Lcwra

Noidea19

Hi 
I wonder if anyone can shed some light as I just can’t grasp the information needed.
i claimed universal credit for my son( im his appointee) on 1/9/23. He’s 19 and just left school. I submitted a sick note from this date. Job centre blocked any appointments and arranged for me to fill in a form for disability payment on top of the basic rate.
I took a phone call from the assessment centre, no arranged appointment just to clarify a few things. He didn’t have a full assessment.
I didn’t receive any correspondence from them so rang universal credit for an update and was told he would get the extra money as he can’t work or look for work. They still haven’t  sent a letter or put anything on his journal.
i keep reading a wait of 3 months, what I can’t grasp is when he will have the extra money. All of sept to November is 12 weeks. Could someone please help with the obvious when he will get the extra payment.
sorry for the long ramble I just can’t grasp when the money will land in the bank
many thanks

chiarieds

Hi @Noidea19 - & welcome to the community. If awarded the extra LCWRA, & providing his fit notes are continuous until he gets a decision, then there's a 3 full month waiting period as you know, but as this is paid in arrears it's due from the 4th assessment period (these are from one date one month to another date the following month) & paid just after that.

At the moment I think you'll have to wait for confirmation that he's been awarded LCWRA on his journal. Once this happens, please come back saying when he's normally paid, or the dates of his assessment periods.

poppy123456

I agree with chiarieds you will need to wait for the decision letter to be uploaded onto his journal. If found to have LCWRA then his waiting period will be as follows.. 1st Sept to 30th Sept, 1st Oct to 31st Oct, 1st Nov to 30th Nov and first payment will be 6th Decemeber. This means up to now he'll be owed 1 months LCWRA element if the decision is LCWRA. This is assuming there were no gaps in his fit notes.

Noidea19

hi, Thankyou both for replying, I’ve just gone on his universal credit sign in and I missed a link on the 18th October which actually had the letter saying he has been awarded. I’ve looked at his page a million times but missed it. I opened the link to accept conditions but totally missed that one. He gets universal credit on 7th of the month.  I gave them a sick note from 29/8 to I believe 24/2/24 (6 months )The award letter didn’t offer any information as to when he was paid. I think I will ring them tomorrow as they have been aware of his award for some time. Many thanks again this is all new to me and honestly didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

poppy123456

You said you first claimed UC for him on 1st Sept but then later you said that you gave them a fit note from 29/8/2023, which was before the actual claim date. Can i just check that it was definitely 1st September that you claimed and provided the fit note on the same date? You can check back on his journal to find out the exact dates.

Noidea19

Hi
his claim date is 1/9/23, citizens advice made me aware that he needed a fit note so I made a doctors appointment in advance which was 29/8/23 as I thought I would have to upload a sick note when I applied for his universal credit only later to find out I had to give it into the job centre.

poppy123456

Usually you're asked to provide details of the fit note. When you first claimed if his health condition was reported at that time then you will have had 7 days to provide the fit note. If it's not provided within that time then it can affect when the extra money is paid from. Which is why i asked what date exactly did you provide the fit note, not what the date on the fit note is.

Noidea19

Oh my mistake, told you I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. I gave it to the job centre on 6/9/23 that’s when they gave us the appointment after I claimed on the 1/9/23 online. I’m sure I mentioned health conditions on his claim.

poppy123456

Noidea19 said:

I’m sure I mentioned health conditions on his claim.

You can check back on his journal to see what you reported when you claimed. If you did report his health conditions you will see it. 

If you didn't then it will affect when the extra money is paid from. This could be why he didn't receive his first payment this month. If you didn't report the health condition at the start then his first payment will be January, not December.

Noidea19

I didn’t even realise I could find the application details. I can confirm I did say about health conditions, I just looked.
just wanted to thank you for taking the time to be so thorough, it’s very much appreciated.

poppy123456

You're welcome! Then 7th December should have been his first payment. Put a message onto his journal under the payment section and tell them that the LCWRA element wasn't included in his last statement and it should have been.

