Lcwra payment rules

salkhan

I've just spoken to my uc management team. 21st September till 25 December is my 3 months assignment period.

 

Everytime I ask about the assessment period from 25th December till 21st January they tell me they don't pay wca for part of an assessment period. 

 

So January's payment wasn't received, not even for a 3 weeks 3 days worth. I don't understand I am owed money for at least 3 weeks and 3 days almost £360. 

It's ridiculous to wait that 3m before any payment is made, now just bc its 4 days into the second assessment period they kind of ripped me off, almost a month pay.

 

Any advice?

poppy123456

You can’t receive anything for part of an assessment period because UC doesn’t work like that. UC entitlement is based on your circumstances on the last day of your assessment period.

The waiting period for LCWRA is 3 full assessment periods. It then starts from the 4th after you provided your first fit note and first payment is at the end of that month. This is because UC is paid 1 month in arrears. 

What date exactly did you provide your first fit note?

What date do you receive your money each month? 

salkhan

poppy123456 thank you for your reply. I provided my first fit note 21st September. I receive payment on the 27th each month. 

poppy123456

That means your waiting period is Sept/Oct, Oct/Nov, Nov/Dec... LCWRA starts from assessment period 21st Dec to 20th Jan and first payment will be 27th Jan. This is assuming there were no gaps in your fit notes up until a decision was made. 

Your payment for assessment period Dec/Jan will be 27th Jan because as I advised above, UC is paid 1 month in arrears. 

You have not been "ripped off" 

I don't understand what you mean by "assessment period 25th Dec to 21st Jan because that's not your assessment period. 

An assessment period last for 30 days each month and the first day will be the date you submitted your claim when you first claimed UC. Your UC payment will then be 7 days after the last day of that assessment period. 

Hope this helps understand it a little more. 

salkhan

Thank you poppy123456, that's exactly what I told them, I should have got the first lcwra payment on the 27th January but I didn't. The first payment started on 27th Feb. 

Each month they assess my income benefit etc 21st Dec to 20th Jan and told me its part assessment so I'm not entitled to lcwra in January bc the assessment period is 3 weeks 3 days not a full month. 

poppy123456

Are you 100% sure that you provided your first fit note on 21st September? Or was that the date on the fit note and you didn't provide it until after that date? Please check your journal. 

I don't know what you mean by part assessment, there's no such thing for UC because an assessment period lasts for 30 days each month. 

salkhan

Hi, on the journal it's states 25th Sept, on the actual fit notes its 21st September.

There's a difference of 3 days. I know there's is no such thing as part assessment. Thats where the management team is confusing me. 

Uc assess me 21st to 20th each month. That's were the part assessment comes in and he told me in not eligible for the January's pay.

I went to citizens advice bureau and they couldn't help me. 

Regards 

poppy123456

salkhan said:

Hi, on the journal it's states 25th Sept, on the actual fit notes its 21st September.

This is exactly what I thought and it's what your problem is. I asked what date you provided your first fit note and not the date on the fit note. I can only advise based on the information you give. 

Although the fit note was accepted at the time when calculating when the extra money is paid from it will not be accepted as a backdated fit note. They will go from the date you actually provided it. 

This changes when your first payment will be because the waiting period is 3 FULL assessment periods. There's no such thing as part UC assessment periods or part payments for part of a month.

For this reason your waiting period will be Oct to Jan... LCWRA starts from 21st Jan to 20th Feb and first payment is 27th Feb. Unfortunately UC have advised you correctly. 

salkhan

Okay thanks, but citizens advice is on board, as they also agree 25th Oct, 25 Nov and 25th Dec is the full 3 months waiting period. We just can't understand wheres the 25th payment is. 

The part payment is were the confusion is bc 21 Dec and 20th Jan assessment isn't the full 30 days, that's why Martin said its part assessment as it falls 4 days over the assessment 25th Dec to 20 Jan and said they don't pay for 3 weeks 3 days.

The UC rules is a rip off, doesn't benefit the disabled and the rules they make is complicated, initially I was expecting 6m payment, then I was told about the 3m wait, so thought to myself I'll get 3m payment due to my calculations, then I only ended up getting 2m payment. 

Thanks for your advice. 

poppy123456

Citizens advice quite often give some quite alarming advice and this is no exception to that. I"m afraid they are not correct. Who's Martin? who ever they are again, they are not correct because there's no such thing as a part assessment for UC purposes.

The payment for 25th doesn't exist because your AP are 21st to 20th and payments are 27th over every month. Your UC entitlement is based on your circumstances on the last day (20th) of each month. 

Let me explain.. Your AP are 21st to 20th of each month..

21st to 20th Oct.. provided fit note on 25th Sept, which was after the start of that AP so this month doesn't count because it has to be 3 FULL assessment periods. 

21st Oct to 20th Nov.. 1 month
21st Nov to 20th Dec ... 2 months
21st Dec to 20th Jan... 3 months

LCWRA starts from 21st Jan to 20th Feb... first payment 27th Feb. This is because UC is paid 1 month in arrears. 

salkhan

Thank you for the explanation, yes cab are sometimes wrong. 
Martin is the case manager from UC who looked at my comcern. 

salkhan

At least I am on this now, and I am grateful regardless of the misunderstanding.