I have been awarded LCWRA, when should I receive my first payment?

Lisa801223

Hi, I have been advised that I have been awarded LCWRA from the 8/03/2023, however in the letter it states that the 3 month waiting period should start from when I produced sick notes. I had to give up work due to my disability back in September 2022 and I advised UC and also supplied them with doctors sick notes. I filled in the LCWRA form last year October (I think) and I only finally had my assessment in March. 

I have queried with UC when I should get my first payment and they have told me I have to wait until after the 3 months from March this year. 

Is that correct or should the 3 month period start from when i started supplying sick notes as the letter they sent me suggested? 

I’m really confused and would be grateful appreciated your advice. Thanks in advance. 

poppy123456

The waiting period starts from when you first 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.

Without knowing the exact date you reported your health condition/sent your first fit note and what date you usually receive your money each month it's not possible to tell you exactly what it's paid from.

Based on the information you gave then it would be either Jan or Feb 2023.

Lisa801223

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for coming back to me so quickly. This is what I thought to! 

I reported to UC my health condition was affecting my work and I couldn’t cope… I advised them this as of the 19th of September last year. I then started providing sick notes monthly after that. Unfortunately my condition has deteriorated and I am no longer able to work. I then reported that I had given up my job on the 17th of feb, so I didn’t send any further sick notes as I didn’t know I had to and also because I just started to receiving PIP. 

Is that what I have done wrong? And if yes, that can I ask my doctor to back date one till then? 

poppy123456

What date do you usually receive your money each month?

If there were gaps in your fit notes then this can affect when the LCWRA element is paid from. You should have been receiving reminders about your fit note expiring on your journal, assuming you have access to one.

Lisa801223

Hi, I sent fit notes from September through to 16th of Feb. I thought that because I had advised UC that I had to give up work (I was self employed, and was paying out more then what came in due to my illness), so I didn’t give a fit note from the 17th of February, as I thought that because I had left work, I didn’t need to give any more. 

I hope this make sense. My doctor is brilliant and I know he would backdate my fit note for the period of the 17th of feb until the 8th March 2023, as he knows how much I struggle. Would that be accepted? As it is a genuine mistake and I really didn’t understand that I needed to send more to them after advising I had to give up my job due to health. 

poppy123456

You still haven't answered my question here.

poppy123456 said:

What date do you usually receive your money each month?

Lisa801223

Sorry… the 13th of every month

poppy123456

Lisa801223 said:

Sorry… the 13th of every month

That means your assessment periods (AP) are 7th to 6th of every month. If you sent your first fit note on 19th September that's in the middle of Sept/Oct AP which doesn't count because it's not a full month.

If there were no gaps in your fit notes your waiting period will be Oct to Jan.. LCWRA payable from AP 7th Jan to 6th Feb and first payment would be 13th Feb.

However, as you've been told it's 3 months from March then this seems like the gap in your fit note hasn't been accepted. You can put a message on your journal and ask if you can provide a backdated fit note from the date your last one ended. It will be down to a decision maker to make the final decision.

Lisa801223

Thank you again for your help, and taking the time to message me. I’m so new to this. I will leave a note in my journal and explain to them. Do I need to ask for a decision maker to look back at it? And do you know who I should direct it to in the UC journal, as I think I had directed it to payments previously. 

Thank you again, I truly appreciate your help. It’s a whole new mind field to me x 

poppy123456

You're welcome. I would put it in the payment section. When you do this i'd advise you to mention the 3 month waiting period that starts from when you reported your health condition/sent in your first fit note. Tell them what date you did this and also mention that when you finished work you thought that further fit notes were no longer needed.

I'm very surprised that you didn't get reminders to report a fit note when one was about to expire because usually you do, if you reported your health condition correctly in September.

Lisa801223

Hi, I did get the reminder each month and did send them, all apart from the one in February as I thought I didn’t need to send it as I reported that I had to give up work, and wasn’t advised to carry sending them. I’ll send the message and say that I can/will get the one for the missed fit note in February… it’s very hard to explain in text… do you think they would phone me so I can explain what has happened? 

poppy123456

You shouldn't ignore what's on your to do list because doing so can affect your payments. You can ask for a decision maker to ring you but i have no idea if they will. I understood you perfectly clear so put the message on your journal and then ask for someone to ring you.

Lisa801223

Ok thank you for your help.