as last pip except I had been diagnosed autistic 3 years ago and Iā€™m now waiting on adhd assessment, ( just after my last pip review award form was granted was when I was diagnosed autistic). They text me to say I had to wait 2 weeks for a letter ( it was only4 days. Tbf). I Always send stuff first class recorded delivery. Even if they have a second class free mail. So about two weeks ago they sent me a letter saying I was granted the same pip enhanced. TBF I use my pip on taxis to early morning appointments or places I donā€™t know how to get too. And I have bought gadgets to make life easier for my back problem. And some of it goes to bills. Weirdly I got more points on things than I had the last time. I thought communicating might of got some points as I sometimes forget what Iā€™m on about then go around in a circle till I remember what I was on about. So from February to a fortnight ago ( November ) was my wait time.. Ā I was surprised I did get it as I thought they were hanging on to some until we were managed migrated to cause confusion re UC forms but they didnā€™t, they just granted it. They are still messing about with people phoning them for changes both esa and pip. Took me 5 phone calls as they were making me wait 20 plus mins, playing a tune then their phone would ring then hung up before I spoke. My neighbour was in my flat as a witness to this behaviour. And I had to keep repeating stuff. They do the phone bs right at the end ( they also try to trip people up re giving them our security info) I mean I typed in my birthday and they claimed it didnā€™t here it. Someone professional needs to see their phone call handling to vulnerable people to the end to show how they stress people up or cause autism melt downs. so that anyone testing it out wouldnā€™t have the time to waste waiting for them to answer and hanging up.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    L A Galbraith
    · 1 months ago
    What if you are a SUPORT GROUP CLAMANT How is it delth with ? Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      NW
      · 1 months ago
      @L A Galbraith I have just migrated to UC, I did have a work coach tell me that I had to start looking for work, and she wouldn't back down even after telling her that I was in the support group of ESA. But what is meant to happen is they will see that you are in the support group and they will immediately put you in the LCWRA group. If like me they start telling you that you have to start looking for work then call the UC helpline, they messaged my job centre and told them that they have to honour my last WCA. Please remember what your rights are and don't allow the jobcentre to bully you into giving fit notes are having to meet with the regularly.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    andre
    · 1 months ago
    Do people in WRAG need a fitnote?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      andre
      · 1 months ago
      @James h OK thanks.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      James h
      · 1 months ago
      @andre @andre im still in esa wrag 2018 think regulation 19 still applies to that group also only difference as you know is will have to go in for interviews and courses but just remember no job search is requiredĀ 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Sheena Parry
    · 1 months ago
    I have just managed to sort out my autistic adult son's migration from ESA to UC.Ā  The process being so difficult and the questions so badly written, even I as a Barrister, found the questions to be misleading.Ā  Also there are pages hidden behind other pages, when dealing with reasonable adjustments that they are difficult to find.
    Next, I discovered there is also a full record, held by DWP which is not visible to the Claimant on the journal.Ā  It will need a subject access request to attempt to see this.Ā 
    More worrying of all, I was not an appointee for my son, as his capacity is a moveable feast, and I have always avoided taking away all his ability to make decisions for himself, however the process was so painful for him that he became none verbal. I had been a person he had given rolling permission to speak to for ESA, apparently, this consent was not transferable, even though it stated, any DWP benefits, not simply ESA.
    Bizarrely, they then decided even though James was none verbal, that they needed to call him and get permission to speak to me.........that was an interesting phone call, which you will not be surprised to hear, went badly.
    Now, I have had to become an appointee, so DWP have restricted my son's right to a private life.
    Lastly, when I tried to explain to the ESA and UC call centre, that being none verbal meant that James was unable to give verbal consent in any meaningful way, and I asked about the reasonable adjustments they are legally required to put in place, I was told, "we do have reasonable adjustments, we can send out large print benefits centre has a ramp for wheelchair access.Ā  Brilliant, so as none of those adjustments suited my son, apparently, this is his fault!!!
    Sorry for the rant, but I felt it important to highlight the pitfalls, but I did persevere and have now managed to get his migration sorted, all be it with a fit note to provide time to beat the system.Ā  The doctor's surgeries appear to be well aware of this unnecessary need, and provided a note on request.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Matthew F
      · 1 months ago
      @Sheena Parry My heart goes out to you and your son. Thank you for sharing your experience and Iā€™m so glad your son has you. But so sorry you had to go through all of this. Take care
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      James h
      · 1 months ago
      @Anon @Anon think it could be information Dwp hold on you? Back in 2018 they lost all my medical information so when I got to tribunal their was other stuff they included in the appeal such as: how long been claiming benefits,courses I had been on,what was said at work focused interviews and dates also,when I worked last,Iā€™m not on it yet but will have a look when I migrate from esa
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon
      · 1 months ago
      @Sheena Parry Very informative. Can I clarify what you mean by a full record?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Adrian
    · 1 months ago
    I would still get a sick note from dwp incase u go to tribunal never mind DwpĀ 
    Look after yourself cos dwp wont!!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    CD
    · 1 months ago
    Is this for England first, as it was with moving HB to UC (which we in Scotland have only recently started to do)?

