UC & CBESA

I have a client who claimed UC in a fully digital area to get assistance with housing costs. She was on CBESA topped up with IRESA. When she claimed UC her ESA stopped. I contacted JCP at the beginning of October to explain the error of their ways. I was told the issue would be resolved and CBESA would be reinstated.
I checked this week to see what had happened. The worker said that there had been guidance sent to say that if UC is claimed then the ESA claim closes down, regardless of it being CBESA or IRESA.  He had also spoken to someone downstairs who had been on the training and that is what he was told so it must be correct. My client was therefore no longer eligible for ESA as her claim had closed from when she made a claim for UC.
I asked for the information on the guidance and what regulations he was using, as he was wrong.
The JCP worker went away for several minutes. He came back to say that I was correct. CBESA should be in payment. He had just been given guidance that had not been passed to everyone to explain what happens with UC claims and ESA. He said he would action the CBESA being put back into payment.
I am posting this to inform people that any UC claim where CBESA is payment needs to monitored. Depending on who is dealing with the claim the same mistake will no doubt happen with other clients.
The office I was dealing with was Wellingborough.

That is worrying - I will pass it through to our UC contact via operational stakeholders to make sure that they send the correct guidance out.

I have had similar conversations with staff in Wrexham Jobcentre.  Luckily not about actual clients, but they are very reluctant to believe that someone could claim cont. JSA and UC.