ESA to UC

I was getting ESA with a disability income guarantee of £15.90 as I was placed in the support group. In November 2019 my husband told me to stop the claim as he had found employment.
which I did (it was changed from a single claim in 2018 to a joint claim in 2019 when he moved back in).
Besides the ESA, I receive PIP enhanced on both mobility and care.

He got me to write a basic letter to DWP on the 4th November 2019 giving no details of his terms of employment and shortly after that separated from me on 5th December and stopped financially supporting me.
I made many attempts to call DWP over the Christmas period with no success,by the 6th January 2020 when I did managed to get through, and I explained my situation, I was advised that as my ESA claim had been closed more than 30 days I could not restart that and would now have to apply for universal credit.
I suffer from cptsd, acute anxiety and depression and having now fled the home due to my own safety, I am having to go through the rigour of the UC process.

I wanted to find out if I was given the right advice on the 6th January 2020 to have to apply for Universal Credit even if I had a Disability income guarantee element on my previous ESA claim?
Would there be any grounds for me to appeal?
I'm finding it too stressful having to go through the whole process, and would DWP not check that I am already receiving enhanced PIP allowance?