The Severe Disability Premium
The SDP is not a separate benefit. It’s an extra £66.95 per week of Income Support, Income-related ESA or Income-based JSA (and also part of Housing Benefit).
If you are a single person you qualify if:
- You get PIP Daily Living or DLA Care Component because you have got care needs.
- No-one gets paid a carer’s benefit for looking after you.
- You have no other adults living with you.
Natural Migration to Universal Credit
Universal Credit is replacing Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit for people under pension age. DWP calls these the legacy benefits.
If you are getting legacy benefits and something changes in a way that means you need to make a new claim for a means-tested benefit you must claim Universal Credit. Your legacy benefit claims will all be closed and incorporated in the new UC claim.
The DWP calls this natural migration.
For some people, mostly workers, Universal Credit pays more than the legacy benefits.
For many people, Universal Credit is less than they got from the old benefits.
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.The SDP Gateway Rule
Between 16th January 2019 and 26 January 2021, If you got a benefit that included a Severe Disability Premium you could not claim Universal Credit but you could still make new claims for the old legacy benefits when your circumstances changed.
If you get the SDP in your legacy benefits, you are very likely to be entitled to a much lower amount from Universal Credit.
By keeping you in the legacy benefits, the SDP gateway rule protected you from facing the benefit cut that went with natural migration if your circumstances changed.
The SDP gateway rule has now been scrapped alongside the introduction of the Transitional SDP Element.
The Transitional SDP Element
From 27 January 2021, If you claim Universal Credit within one month of getting Income Support, Income-related ESA or Income-based JSA that included a Severe Disability Premium, your new Universal Credit award will include a Transitional SDP Element – so long as you continue to meet the conditions for the SDP up to the date of the UC award.
For people with disabilities, the standard rates of Universal Credit are often much lower than the amounts allowed by the old legacy benefits
The Transitional SDP Element is an extra amount allowed if you naturally migrate from the legacy benefits to Universal Credit, to delay the benefit cut.
The Transitional SDP Element will not make up for the full loss of ESA
If you are single, in the first assessment period you will get:
- £120 if your award also includes a LCWRA element
- £285 if your award does not include a LCWRA element
If you are a member of a couple convoluted rules determine how much you get.
The Transitional SDP Element is not a permanent allowance it will be reduced as your standard rate of Universal Credit increases.
You may lose your Transitional SDP Element if your UC award ends, even temporarily, or if there is a change in your circumstances.
You do not get a Transitional SDP Element if your claim for UC comes about because you are moving in as a partner with someone who is already on UC