Applying for LCWRA

moonshadow_

Hello again, I have started another discussion as its just about LCWRA and there were lots of questions, misunderstandings and information to process on the other one.

- My assessment period is between the 30th and 29th. I have requested a sick note from my GP yesterday and expect to receive one within the next few days. My gp asked me when to start the sick note, I said the 13th Jan. I intend on doing a change in circumstances on the 27th. Does this sound OK? 

- How long are sick notes usually for if gp knows it's a long term condition?

- I'm confused about sick notes and the UC50 still. Although I now understand why they are important. After I have sent the first sick note I intend on requesting the UC50 pretty soon after. I understand that usually once a certain amount if sick notes are logged they trigger a process and send out the UC50. But I don't understand why I need to wait if I don't have to?

The process time is 3 months, do they backdate payments in a lump sum? 

Thanks 

poppy123456

For others reading this, previous thread is here. https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/101307/lcwra-and-postgraduate-loan#latest

You didn't return to answer the question i asked on your other thread. After they sent you the UC50 form the last time, you didn't return it but were you found fit for work? If not did you ring the Health assessment advisory Service to ask if they still have your file or whether it was returned to DWP?

moonshadow_

Poppy123456 I feel like your little harsh to be honest mate. This is a Disability space which means people have a range of mental learning disabilities that impact processing etc. Your just a tad shouty although informative. I started a new thread because the other was getting confusing and making me anxious 

moonshadow_

What I said on the previous thread was that nothing was ever opened. There was no questions and no information given.

Again. All that happened was that I requested a UC50 - without giving any details or sick notes and it was sent. There was no assessment. No changes in my work commitments. From my journal there is no evidence of anything being opened. Its extremely difficult for me to make phone calls so I have to really weigh up how necessary it is. Also you only mentioned doing that yesterday. I am 95% sure no file was opened. 

moonshadow_

You obviously have so much knowledge and have worked with lots of questions from me and tried to unpick it. Just asking if you could be a little more gentle in your responses when I have missed something or made a typo etc.

poppy123456

moonshadow_ said:

Poppy123456 I feel like your little harsh to be honest mate.

I don't see anywhere that i've been harsh through any of my comments to try to help you. I've sat here and read and re-read all your comments before trying to advise and in the meantime spent a lot of my time trying to help you. All of which i do so in my own spare time, freely. Even though i have a disability myself!

I really don't appreciate someone speaking to me in this manner when all i've done is try to help you. For this reason i will not be making any further comments on your threads.

moonshadow_

poppy123456 said:

moonshadow_ said:

Poppy123456 I feel like your little harsh to be honest mate.

I don't see anywhere that i've been harsh through any of my comments to try to help you. I've sat here and read and re-read all your comments before trying to advise and in the meantime spent a lot of my time trying to help you. All of which i do so in my own spare time, freely. Even though i have a disability myself!

I really don't appreciate someone speaking to me in this manner when all i've done is try to help you. For this reason i will not be making any further comments on your threads.

That's ok Poppy123456. My response was really gentle in saying I feel like your responses have been a bit harsh, they come across shouty at times.. whilst also giving compliments and appreciation on your time and effort. I have not spoken to you rudely or name called and still wanted to engage. Just asked if you could be a little more gentler in responses, that's all. I'm sorry your unable to see where your responses have been a little rough. It's just about making this interaction more accessible, so I have reasonably said hey this difficult for me and this is why. Feels unfair for the response to that be defensive and to remove all support and engagement. But that's ok if you feel I have been rude. Thanks for the information so far, its a shame it was sharp at times. I can see you help a lot of people  here. Different strokes for different folks. It's important we all engage in ways which don't feel harmful or triggering.

poppy123456

I'm sorry but i can't see anywhere, where i've been harsh or even shouty. If i was going to shout i would have used capital letters, which i didn't. I've simply tried to help and asked you for more information a few times.

This "tone" you claim i've used, i really don't know how you can detect someone's tone through text speak because it's very very difficult to do that. It's also very easy to misread what someone has said and mistake it for being either rude or harsh, i wasn't either of those in any of my comments.

When you started the new thread i simply put a link to your other thread because it does get very confusing when starting new threads when help was ongoing with the same questions from a previous thread.

The reason i asked you to contact the health assessment providers is to check if they still have your file. (You don't need to ring them), you can email them which i advised on your other thread. If they still have a file for you and they didn't return it to you then it means they are waiting for an appointment to become available for the work capability assessment. Therefore, there will be no need to report a new health condition.

