Sick note & UC, but still having to job search?

hudson35

IveI had sick notes in for the last 3 months I'm on universal credit my work coach says i still need to do jobsearch but not to apply for any with me being sick? What's the deal 

Chloe_Scope

Hi @hudson35 and welcome to the community! I am unsure what to suggest. I will move the discussion into the UC section and hope this will get you more responses

poppy123456

Hi,

When handing in fit notes for UC it's the work coaches discretion whether or not they turn off the job searches, some do and some don't.

Sam_Alumni

Hi @hudson35
There is some information on claiming UC when your are sick on the CAB website that might help you out!

[Deleted User]

Hi @hudson35

As Poppy says, work coaches have a lot of discretion in this. There are certainly a lot of people who have valid fit notes and whose work coaches are still insisting that they undertake some work-related activity. 

The due process for querying the claimant commitment with your work coach is to formally ask for a review. Make it clear to the work coach what your difficulties are with the commitment but also that you are doing your best to comply with what the commitment says you should do. 

It may be appropriate to speak to your elected representative in parliament about this - your MP, if it is causing you difficulty.  

Gill_Scope

Samantha_79

Hello wondering if someone can shed some light on this for me please , I’m a full time Carer for my 24 year old
niece she has a walking disability ( she had a laminectomy back in 2015 ) which has left her with permant nerve damage to her right leg an foot she currently gets pip an esa , an also suffers with serve mental health personality disorder to list but a few that she’s been diagnosed with , she has recently moved an now had to make a claim for universal credits , due to her mental health she’s not taken this move very well , she’s been asked for a fit note ? But she had been awarded pip again in the summer (as we had to re apply ) for another 2 years an had another esa assessment 3 months again she was awarded it for another 2 years , her doctor hasn’t had to give her a sick note for many years due to the damage from that op to her leg an continued pain in her back which we was told by her surgeon was a temporary fix An will eventually
go again on the next ones up to the one he did ,  we assumed she woukd
just roll over with no need for a fit -sick note ? She is also being very rude in her journel to the job centre which is part of her mental health she doesn’t word things the same as what I would or someone with out her mental health issues so I’m also worrying for her about this behaviour surly they will know she suffers with metal health as we told them this on the claim online form , I’m worrying now she’s just going to say screw this kinda thing an not carry on with her claim she needs this money an her rent is not being paid , we have a support worker who is coming with us to her first appointment on weds as I don’t understand how all this works , will she have to get a fit note ? Surely they won’t be asking her to start looking for work ? She’s very unstable girl. Im worried sick she’s going to lash out at the job centre if her work
coach starts saying she’s to be looking for work she wouldn’t last a day even if her back an leg was ok due to her mental health. Just looking for some advice many someone has been through this already thanks in advance any advice be much appreciated. 

poppy123456

@Samantha_79 as she was previously in the Support Group for ESA then DWP should honour this and place her in the relevant group for UC, which is LCWRA and no fit notes will be needed. When she attends the appointment she needs to tell them this and also write on her journal that she was previously in the Support Group. This doesn't mean that she won't be reassessed under UC as she most likely will sometime in the future.

For her rent then she needs to take her tenancy agreement with her to her job centre and then she'll be paid the housing element of UC. With this she won't be paid this element.

Any premiums she was receiving for ESA will not be paid under UC.