Disabled and UC interview.

ThirtySixteen
ThirtySixteen Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
in Universal Credit (UC)

Hi guys,

New to all this so please forgive me if my post is long and confusing.

We’ve just signed over to UC because of a migration notice.
I’m a carer for my disabled wife who is claiming high care and high mobility PIP.
My wife has:

SPD (basically a shattered pelvis)

Degenerative Disc Disorder

Fibromyalgia

Meniere’s

Raynaud’s phenomenon

Joint hypermobility

Sleep apnoea

Basically she hasn’t had to look for work for the last 10 years and I’ve been caring for her.
She can barely walk most days, she never sleeps more than 2-3 hours a night and needs regular naps in the day, some days she can’t even get out of bed, especially in bad weather.

Now she is being asked to attend a commitment interview for UC and she is petrified they’re going to make her look for work when she really can’t.
as I said before I need to care for her 24/7 most days.

Are we missing something here?

Thank you all for reading

Comments

  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,671 Championing

    Hi & welcome to the community. I do sympathise, as I have joint hypermobility due to having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, & that's bad enough on its own.

    Did you declare you were a carer when you migrated over to UC? If claiming Carer's Allowance this is deducted in full from UC, but you can claim the Carers element of UC.

    Was your wife claiming benefits other than PIP? If she was in the support group for ESA, then she will be placed in the equivalent LCWRA group, & not be expected to work. tho you should notify them about this.

    If not, did you declare her health conditions, together with supplying a fit note within 7 days of doing so?

    As a 'reasonable adjustment' with her disabilities you can ask to have a phone appointment, so she doesn't have to attend a commitment interview in person.

  • ThirtySixteen
    ThirtySixteen Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Hi,

    Thank you very much for your reply.
    yes, I declared my carer status and as such I don’t need the interview

    However, there was no place to declare my wife’s disability so I left it the ‘journal’


    We don’t have a fit note as she’s been declared not fit for work for 10 years now.
    She has never claimed ESA and has never been asked to look for work.

    She’s really worried and not sure what to do


    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/907303#Comment_907303

  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,671 Championing

    The initial commitment review will be just that she agrees to report any changes. However, as it's a joint claim, it would be beneficial if you reported your wife's disabilities, & I know it sounds daft to provide a fit note under the circumstances, but I'm sure her GP will be helpful in doing so. If you're unsure if you've done this, put it under 'changes' in your journal, & then supply that fit note within 7 days. After about 4 weeks this should ensure she has a form (a UC50) sent out, which should be completed & returned. If found to have Limited Capability for Work & work related activities (LCWRA) this would be worth an extra £416.19 a month.

    You can see the activities/descriptors here, & she only needs to have one that applies to potentially then receive this LCWRA element of UC:

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

    Hoping this helps, & don't be put off by the term 'fit note.' I do appreciate she's not been capable of any work for years, but the so-called 'fit/sick note' is needed to hopefully benefit you both at least financially.

  • Needhelpandadvice
    Needhelpandadvice Posts: 80 Empowering

    @ThirtySixteen You have a pinned universal credit managed migration thread which explains a lot of your questions.

    If your wife was on ESA with SDP then you need to write in the journal that she will be migrated to LWCRA which is no requirement to work.

    Once you sign onto universal credit, you will have to meet up with a work coach, that can happen in the job centre or possibly telephone call or video call.

    It is basically to confirm that your wife is a real person.

    ESA will take a couple of weeks to send the records across, you do not have to provide more fit notes, so keep telling them that.

    SDP = serve disability premium

    Hopefully someone can confirm what I have just said, as I have no clue on UC only what I have read so far.

  • ThirtySixteen
    ThirtySixteen Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/907328#Comment_907328

    Hi, thank you again.

    Upon looking back at the UC application I see we did in fact list all my wife’s health issues.

    I’ve made a note in her journal that she has been unable to work for years and even though over claimed ESA she has never been asked to look for work.

    The fit note might be a bit of a problem though as she can’t get a GP appointment for over 3 weeks.

    Thanks again.

  • ThirtySixteen
    ThirtySixteen Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener

    Hi, thanks for your reply.

    She’s never been on ESA. All we did before was claim IS and I am her carer.

    All we know is that she’s never been asked to look for work and no ones even mentioned a ‘fit note’ until this horrible UC migration

    Thanks

    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/907344#Comment_907344

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