UC and WTC

Not sure if this should be UC or WTC thread..
Client in full UC service area goes off long term sick, would have claimed ESA and got 28 week run on of WTC, can’t see anything in CPAG to indicate having LCW on UC would allow her to be treated as in full time paid work for that period. Any thoughts?

There’s no such concept as ‘full time work’ in UC, except for the threshold figure for conditionality..  Only income in the period matters.

If she’s on UC she won’t be on tax credits any more so will be irrelevant. If it’s contributory ESA she can just claim that alongside her tax credits and be treated as in remunerative work

So what we’re saying is that if you are incapable of work on WTC in a full sercvice area your claim would end as you would have to claim UC and you cannot get WTC/UC (as you can get currently get WTC/ESA)

You don’t *have* to claim UC, a client can choose to only claim new-style c-ESA, if they qualify for it. A recurring problem we’ve been seeing is wrong advice from DWP that you have to go through a UC claim in order to access c-ESA. For some people it’s true that they would be missing out on a UC top-up by not claiming it, but other people may prefer to remain on their pre-existing WTC/HB and just get c-ESA, for whatever reason.

edit: previously.