Just been awarded LCWRA

BrettW

Hi new here.

At the end of March this year I unfortunately had a heart attack which the hospital have informed me resulted in a part of my heart dying off. I had been sending in 6 weekly sicknotes from my Doctor to the DWP up until recently when things changed. In July  the DWP sent me a questionaire to fill in because I had been declared sick for a period of months. I didn't ask for this to be done they just sent it to me.

Recently I had to have an over the phone interview with an assessment officer who asked me various questions about how my illness affected me and such and I answered honestly because I had been told by the DWP it was just to access whether I needed to physically attend the job centre for interviews.

On the 13th of this month I received a letter in my journal stating that they had reached the decision I had Limited Capacity for Work and Work Related Activities. The letter also stated that I may entitled to extra money on My Universal Credit and other benefits and that these will be added to my account on my next payment. 

Yesterday I was due a pre-arranged job search interview with my work coach but when he rang he said I see you've been classed as LCWRA so you no longer need to come to the job centre or look for work. He then stated that the next review for this LCWRA could be anything up to 17 months time which I thought was an odd number of months and that this LCWRA is being backdated to May. He didn't say if I was entitled to anything else.

After I came off the phone I started to look this stuff up and found out that they dont pay out on this for the first three months. On that basis they got my first sick note for the end of March so surely my claim should only be backdated to July and is that 17 month figure correct that he quoted me because 17 months seems a very odd timeframe to me?

Ross_Alumni

Hi @BrettW and welcome to the community I have tagged your post as unanswered so that people will hopefully help to solve your issue.

You might find some useful discussions over in our disability benefits section.

BrettW

thanks for that

janer1967

Hi and welcome 

The 17 months is only a guide you will continue to get the payment until another review is done and this can be anytime after 3 months of being awarded but that doesn't happen much 

Your award remains until another reassessment takes place and you will get the forms to complete again 

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

That's great news. LCWRA is indeed a 3 month waiting period but it's actually 3 full assessment periods and then it's starts on the 4th month of your claim with the extra money being paid from then going forward. Whether you're owed any backdated money will totally depend on your assessment period dates and when you first reported/sent the fit/sick note from your GP. The LCWRA element is an extra £341.92 per month.

The length of time that you've been given is just a guide and nothing more. LCWRA is for an ongoing period and doesn't stop unless you've either been founf fit for work or they place you into the law group which is LCW. You can be reassessed anytime from 3 months.

BrettW

poppy123456 said:

HI and welcome,

That's great news. LCWRA is indeed a 3 month waiting period but it's actually 3 full assessment periods and then it's starts on the 4th month of your claim with the extra money being paid from then going forward. Whether you're owed any backdated money will totally depend on your assessment period dates and when you first reported/sent the fit/sick note from your GP. The LCWRA element is an extra £341.92 per month.

The length of time that you've been given is just a guide and nothing more. LCWRA is for an ongoing period and doesn't stop unless you've either been founf fit for work or they place you into the law group which is LCW. You can be reassessed anytime from 3 months.

My workcoach went onto the system and checked whilst he was speaking to me Poppy and said that I was entitled to extra money and it was being back-dated to May. My first sicknote covered me from 29th March so May doesn't add up. Surely it should only be backdated from july at the earliest?

poppy123456

Without knowing the exact dates of your assessment periods or if you don't know then telling me when you first claimed UC and when you sent your first fit note then i won't be able to advise you further.

BrettW

Hi Poppy just an update. They are paying me a payment on 3rd of novemeber and have also backdated the October payment on my statement on the 26th but as of yet have not paid it to me. I'll be keeping an eye on it because the amended amount paid on my journal has been updated even though they haven't paid it me yet so it looks like I was paid more than I actually was in October and this amount is not showing on the November payment due on the 3rd