Universal Credit payment confusion.

Hi,

I recently moved into a new borough so have had to move from ESA (Support Group) to Universal Credit to be able to claim Housing Benefit.

I have recently had my first payment and am really hoping that the amount given is wrong.

My payment this month which covers 18th March - 17th April was £332.00

My Statement was as follows..

Standard Allowance - £317.82
Housing £520.00
Total before adjustments £838.06

Other Benefits - You were still receiving benefits when your claim started

ESA 25.78
An average of other benefits you are continuing to claim £479.92

Total we take off for other benefits
£505.70

Total adjustments £505.70

Total Payable for this month £332.36


I have done a policy in practice calculation and it says I should be getting a total of £1529.02 each month.

I am single, over 35.
My rent is registered as fair rent and I have a registered tenancy as I have been with the same landlord since before 15th Jan 1989. So I should be exempt from LHA which would mean my full rent of £875.00 a month should be paid.
I have been claiming ESA and in the support group since 2012. I don't receive anything else, have no savings, live alone and have no children.

I have been sending messages through my journal to ask for help with this but haven't had any replies, so am really hoping someone here will be able to help me.

Payments I have received since I made my claim and would effect this moths payment.. 14th March ESA 254.30, 28th March ESA 254.30, 11th APR ESA £221.50.

I also received a letter telling me that my ESA would now be income related as I am now on UC. So that is the reason for my ESA payments changing.

My local authority is Worthing.

But I should be exempt from LHA due to my regulated tenancy and the fact that my rent has been registered as fair rent by the rent officer.

I have tried to get local advice but the council told me they can't help and that I need to speak to UK. I have spoken with them and they are also unhelpful. I have been sent a link to upload my fair rent letter from the housing officer and am waiting to hear back.

I have been reading your guides on moving to UC from ESA and I think I should of been naturally migrated when I moved? I wasn't. Due to a three month wait for my housing benefit form I didn't find out I was meant to be on UC until the rejection for housing benefit came back in response to my form. Should ESA have moved me onto UC as I was in a new full UC area?

I am also still not getting the LWRCA element paid in my UC. At my UC interview I was told that I would automatically get it as I was in the ESA support group and I wouldn't need to fill in a UC50. I called UC last week and was told that this wasn't the case and that I would have to have an assessment. I told them that I had recently had an ESA assessment on the 27th April (I am now receiving cont based ESA and UC) they said that had nothing to do with them, and to call ESA and find out what happened with my assessment. ESA said they had no record of my assessment but that might be as they have around a 12 week back log.

I'm really at my wits end as they are currently taking away all my ESA payments from the small amount of UC I am getting.

Who is right? Should I have been automatically awarded LWRCA?