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    A
    · 1 months ago
    It seems everybody is excessively worried about the migration to UC, when in reality what to be worried about is not the migration itself but rather the motivation of the DWP for expediting the migration, which is to gather all claimants into one group and push as many claimants as possible into work and finally cut their benefits off.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Maria Nelson
      · 1 months ago
      @A Exactly and they belittle our stress, talking and publically shaming us as negative. CBT does not work for most autistics and adhd people yet drs/dwp still try to force it down our throats then gaslight publically leading to autism melt down. They were offering a 55 year old ( then 51) with degenerative discs to do full time shelf filling in Tescos. I also have a kneeling issue with knees Iā€™m 5ft2. I have more disabilities than my autism too. They simply lord everything over us and publically. They play stupid games like itā€™s all hilarious fun. If people arenā€™t laughing itā€™s not fun itā€™s bullying.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 1 months ago
      @Jon Ā 16 thousand work coaches are more than enough to hassle all the claimants, as all they do is harassing and pressuring people to look for work and get it. They don't coach or help anyone to get a job.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 1 months ago
      @A Apparently there are 16 thousand work coaches
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 1 months ago
      @Jon Yep, by connecting every claimant with a work coach, sick, disabled, or not. While when you're on ESA, you've nothing to do with a work coach. And Alan Milburn has recommended that sick and disabled people also should see work coaches on a regular basis - God forbid.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 1 months ago
      @A I think you could be right it will be much easier for the DWP to manoeuvre us into work if where all on one benefit
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    BOB
    · 1 months ago
    Thought I would let people know. I wrote to my local MP for Nottingham and told her about the concerns being mentioned about people on ESA in the SUPPORT GROUP being asked for sick notes when applying for UC. She emailed me and said you DO NOT Need To Get fit notes for this group. So I am printing of her reply so that when I do get a migration letter and have to see someone at Job Centre I will show them this letter.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Denise
      · 1 months ago
      @BOB Then she wants to have a word with her own government and the DWP, because 1000s are going though hell.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Alex
      · 1 months ago
      @BOB Hi, bob could you share the letter please, email to us/me, I am in esa support group and I know they are going to try the sick note excuse. Thanks
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Wendy
      · 1 months ago
      @BOB Thanks Bob. Could you possibly share your emsil with us. Thanks šŸŒø šŸŒ¼Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      O
      · 1 months ago
      @BOB thnksĀ  Bob, can you share this email with us so we can approach our own Mp.Ā  regards, Owen
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Shaz
      · 1 months ago
      @BOB Could you show us this letter bob then we on esa can screen shot,Ā  to back us all up would be greatly appreciatedĀ 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    A
    · 1 months ago
    Hello

    Is it just ESA claimants who are being issued with migration notices, to claim UC, or are JSA (income based) claimants being sent letters too?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    A
    · 1 months ago
    The damn migration is all about putting all claimants into a one fold, connecting them with so-called work coaches, and pushing them into work in one way or another and possibly toughening conditions/commitments.

    The Tories were better than Keir Starmer's Labour, as they were abolishing the WCA for most of ill and disabled people, and they said the migration would not take place before 2028/29, and engaging with employment was on a voluntary basis with monetary incentives.

    While Alan Millburn has recommended in his damn report to make reassessments more frequent and regular and that no one should be exempted from seeing work coaches ill, disabled, or not, which Keir Starmer has resonated, when he said that all ill people must look for work, where they canĀ  -Ā  and not those who can must look for work.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Ilo
      · 1 months ago
      @A I believe just before the election the Tories pushed the ESA migration to start at the end of this year and Labour stuck with that decision when they could have stopped it and stuck with the original deadline.Ā 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 1 months ago
      @Jon At least the Tories were saying what they wanted to do loudly, while Keir Starmer's Labour is playing with uncertainty and silence, which are causing us tremendous amount of stress and tantamount of desperation.

      Glad I voted the Greens last time, albeit being a Labour voter, just for the sake of not voting for Keir Starmer's Labour, which is devoid of ideology, policies, and plans. All Labour revolves around are lies and empty rhetoric and nothing else.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 1 months ago
      @A I think with labour and the Tories it could have been a case of better the devil šŸ˜ˆ you know
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A
      · 1 months ago
      @Rik The damn Alan Milburn has even said that unless two million people are pushed into work, the growth parroted by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves won't materialise. He has also recommended to reduce the financial gap between Jobseeker's allowance and sickness benefits, which indirectly means reducing the sickness benefit, as they won't increase jobseeker's allowance.

      Alan Milburn, Liz Kendall, Rachel Reeves, and Keir Starmer are a bunch of dishonestĀ callouses.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Rik
      · 1 months ago
      @HRH They did, because as has been proven, they knew a good percentage wouldn't go ahead and apply/transfer to UC. However, they did say those in the Support/LCWRA group wouldn't be reassessed - they'd be left alone. Labour has not made that commitment, and with Blair's mateĀ Alan Milburn running things, it's going to be much worse than anything the Tories were going to do.

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