If there's no file for you then you can report a change of circumstances, report your health condition, supported by a fit note within 7 days of that and continue to send them without any gaps until a decision is made on your WCA. You should be referred again for the WCA on day 29 of your claim, sometimes it can take longer. Waiting times for the WCA can be several months, sometimes longer.

calcotti

moonshadow_ said:

My gp asked me when to start the sick note, I said the 13th Jan. I intend on doing a change in circumstances on the 27th. Does this sound OK? 

You don't need the Fit Note to start before you report your health condition. The important date is when you report the health condition.

moonshadow_ said:

How long are sick notes usually for if gp knows it's a long term condition?

That's entirely down to your GP.

moonshadow_ said:

After I have sent the first sick note I intend on requesting the UC50 pretty soon after. I understand that usually once a certain amount if sick notes are logged they trigger a process and send out the UC50. But I don't understand why I need to wait if I don't have to?

Once you have reported the health condition you should be referred for a Work Capability assessment 29 days later. If that doesn't happen you should then chase it. They can't do it before then unless you have particular health conditions (usually cancer patients having or recovering from radiotherapy/chemotherapy).

You will then receive the UC50 and you need to complete it and rerun it by the date asked for together with copies of any supporting medical evidence. 

moonshadow_ said:

The process time is 3 months, do they backdate payments in a lump sum? 

You may wait longer than 3 months for an assessment. If found to have LCWRA you will be entitled LCWRA for the fourth full UC payment period after you report the condition. Given your dates, if you report on 27th January then LCWRA would (if applicable) be paid from the April to May assessment period (payable in early June). If the decision has not been made by then and is made later any arrears will be paid in a lump sum separate from your normal payment.

Like poppy I am very puzzled as to what happened previously. Normally, if a UC50 has been issued (which means the WCA process was started) and is not returned then you would be found Fit for Work and would then be expected to look for work.

(Poppy has only spent time trying to help you. She tries to keep things as simple as possible and asks questions to elicit answers that will help inform her answers. Obviously the written word has no tone but I see no harshness in anything she has said.)

moonshadow_

It's really important that people doing this work for free get support so I appreciate you stepping in and offering answers as well as supporting poppy. Its OK if you can't see it, we can disagree I am just saying what my experience felt like based on what I read. Tone I think can totally be communicated through written language but a bunch of things can make that more complicated or confusing, especially online. 

I appreciate all the information here. I think I have realised where the confusion is coming from re UC50!! based on both your responses. I think I was maybe sent the form out in error and someone should have followed a process but didn't. The process you both talk about above being referred to a work assessment after 29 days . I never reported a health condition. This makes sense why you were confused and why I was like erm can't I just requested the uc50 again. Does that sound right? 

moonshadow_

Also poppy was clear and methodically without tone whilst being helpful and maybe this just felt abrupt to me at the minute.

Also I don't have cancer or a terminal illness. I literally just said ' I have spoken with scope today for support and they have advised me to send a UC50' and they did. Obviously an error. 

Good news I got my sick note and he has done it until mid March so that hopefully covers me for when the refer to work assessment. Is the work assessment just the UC50 form.

calcotti

moonshadow_ said:

Also poppy was clear and methodically without tone whilst being helpful and maybe this just felt abrupt to me at the minute.

I'm sorry if you read things as abrupt. Both poppy and I approach things methodically banditry and try and obtain the information needed offer appropriate advice but we don't 'dress it up'. I know that people in different places mentally and that may mean some people feel they are being challenged or criticised but that is never our intention. (When we can't get the necessary information we do of course get frustrated but we do try and hide it!)

Re the Fit Note - you should get a prompt from UC when your Fit Note is running out and need to supply a new one but it's a good idea to make a note yourself to remind you when you'll need a new one.

The Work Capability assessment starts with the UC50 form/ That is reviewed by a health assessment provider. In most cases this results in them deciding they need an assessment meeting with you (usually by phone currently). After that they prepare a report which they send to DWP. A DWP Decision Maker then has to decide your claim.

There is guidance here about filling in the form (it refers to ESA but it's the same form)
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form-esa/

moonshadow_

Thanks thats great advice. Going to press go on change of circumstances... wish me luck.. hopefully less brutal then PIP.

Thanks @poppy123456 for working with me to try and sort it out. 

moonshadow_

Sorry final question.. the change of circumstances asks me when the changed applied from do I say today or the 13th. I realise you said calcotti said:

You don't need the Fit Note to start before you report your health condition. The important date is when you report the health condition.

calcotti

Say whatever date you consider to be true but what will count for UC entitlement is the date you report.

moonshadow_

Today or 13th same difference same condition. When I have the form for UC50 will it go against me if the medical evidence that I give is outside of the time frame I reported like a few months ago, year ago etc ?