Hi, my name is gedsy!

gedsy

Hi. I was diagnosed with a form of cancer on 10th April 2024 and submitted my GP’s first sick note stating that I was unfit for work to the DWP on 30th April. At this point I was receiving Jobseekers Allowance of £393 monthly. I was then assessed as having LCWRA on 26th June. On 1st August I asked through my journal when I would receive a payment for LCWR and received the following response:

According to your LCWRA decision letter you will be entitled to LCWRA payment 3 months after the decision you received on 26/06/2024.

This means after 3 full Assessment Periods, not including the assessment period with the date of 26/06/2024.

Your LCWRA element payment will be on your November UC payment calculation.

This differs significantly from my understanding and from the letter I received which states:

In most cases, you will be entitled to LCWRA payments from 3 months after the day you gave us medical evidence showing that your condition means you cannot work. 

The medical evidence may have been either fit notes or self-certification of a health condition that lasts up to 7 days.

Please could someone clarify this for me and advise on whether I should take this up with the person who responded to me in my journal.

Many thanks

poppy123456

They are not correct. Providing you continued to provide fit notes without any gaps until a decision was made on your work capability assessment the waiting period starts from when you provided your first fit note.

If there was gaps in the fit notes then this can affect when the extra money is paid from.

What date do you usually receive your money each month?

gedsy

Hi poppy123456

Thank you for your reply. I did submit fit notes without any gaps up until the decision to award LCWRA was made.

I usually receive my payment on 7th of the month. My assessment periods begin on the 1st of the month as I first submitted a claim on 1st December 2023.

poppy123456

That means your waiting period will be May, June, July.. LCWRA element starts from assessment period 1st August to 31st August and first payment will be 7th September. No LCWRA element is owed.

You will need to check your next statement to see if the element is included.

gedsy

Thank you very much for clarifying this for me. Do you think it would be worth me pointing this out to the agent who responded incorrectly to my query or would the calculation and commencement of payment of the LCWRA element be outside their area of responsibility?

poppy123456

You’re welcome. No, there’s no point at the moment because it’s a case managers responsibility to include the element and not the agents.

If it’s not included in your next statement then put a message on your journal under the payment section.

Jimm_Scope

Hey @gedsy, I know Poppy has already answered your question, but I just wanted to welcome you to the forum 😊

Please do let us know how you get on, as you really should be getting that money from when you first submitted your fit notes. Feel free to ask any other questions too!