LCWRA/ esa and how payments work

Nikkiibz

Good morning, I am in receipt of ESA since November and also universal credit until I had my limited capability for work assessment which was done last month. I have been awarded the limited capability for work. I have just had an update in my journal on my UC account and it shows that my UC has gone down. My ESA has gone up slightly, but not to the full amount of a limited capability for work. My UC has gone down quite a lot however the payments don’t really match up to the amount of a limited capability for work assessment so I’m really confused. All I want to know is will this payment be paid separately for limited capability for work or does it get included in your ESA payment and does it take them a few months after your assessment is done to put the payments into your bank and backdate everything how does it work if someone could please enlighten me that would be amazing. 

poppy123456

Your weekly amount for ESA will be £117.60/week from the 14 week of your claim.

For UC there's a full 3 month assessment period waiting time. You will be entitled to the LCWRA element from the 4th month after you reported your health condition, providing you sent a fit note within 7 days of that and continued to send them without any gaps until a decision was made on your WCA.

When it's paid from will depend on what date you reported your health condition and what date you usually receive your money each month. It's not paid at all during the waiting period.

For the deduction of your ESA from UC it will be £509.60/month. This is because there's 4.3 weeks in a month and not just 4 weeks. The calculation is worked out as follows... £117.60 x52 = £6,115.20 divided by 52 = £509.60/month.

Your UC will include the LCWRA of £354.28 extra per month, paid on top of your usual monthly amount. LCWRA is part of UC.

Nikkiibz

I went straight from tax credits onto esa on the 4th Nov and am still signed off sickn

Nikkiibz

I sent my LCWRA documents to them 15th dec and only just got awarded last week. 

poppy123456

What date did you first claim UC? For your ESA the 14th week is from 10th Feb.

Nikkiibz

4th Nov 

Nikkiibz

I did it all at the same time 

poppy123456

Then that means your waiting period for LCWRA for UC will be Nov/Dec, Dec/Jan, Jan/Feb.. LCWRA starts from assessment period Feb 4th to March 3rd and first payment will be March 10th. No LCWRA element is owed.

If you received any earnings when you claimed UC and you didn't have the work allowance then you maybe owed some money for this because the work allowance will apply from the start of your claim.