Hi, my name is xxjanexx! Do I need to provide a fit note every 7 days?

xxjanexx
xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener
edited August 4 in Universal Credit (UC)

hi

I’m in a bit of a state…I tryed filling in my UC form and when it came to my health

I wrote in what I suffer from…they asked if I received esa I said no

Then a page came up saying they need a sick note for every 7 days

I’ve been on pip and the old disability living allowance both high rates

Have I done something wrong on the form please

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Comments

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 4,353 Online Community Team
    edited August 4

    Hi @xxjanexx, welcome to the community. Sorry to hear you're feeling stressed out.

    It's often that you can self-certify an illness for 7 days and then after that you'll have to provide a fit note. You might need to provide fit notes while you're waiting for a Work Capability Assessment, but as far as I'm aware it doesn't need to be every 7 days. It's been quite a while since I went through this process though, so I'm sorry that I can't be more certain about it! I'll pop your post into our Universal Credit section, hopefully one of our members has been through it recently and can share how it went for them 😊

    Just wanted to say hello and welcome anyway! I hope you can get it all sorted soon.

    Sorry just editing my post to ask: Is this claim a migration from ESA? Or is it a new claim?

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    A PIP award doesn’t automatically entitle you to Limited Capability for work. When you report a health condition you will need to provide a fit note within 7 days.

    When you have a fit note it will have a date that it expires on it, you will then need to provide another fit note and continue to do that until a decision is made on your work capability assessment. See link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    thank you☺️

    No me and my husband are on income support

    He is my carer

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    thank you

    I will ring UC in the morning ☺️

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    Please be very careful about ringing the helpline because they are not trained benefits advisors. In fact it would be the last place I'd advise you to ring. They are call centre staff with very little benefits knowledge, apart from sitting there reading from a screen. I've known them give some truly shocking advice to many people.

    If you have access to a journal everything can be done through there. Once you have a fit note you can log into that journal and click "provide a fit note" it will ask you for details of that fit note. You must keep that fit note just incase they ask for it, which they may.

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    Oh goodness me,thank you for letting me no.

    Perhaps I should go to citizens advice …..it’s just all so confusing 🤦🏻‍♀️

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    Hmm can't say I would recommend Citizens Advice either, sorry. Having advised many thousands of people on here, I can't tell you how many times the CA have given some really terrible advice. Although they do have a help to claim phone line, which I haven't heard of anything negative from.

    Have you actually submitted your claim for UC? Whether you have or haven't I'd be happy to advise you with any questions you have.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    thank you so much,I’m so grateful

    It’s the my health bit….i put in I have mixed personalities disorder and under active thyroid which I was diagnosed with about 6 months ago

    I put in that I see a consultant and blood test 3 monthly

    Next page said as I’m fit for work and I need to send sick notes

    I stopped there as I didn’t no what to do

    I receive pip high rate for both

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    You're welcome. The reason it asks to provide a fit note is because you reported your health condition. You and your husband can both report your health conditions and provide a fit note each but only one of you can receive the extra money for LCWRA anyway. It's a very stressful process which is why I advised just the one of you going through it.

    As a carer yourself, you have no commitments anyway, which means you don't have to attend appointments or look for work.

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    sorry I think you you misunderstood me

    My husband is my carer

    So do I have to get a sick note for myself?

    If so for how long?

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    Apologies, I mistook this thread with a different one. Yes, you will need to provide a fit note for yourself. As long as possible because you need to continue to provide them without gaps until a decision is made on your work capability assessment. That can take anything up to several months.

    If it's short dated then you'll need another one and that can be frustrating asking for another fit note all the time.

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    thank you so much

    Do you think 8 weeks will be long enough ?

    Do I screenshot it or post it?

    Sorry all these questions

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    That will be fine to start with but you'll need to provide another once that one has expired. Please make sure there's no gaps because that can affect when the extra money is paid from if found to have LCWRA.

    They ask you to provide the details on it but may also ask to see it so make sure you keep it.

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    ok thank you

    I’ll will get them to do it for 16 weeks just to be on the safe side

    I hope they don’t want to see me I get panicky going out

    It’s even worse if it’s somewhere I’ve never been before or met

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    For UC you will be treated as a job seeker until a decision is made on the WCA. A work coach has discretion to either turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don't. If they ask to see you in person you can ask for a telephone appointment as a reasonable adjustment.

    For the work capability assessment. (WCA) you will be referred usually from day 29 of your claim, although can be later sometimes. Once referred you will receive a letter on your journal telling you this and a few days later you'll receive the UC50 form in the post. You will need to make sure you fill it in and return it no later than the date in the letter. Any additional evidence you have should be sent with the form.

    Most people have assessments so you should expect one of those, they are mostly by telephone. Some are face to face or video. If you prefer telephone you can request that and change it if needed.

    You can see the descriptors here for LCWRA

    https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/limited-capability-for-work-related-activity

    LCW is here.

    https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/limited-capability-for-work

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    oh I really don’t like all this.

    So do I send the sick note in with the letter they send me

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    The letter referring you for the WCA will be uploaded onto your journal. The UC50 form will be sent in the post and you do not need fit notes for that. Fit notes are needed for UC itself and they are not proof that you have LCW.

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    thank you so much for help

    It’s very kind of you to help me so much

    I ring the mental health unit as soon as they open to get my consultant to do me a sick note

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,411 Championing

    You're welcome.

  • xxjanexx
    xxjanexx Community member Posts: 11 Listener

    no I haven’t submitted it yet

    Thank you so much

    The thing that is getting me in a state more than anything is under my health

    I put in …mixed personalities disorder

    Under active thyroid….which I’ve only been diagnosed with in the last 6 months


    I said I see a consultant….and blood test 3 monthly for my thyroid

    I don’t claim esa

    The next page it said that I have told them I’m fit for work and they need sick notes

    It’s the sick note bit …..I’ve never had to do that before

    I stopped there as I didn’t no what to do