UC LCWRA and UC50 help please!

StarLilly

Hi everyone, I'm new here and jumping straight in with a UC LCWRA question, so I apologise if this has been asked and answered already.

My husband and I have done our Tax Credits to Universal Credit migration application claim this week. I have a chronic health condition that has become worse over the past 12 months and had to stop working (self employed) at the end of March 2024 - although the tax office stated they didn't consider me as working at all over the tax year 2023 -2024 as I earnt so little again due to struggle with my condition as it worsened.

I filled out my Universal Credit form and stated I am disabled and receiving PIP, but they stated I am fit for work and a work coach will contact me. They also wanted me to physically attend the job centre just to verify my ID (they didn't do this with my husband's ID even though he unpload both my and his documents to the UC portal).

I explained in my UC journal that I can not physically attend the centre due to my disabilities and they said they would do a home visit instead - this is just for looking at my ID documents and feels so invasive and unnecessary! I also suffered from PTSD / anxiety and having someone come to the house I don't know can be very triggering.

They have now said they will try to do a phone can to verify my ID but I still may need to have an appointment to come in to the job centre if they decide to. I don't understand why they have singled me out for this and not my husband (who would have no issues getting to the job centre to verify his ID).

Also, a UC50 has not been mentioned and thanks to the SCOPE helpline advice I have now asked why I haven't been issued one. The reason I have been given is that I need to get a Fit Note from my GP that lasts for more than 28 days before being issued a UC50 form. NOWHERE, on the UC claim form does it state this.

Does this all sound correct to you? Are UC behaving in the way they are legally supposed to? tbh, this is all causing me so much stress and causing my symptoms to become more severe this seems cruel. Any advice would be so greatly welcomed 🙏

Meg24

Definitely get that sick note in as soon as you can as they will only backdate it to then. Hopefully Poppy or someone else will tell you how to upload it and start the process. Good luck

Kimmy87

Yes that is correct.

Once you have a Fit Note, your work coach will add an upload link onto your journal (it will appear on your To Do list).

On day 29 your work coach should start the WCA process which will trigger a UC50 form.

https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-disability-universal-credit

StarLilly

Thank you both. That's all really helpful to know.