Claiming UC & Payments

themidnitesky

Hi everyone- I'm new here and wandered if anybody may be able to advuse me please?

My son is 21 and has depression and severe social anxiety that prevents him going out. He can become rather aggressive and confrontational if encountering anyone/ places he doesn't know and doesn't go out except if someone is with him that he knows. He was under CAMHS at age 9 and gingbthrough an autism assessment but it got so bad for him that we stopped taking him.

He applied for UC and has just received his first month's payment which is the standard amount.  The DWP suggested I become his appointee due to his medical grounds which I did.

We were told by the CAB that he should be entitled to an extra premium because of his health/ disability but he has only received the standard single persons entitlement as he is under 25.

We uploaded his fit note from the GP and I organise all his journal activity being his official appointee.

Could you tell me whether I have to apply for the extra premium separately as they have not said anything about this extra amount and have only paid his first monthly standard payment and if so how I apply for it. I naively thought it would be paid along with his first month's payment that was paid 5 weeks after his application date at the beginning of September.

Many thanks.

janer1967

Hi and welcome 

When he applied for UC did he state he was not fit for work ? If so by sending in sick notes this will trigger the process

After sending in sick notes for 28 days or more this will trigger a work capability claim. DE will send out some forms to complete and these should be filled in and sent back with any required evidence. They will then arrange an assessment at present they are over the hone and then a decision maker will make a decision and there could be 3 different outcomes

Fit for work- No additional payment and expected to look for work

LCW- No extra payment and exected to prepare for work and attended courses and stuff

LCWRA- Additional payment and expected to look for work

There s also a waiting period of 3 months after the first sick note is submitted before he would be eligible for the additional payment if that is awarded

This process can take some time to complete but of any payment is due it will be backdated to the time the waiting period wouldd be ended

Hope this helps any other questions just ask

He may need to prompt his work coach to refer him for the work capability

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

The extra money you're talking about is the LCWRA element and for this he will need to have a work capability assessment first. Once the decisions been made if it's LCWRA then he'll receive the extra element from the 4th month of his claim. If the decision takes longer than 4 months then the money will be backdated, providing the decision is LCWRA.

After about 28 days his work coach should refer him for a work capability assessment, once this is done he'll receive the work capability assessment form to fill in and return with all his information.

I'll add some links which you can have a read. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Universal_Credit_Work_Capability_Assessment

Although this link says ESA, it applies to the work capability assessment for UC as well.

https://www.chdauk.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance-esa

Hope this helps.

Tori_Scope

Welcome to the community @themidnitesky I hope the above advice has been useful? Let us know how you get on. 

themidnitesky

Thank you everybody @janer1967, @poppy123456.

Does he have to undertake the assessment before he completes the associated form?

Many thanks again- I'm very grateful.

Joe

Adrian_Scope

Hello and welcome to the community @themidnitesky.

If he hasn’t done so already he needs to report his condition via his online account and obtain a fit note from his GP. 

After a month of handing in fit notes they should refer him for a Work Capability Assessment and the first stage of this is the UC50 form.

You would fill this out explaining about him and the impact of his condition and they’ll use your form and any accompanying evidence to decide whether he needs an assessment or if they can make a decision without one.

At the moment face-to-face assessments are on hold so if they do decide he needs one it will be by telephone. 

janer1967

Hi again as mentioned above the form is completed first then a decision is made on the need for an assessment 

Most lead to a phone assessment some are paper based but not that many 

poppy123456

themidnitesky said:

Thank you everybody @janer1967, @poppy123456.

Does he have to undertake the assessment before he completes the associated form?

Many thanks again- I'm very grateful.

Joe

No, it's other way around. The form first and then the assessment. Most people have face to face assessment in normal times but these are not normal times. Face to face assessments are suspended and telephone assessments have replaced them. Most people have them, a paper based assessment is rare. If they can't get enough of information through a telephone assessment then he'll need to wait for the face to face assessments to start back up again.

themidnitesky

@poppy123456 thank you ever so much- you've been such a great help and I appreciate your time and advice.

poppy123456

You're welcome.

You'll need to make sure you continue to send the fit notes, until a decision's been made on the work capability assessment.