ESA support group to UC migration - transition payments reduced

Hi,

I'm really stressed out and in tears. I'm being migrated over to UC and despite being told by DWP there would be no changes to or interruption in my payments until my first UC payment due in December, I received today what is technically my penultimate ESA fortnight payment but £21 less than what I usually get.

Even more worryingly, the ESA automated phone system told me that my next (and last) ESA payment due in early December would be reduced again by over £22 from today's already reduced payment.

Essentially, between a fortnight ago and early December, they'll have reduced my fortnightly payment by over £43.

Contacted Citizens Advice UC chat, told me to contact local CA. They're beyond rubbish so no.

Contacted the council's so-called income team, the guy just speculated with "maybe this and maybe that" which quite obviously didn't apply to my case. So pointless.

Contacted ESA phoneline, told me it's UC.

Contacted UC, they can't see my payments so can't tell me why they've been reduced because technically this is still ESA.

I'm being bounced around: "it's not us, call so and so".

I've never claimed PIP because can't handle the stress. My ESA payment was barely enough as it was but we're talking about a reduction of almost £100 per month.

I have no support and there are no organisations around to provide practical help.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Hi David,

Thanks for your reply. I didn't say that at all. I did contact ESA and they told me to speak to UC. I contacted UC who told me to speak to ESA.

Each service says it's got nothing to do with them and to contact the other when in fact those are NOT UC payments but ESA.

I migrated from support group to uc on 4th Nov, my last esa was £45 short. I do not know why.
I just looked at my journal and it states I'll get standard rate ,
Now I know the assessment period sometimes doesn't reflect what i'll eventually get on 10th Dec as I was in support group I should be getting more than standard. So I put a note on to remind them of my transitional protection, they also said I might need another assessment before I get any additional money
Again I informed them I've had one ,also I usually get paper based after years of f-f ,i know they can reassess at any time, but not upon migration straight from support group far as i know.. I think it lost the £45 due to the day i migrated it was the same day as my last esa payment. Otherwise I'm not sure. Its a minefield.