Refused Housing Benefit as I am on ESA not UC

Hi all,

I'm freaking out right now so please excuse me if it sounds confusing at all..

I have been on ESA (support group) since 2012. In December last year I moved to a new borough. Worthing Council.

It took ages for Worthing Council to send me a claim form so have been borrowing my rent money from my parents so I'm not behind. I expected my housing benefit claim to go through fine as my rent has been registered as fair for this new address and I have been claiming housing benefit alongside my ESA all these years.

I have just received my decision notice and I'm not eligible for Housing Benefit. It states that for help paying my rent, I must make a claim for Universal Credit. They are however giving me Council Tax Support.

I have done an entitled to calculation and my benefit will go down by just over £400. I don't know how I am going to cope.

Also if I am going to have to make a new claim, will they backdate my housing benefit to when I moved in.

I really don't know what to do

Gordon
so if mila had moved within same local authority she would have had no problems with housing benefit and esa payments ?..as that the situation i am in wanting to move to smaller place in same post code area of town on esa payments, council said that should not trigger change in circumstances to warrant a claim for U.C. but have been trying to find a definitive answer to whether i would be moved onto U.C. from ESA in same local authority..IF i have understood your answer to MIla correct i should be fine and not moved from ESA to UC..is that correct ?

Ok thank you. Do you have any idea if my housing benefit could be backdated to December or would it be just from the date of the new UC claim? If that’s the case then I will be in such a mess.