Are there DWP LCWRA reassessments underway?

brandon1999
brandon1999 Community Member Posts: 23 Listener
in Universal Credit (UC)
Hi, I've seen a lot of articles about supposed DWP reassessments and benefits being axed and I just wanted to check if any of this is true, and how relevant it is.

For some context, I was placed in the LCWRA group back in Feb of this year after having to appeal to the tribunal (which was thankfully accepted and I was moved to the new group). I don't want to go too much into my personal issues but I'll say it's been difficult to even speak to a GP about my issues, something I've been trying to work towards fixing now that I'm no longer under the stress of DWP appointments and work search reviews. So if they were to reassess me currently, I wouldn't have the backing of my GP yet, and I fear I'd have to go through the whole process of attending appointments and going to the tribunal when my re-assessment ends up moving me out of the LCWRA group.

I understood earlier this year there was something about UC being moved over to PIP with my group being axed entirely? But I understood that it wasn't for a few years still. But I recently just today saw some articles about the DWP are reassessing sickness benefits (including LCWRA). I just wanted to see if I could get any more information on how true any of this is as it's been hard to find the correct information.

Thanks, for the help.

Comments

  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,713 Championing
    There's a lot of confusing information right now as there's a lot of suggestions flying about regarding the benefits system.

    There's a White Paper which plans to do away with WCA altogether, there's a consultation to change certain WCA criteria, there was a break in certain re-assessments which is now ending.

    I'll try to look up all the information I can for you to clear this up, but I'm not surprised there are so many people confused about what is happening.

    Sometimes I wonder if the government and DWP even know.
  • brandon1999
    brandon1999 Community Member Posts: 23 Listener
    Thank you!
    I just thought there would be more time before the re-assessments as I believed there was a backlog, so I'm a bit freaked out about having to already go through the whole process and failing again before having to go to the tribunal again, and it's just really sudden.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community Member Posts: 64,456 Championing
    UC is definitely not being moved over to PIP. They are 2 completely different benefits. The good news is that at the moment nothing will change and everything will remain as it is now.
  • brandon1999
    brandon1999 Community Member Posts: 23 Listener
    poppy123456 said:
    UC is definitely not being moved over to PIP. They are 2 completely different benefits. The good news is that at the moment nothing will change and everything will remain as it is now.

    Thanks poppy! I think I may have misremembered exactly what I had looked at but I think I was talking about the White Paper issue.I got that completely wrong though, my bad.

    Do you know any information regarding re-assessments starting up and if there is a backlog?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community Member Posts: 64,456 Championing
    They did start back for selected few back in July but were then suspended again for most people. When they do actually start back there will likely be backlogs. Your guess is as good as mine whether they have no not but i've not seen anything official.

    The good thing is when claiming UC is that when you're referred again you will receive a letter on your journal.
  • brandon1999
    brandon1999 Community Member Posts: 23 Listener
    poppy123456 said:
    They did start back for selected few back in July but were then suspended again for most people. When they do actually start back there will likely be backlogs. Your guess is as good as mine whether they have no not but i've not seen anything official.

    The good thing is when claiming UC is that when you're referred again you will receive a letter on your journal.

    Thank you for the information.
    Do you know roughly the timeframe between recieving a letter on the journal and when the reassessment takes place? Sorry, with so many questions, I'm just pretty ignorant of a lot of this.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community Member Posts: 64,456 Championing
    The process for a review is the same as the first time. Once you receive the letter you will then receive the UC50 form in the post shortly after that. You will need to fill that in and return it as you did before. Timescales for assessments will vary.

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