Pointless ringing the helpline to be honest because all they will do is put a message on his journal, which you can do yourself.

Noidea19

Again, thank you so much for all your help. I’ve updated his journal now just to wait and see what will happen.

Noidea19

Hi, after uploading on my sons journal I’ve just had a reply which doesn’t make sense at all, could I ask  for options please. I have asked Uc for an explanation but I’m beginning to think I’ll not get a true answer.
this is what they replied with
The Lcwra is awarded from 1/9/23 however in every case we have to apply the relevant period, which is a period of time when the LCWRA is not paid.
There are exceptions but your son does not qualify and has to serve the relevant period.
the extra amount will appear first in the assessment period 1/1/24- 31/1/24 . The statement will be ready for checking on 1/2/24.
i really don’t understand what’s going on , this means he will have had to wait 6 months instead of 3

poppy123456

Just looking back at the waiting period that i advised you on here..

poppy123456 said:

his waiting period will be as follows.. 1st Sept to 30th Sept, 1st Oct to 31st Oct, 1st Nov to 30th Nov and first payment will be 6th Decemeber.

I missed a month off and i think it was because his assessment periods are from the start to the end of each month, which for some reason threw me off some what. Lets start that again.

You reported his health conditon at the start of his claim on 1/9 so his waiting period will be as follows...

1st Sept to 30th Sept.. 1 month

1st Oct to 31st Oct ... 2 months

1st Nov to 30th Nov... 3 months

LCWRA starts from assessment period 1st Dec to 31st Dec and first payment will be 7th January 2024. It's paid from the 4th month with first payment being the end of that month because UC is paid 1 month in arrears.

This means they are wrong with their calculation and it should be paid from the month before you were advised. It also means that he isn't owed 1 month as i first advised. Apologise for the incorrect advice.

Noidea19

Hi
no need to appologise this whole system is a mess, no wonder everyone is confused. Most of the posts are asking the same thing.
maybe just maybe it would help everyone if they just included the paid from dates along with the decision.
i appreciate your time and effort. I’ve not heard anything from them since I asked for a breakdown of dates  and an explanation of how they came to those ,so I can challenge it if need be. Again I appreciate your help.

Noidea19

Hi
i I asked for a breakdown and didn’t get it, just a repeat of when he will be paid . Ie February 2023.
i just rang uc to ask if someone could explain why he has to wait 4 months instead of 3.
they told me 1/9 to 7/10 doesn’t count as it has to be a full month. I pointed out that it is intact a full month. I asked so are you telling me his wait period is 4 months not 3 as it clearly states on everything I’ve ever read. Her reply was yes that’s correct. Apart from ripping my hair out I’m baffled as well as frustrated. They are all saying the same thing 

poppy123456

It seems like they are saying that you either didn’t report his health condition at the start of his claim. 

Or you didn’t provide the first fit note within 7 days of reporting the health condition. 

His journal will tell you the exact dates of both. The date on the fit note itself is irrelevant. 

Noidea19

Or I’ve come to the conclusion they have no idea what they are doing and just repeating what the previous person has said.
ive just given them the breakdown that I now understand thanks to your clear explanation.
and asked for a case manager to ring me as I literally cannot do anymore. I notified them when I claimed and handed it the fit note at the appointment all which is on the claim via journal.
this whole system is so frustrating but thank god for this site as at-least I now understand the process even if they do not.

poppy123456

I would just continue and request the Mandatory Reconsideration on the decision not start his first payment from assessment period 1st Dec to 31st December, with first payment being 7th Jan. 

Remind them that you gave the first fit note at the appointment on 6th Sept, which is when you said you did that. 

Noidea19

A quick update, I just checked his payment which is due on 7th of Jan and his LCWRA is included. If only they had checked this before letting me know I was wrong.
Thank heavens it’s sorted but they clearly need re training.

poppy123456

I had assumed you had checked his statement for this month as it’s your responsibility to do that. Glad it’s included.