Lcwra

saz786

Hi, just wanted some advice. I have been sending fit notes since the beginning of my claim Jan 2024. In November 2024 I received a uc50 form. I did not get a telephone assessment til yesterday. I was wondering if its awarded would I get back pay and how far would they go?

Kimi87

LCWRA has a waiting period of three full assessment periods, from the date the first Fit Note was handed in. No money is paid or subsequently owed for that period.

What was the exact date you reported the health condition? And the same for first Fit Note?

Did you provide them without breaks, any that were backdated?

What is your UC assessment period or payment date?

Do you get Transitional Protection or Carers Element in your name on UC award?

Do you claim with a partner who gets LCWRA themselves?

saz786

Hi I was sent messages from uc on my journal that I need to declare a fit note since the opening of the claim which was Jan 2024. However, I had been declaring fit notes only when they would send them to me. As I am also a carer I was receiving carers element. I now know you can not get lcwra and carers element. I received, a message in sept 2024 to report my health conditions as I had breaks in submitting fit notes. I told them This was because I thought you had to be asked to do so every time. I explained my illnesses in October and I completed the form uc50 in November 2024

My partner does not get lcwra

My payment date is 20th of each month

Kimi87

Due to the breaks in Fit Notes I won't be able to advise, as I have no idea when UC will start your waiting period.

As I said there is a waiting period of three full assessment periods before LCWRA is added to your payment. No money is paid or subsequently owed for that period.

Yes you will lose Carers Element if awarded LCWRA.

Do you have Transitional Protection on your claim?

saz786

Thank you so much for all your help. Sorry, but what does transitional protection mean? I did apply for universal credit as I was on tax credits first and told to migrate which I did pretty much straight away. Also my doctor has deemed me unfit for work indefinitely as I have have multiple illnesses that are permanent and unlikely to change.

Kimi87

Transitional Protection will be on your UC statements if you get it.

TP tops up your UC award if it's less than the legacy benefits you were previously on.

It is the DWP Work Capability Assessment that decides your fitness for work, rather than your GP.

saz786

Oh ok. No there is no TP showing. Thanks for all the info.theres alot to learn.

Jimm_Alumni

We have an advice section on how payments work here: Understanding Universal Credit payments | Disability charity Scope UK

Now, they start 3 months after your first fit note. However, the fit notes are not meant to have a gap. So it is likely your claim will only begin from the first fit note without any gaps afterwards. You mention that you were informed in September about reporting your health conditions and then explained them in October. Do you remember the date of the first fit note you sent around then without gaps?

saz786

Hi, thank you for your reply. Sorry for my late reply. It's been one of my bad days. I understand now how it works. The link was very helpful. Thanks. As I am new to UC I did not understand that I needed to provide fit notes every month on my journal. I just thought I would have to submit only when UC requested the fit note. I did inform the lady at the job centre of my illnesses but was not informed what I needed to do. I suppose it was confusing as I am a carer aswell and instead of being put down for LCWRA I was giving carers element. Also I assumed as my fit note was indefinite Jan 2024 to Jan 2124 . I would not have to keep sending the same information each time. There's no continuous fit notes because of this. So do I have to send them each month ?

poppy123456

You said the fit note was indefinite from Jan 2024 to Jan 2024, I'm assuming that was a typo and it should be from Jan 2024 to Jan 2025, is that correct? Please can you confirm that the fit note you provided in Jan 2024 was dated until Jan 2025?

If that's correct then no, you will not have needed to keep providing the fit notes each month because the end date was Jan 2025. You will only need to provide a fit note once that one ended.

saz786

Hi, My G.P made a fit note for 100 years He said its indefinate as Its very unlikely I'll get better. If anything Its getting worse. So as strange as it sounds it 2024 to 2124. It's because I have paoriatic arthiritis and a whole host of other illnesses.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/977200#Comment_977200

Ah ok I understand now, thank you. This means that there were no gaps in your fit note due to the length of the first one. I don't understand why they were asking you to provide fit notes after you provided the first one.

You said your payment date is 20th of every month so your assessment period dates are 14th to 13th of every month. You provided the first one on the same date you claimed UC. Therefor your waiting period is… Jan/Feb, Feb/March, March/April… LCWRA starts from 14th April to 13th May and first payment is 20th May 2024.

Money owed will be paid as a separate payment and often takes quite a few weeks to pay it.

saz786

Hi, Poppy Thank you so much for this information. I was stressing out so much and my anxiety was through the roof as I did not understand. Thank you to all others on this community who have helped me. It's really exhausting the whole system. Sadly one of my relatives took his life because of all the changes to his benefits. He had mental health issues and they got worse with the stress. Thank God their is forums like this for people like us. It's a lifeline.