Hi, my name is zam12345!DWP wont give me another WCA after 3 years,any advice would be appreciated.

zam12345

Hi all hope you're all well. I'm new here and need some advice I was working part time in 2019 and due to my mental health I had to leave but while I was working I was given a assessment for capability to work I was given the short one which does not pay extra but since then my health has worsened mentally and physically and iv been reporting this to UC for about 3 years now and asking for another assessment but all iv been told is I will get a form and now last week they gave me a phone number to call because they don't deal with work related assessments, I have been told I don't need to hand any fitnotes for about 2 years now but my problem is that UC just will not help me out at all and I know for sure I'm on the wrong benifits I should of been getting placed on the work related that pays extra, my support worker has even told them over my journal but it's always a different person and tells me a form will be sent. Any advice will be greatly appreciated as I think they should of started paying me extra nearly 3 years ago.

Many thanks in advance

Kimmy87

https://makeacomplaint.dwp.gov.uk/

Ask your support worker to assist you in making an official complaint, on the grounds that after reporting a change in your health three years ago, you still have not had the re assessment process started.

Emilee

I would follow Kimmy87's advice and make a complaint, but also, if you have not been submitting fit notes to Universal Credit (UC), they won't refer you for a reassessment. You've been misadvised not to do this. They should have instructed you to report a change in your circumstances due to your worsening condition, and to start submitting fit notes to UC to trigger a reassessment.

If you start doing this now, make sure to keep a record of your communications with them regarding your worsening condition. This evidence could be useful if you need to request that any decision be backdated, should you be awarded LCWRA.

zam12345

Thank you guys in 2019 I had to leave my part time job due to depression and anxiety but one month before I left I was awarded the lcw with no extra pay but I reported on my journal I had health change and many times I told them about my worsening health and at the time I was handing in fitnotes then they told me I don't need to hand anymore fitnotes but they never gave me another assessment even though iv been asking them for one, they always said a form is been sending out which I never received. But last month I was given a number and I called it and the guy gave me a date I will get my assessment but I have never been given the form to fill out and send to them so I don't understand how they will assess me.

Sorry for the late reply and thank you for the advice. I will wait and see what happens and let you know

poppy123456

This doesn't sound right to me. Before you have an assessment you need to be referred for one. Once this is done you'll receive a letter on your journal telling you that you've been referred. You will then receive the UC50 form in the post in a few days. You need to fill that in and return it by the date in the letter. You won't just have an assessment without that.

Have you now actually clicked "report a change" and then click "health" and reported it through there? Fit notes are also needed when you do this and you'll need to continue to provide them without any gaps until a decision is made on your new WCA.

zam12345

I have reported on journal and clicked it and I was providing fitnotes untill they said they don't need anymore

When I phoned that number the guy gave me a date for assessment it's on 13th Dec 24 at 2 o clock

Iv also had a message to remind me not to miss the call because it could affect my benifits. Do you think I should complain about all this or should I just go ahead with the assessment

poppy123456

Have you received a UC50 form? If not then it’s very odd that you have that appointment without being referred for another work capability assessment. Are you sure that this appointment is for this and not for something else?

TMJ1993

If you have been awarded a lesser WCA outcome (LCW), when you report a new/worsening health condition you are re-referred without the need to provide new medical evidence.
You only need to provide fit notes again if you were found to be capable for work.

poppy123456

When reporting a worsening of condition you are supposed to provide fit notes, even when you already have LCW. If you don’t do this it can affect when the extra money is paid from if found to have LCWRA.

zam12345

Remember your Work Capability Assessment is taking place by phone on 12/12/2024. Please be available at 02.30 PM for this call. Failure to attend may affect your benefit. Please check your appointment letter for full details of your assessment.

This is the message iv been sent.

What should I do because when they call me they won't know what is wrong with bme because they never sent me a form

Thank you

poppy123456

Are you 100% sure you haven’t received a form within the last year? Sorry for all the questions but usually they don’t just randomly do assessments like this.

If you’ve definitely not received the form then ring the assessment providers to tell them you haven’t received one.

zam12345

I Have never received one definitely because iv been asking for a assessment and been told by UC over my journal that it will get sent but I never received one. I will call them and let them know

Many thanks for your help and advice hope you all have a nice Christmas and New year

zam12345

I did get the LESSER award in 2019 when I had to leave my job due to depression and anxiety

zam12345

Hi everyone thank you so much for the help and advice.

I just came off the phone and the lady who done the assessment was really nice, I told her about my mental state at the moment and how I feel she told me she does not need to know anything else as what iv told her about my mental health is enough, I told her I wanted to tell her about another health issue iv got but she said she doesn't need anymore information as what iv told her is enough and she will send this to the decision maker and that was it. I hope it went ok as I don't understand why she didn't want to know anymore about my health.

Do you think it's a good sign or a bad sign she didn't want to know more?

Kimmy87

When the assessor feels they have enough information to make a recommendation, it's normal to end the assessment.

As any additional information wouldn't change their recommendation, it would be a waste of everyone's time continuing the assessment.

zam12345

Thanks. Will let you know the outcome when it comes

zam12345

Hi everyone I got a letter today on my journal saying I have been awarded the wrcra or whatever it's called lol, it's the award with extra money and they will look to see if I have any backpay. They have not told me when I will get paid.

Does anyone know when the first payment will be made, I normally get UC payment every 29th of the month.

Also if you have read my previous message I told you I had an assessment in 2019 when I was working but they awarded me the award which does not include the extra moñey, but a month after that I had to leave my job because my health got worse I gave fitnotes, since then I have been asking them for another assessment they kept saying the form will get sent to me but I never got one, now in 2024 I asked them why I'm getting no help so they gave me a number for me to call and ask why I'm not been given another assessment as it's been about 3 years now so they booked me a assessment which I passed, can anyone let me know if I'm entitled to backpay from the time I had to leave work which I told them about at the time. I have been giving fitnotes untill they told me I don't need to give anymore

Will I get a backpay for 3 years? Sorry about the long essay lol

Morgan_Scope

Hello @zam12345. A decision maker will decide if backdating is owed. Usually, if the DWP triggered the reassessment, no backdate would be given. But if you requested it after a change in circumstances, backdating should apply. Did you provide fit notes the whole time until a decision was made on your recent assessment?

zam12345

Yes I gave fitnotes untill they said I don't need to anymore

Kimmy87

As the letter awarding LCWRA has come quite close to your December statement, it might not be processed in time for your 29th December payment.

If it doesn't they will owe you one month's LCWRA element. When this has been processed you'll receive a letter on your Journal, and the money owed will be sent as a separate payment.

If you have any Transitional Protection on your claim, this will reduce by the LCWRA amount which is £416.19.

I do not think they will backdate any further than the date of the decision, because you haven't supplied continuous Fit Notes since reporting the health change.

From all that you've written the claim has been quite chaotic, not having a UC50 to fill in prior to the assessment for example is really unusual.

For that reason you might want to make a formal complaint, or request a Mandatory Reconsideration of the decision not to backdate (if that happens).

You could go to a local welfare rights organisation for help in taking things further

https://advicelocal.uk/

zam12345

Thank you I will wait till I get the letter

I have been giving fitnotes up until they told me I don't need to send anymore. There is no link on my journal to send another fitnote because they asked for one a couple of months ago and I got one but couldn't send it so I called them and they said because I been awarded wcr that's why there is no option on my journal to send fitnotes.

Many thanks for all the help and advice have a great Christmas and New year everyone