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From 27/1/2021, regulations(regulation 7) come into force to remove the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) Gateway. From this date, no new Housing Benefit, Income Support, ESA(IR) or JSA(IB) claims may be taken for claimants in receipt of SDP. These claimants will now be allowed to claim Universal Credit (UC) and considered for the new Transitional Element.

Housing Benefit guidance A11/2020 gives a useful summary including -'..only people living in temporary or specified accommodation will be allowed to make new claims for working age HB.'

What does this mean for your client caseload? A lot more vulnerable claimants of Universal Credit for you- If your clients have generally avoided claiming Universal Universal Credit due to severe disability, then a change of circumstance may mean they will have to move over to Universal Credit.

We have two courses on UC which include this issue-

More basic- An Overview of Universal Credit 2021

More advanced- Universal Credit – the Tricky Parts 2021                      

More details- Neil Couling, Universal Credit SRO has said about the transitional element that those who move over should be eligible for-

'... the transitional element will be subject to erosion and cessation in the same way as transitional protection for those people who are moved to UC under managed migration.'

So over time, clients will lose out.

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