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Another Universal Credit / LCWRA query.

JoelH

I'm really confused about when I will be paid and what I will receive.

I started a UC claim at the beginning of the year and started submitting sick notes shortly after. I was found to have qualified for LCWRA on the 29/05 and was told that i would have to wait another 3 full assessment periods before i receive it. My last journal message said it would be paid in the assessment period 22/09 - 21/10 which we are in now, however I did not receive anything in my last payment on the 28/09 or since.

I have also read conflicting things about back pay.

Claim starts: 22nd Jan. First Payment 28/02

First sick note: 07/03 (assessment period 22/02 - 21/03)

LCWRA granted: 29/05 (During assessment period 22/05 -21/06)

1st Full assessment period: 22/06 - 21/07 (paid on 28/07)

2nd 22/07 - 21/08 (paid on 28/08)

3rd 22/08 - 21/09 (paid on 28/09)

4th 22/09 - 21/10 (payment due on 28th October)

So, When they said they I would be paid in the 4th assesment period did they actually mean the 28th October, and will there be any backdating?

hope this makes sense,

Joel.

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Comments

Kimi87

LCWRA has 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.

The waiting period starts from the date of the first Fit Note *

Looking at your information my estimate would be:

February/March: Partial Assessment Period not counted for waiting period

March/April: AP 1

April/May: AP 2

May/June: AP 3

June/July: Eligible for LCWRA element

July 28th: First LCWRA element paid.

*In order to serve the waiting period Fit Notes must be provided without gaps up until the decision. Any gaps will impact on when UC start the waiting period from.

It is the date they are given to UC that counts, not the start date written on them.

Considering that information, do you have any gaps?

Backpay usually takes at least several weeks to calculate, with your decision in May I would have expected backpay and LCWRA to be in payment monthly by now had your Fit Notes been submitted without any gaps.

JoelH

the 07/03 is the date it says I uploaded the fit note on my journal.

JoelH

I submitted a further fit note but I cant remember if the dates on them all together would be continuous uninterrupted period.

JoelH

So what the person who wrote in my journal seems to be saying is that the count of the number of assessment periods starts from the date the decision for eligibility was made (29/05) rather that the date of the first fit note (07/03)

Kimi87

If there was a gap in Fit Notes that would have impacted the start of the waiting period.

UC don't always give the right advice on the Journal, but they are saying your waiting period begins on the decision date, and you should first receive payment for the September/October AP with payment arriving on 28th October.

If they are correct then no backpay will be due.

JoelH

This from the governments own website:

" 8.2 LCWRA: when you’ll get extra money
If your WCA decision is LCWRA, you’ll usually get the extra money 3 monthly assessment periods after you started submitting medical evidence (such as fit notes) showing that your condition limits how much work you can do."

…so in theory it should get a little bit of backdated pay.

Kimi87

That depends on the Fit Notes being continuous, as I advised.

Any gap impacts on when UC start the waiting period.

If they start the waiting period from your decision, it's unlikely any backpay is due.

May/June: Partial Assessment Period not counted for waiting period

June/July: AP 1

July/August: AP 2

August/September: AP 3

September/October: Eligible LCWRA element

October 28: First LCWRA element paid.

JoelH

Why would they start the waiting period from the decision date (29/05) when their own guide says it should start from my first fit note submission though? (07/03)

Kimi87

You are free to disagree with me and ask a trained benefits advisor about the impact of gaps in Fit Notes on the LCWRA waiting period.

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

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