LCWRA Backpay

DanielleGee

Hello! I’m new to the forum and just looking for some advice or help! I was first diagnosed with my illness back in 2012 and have been struggling with it on and off since then. 

Back in October 2019 I was signed off my work after a relapse with my illness unfortunately my job at the time only paid ssp and I was told I could claim uc which I did and my claim started the 28/10/19. I’ve essentially been signed off since the 28/10/19 but I don’t think my first sick line for uc was until the 18/11/19 I’m not 100% sure. I was solely claiming uc and receiving ssp from my employer until may 2020 until my ssp stopped from then on it was uc.

I had previously in feb 2020 with the help of citizens advice asked for the uc50 form as I wasn’t sure when or if I’d be back to work. I was told on my journal that I couldn’t receive the form unless I was getting pip or another disability benefit. I eventually was awarded pip in July and then received the form for the job centre in August which I filled out and got sent out right away. 

I didn’t hear anything about the form again or an assessment due to the on going pandemic. I was then made redundant January 2021 which I knew beforehand in December when my previous employer told us. I had let uc know through my journal and they had said to apply for jsa first but then because I was still signed off by my gp and wasn’t going to be able to work I was told to apply for esa which I started receiving payment for from end of January 2021 onwards. 

I eventually got my health assessment via phone round about end of April start of may 2021 and was then sent a letter through my journal which I was awarded lcwra. It was the standard letter that most
people receive saying they’d be in touch within seven days to let me know if they were owe me any money and that I no longer needed to hand in sick lines. I had to phone up after a week as I received a letter asking for a sick line and because no one was replying to my journal entries. They basically confirmed that I didn’t need to hand in sick line and put note on to say I’ve been awarded etc and that I would be awarded money and should find out shortly. 

It’s now been a couple of weeks and I’ve still had no letter or any communication to say if I’m owed backpay but I have had my first payment of my extra element on uc. I’m just wondering when you typically find out about back pay and whether I’m actually due anything. I’ve been getting the assessment esa rate since January until 4th of may 2021 and my assessment period for uc runs from 28th of the month until 27th with my pay date being the 4th of the month.

Sorry for such a long question, but if anyone can help or give some advice that would be amazing! 

Thanks! 

calcotti

DanielleGee said: I was told on my journal that I couldn’t receive the form unless I was getting pip or another disability benefit. 

Although irrelevant now, that advice was wrong.

DanielleGee

Thank you for reply! Yes I kinda thought so too but at the time I wasn’t well enough to try and sort it or argue with uc

DanielleGee

Can someone please help or give advice? Thanks

calcotti

Trying to summarise the relevant sequence
Claimed UC 28/10/2019
First Fit Note to UC 18/11/2019
PIP awarded July 2020
UC50 issued and completed August 2020
Claimed ESA January 2021
Now found to have LCWRA.

When I said that the advice that you could not be issued the UC50 unless you got PIP was wrong I assumed that when you say that you were getting SSP from your employer it was only SSP you were getting with no additional occupational sick pay. If you were getting occupational sick pay the advice may have been correct depending on how much sick pay you were receiving.

If it was only SSP you were receiving then given that you have provided Fit Notes continuously since November 2019 you ought to be entitled to the LCWRA element from your UC payment on 4th April 2020. 

DanielleGee

@calcotti sorry for my delayed response. Summary is correct however I’m not sure if I had sickline before 18/11/19 but I’ll just go with the summary you’ve got as it’s the closest to correct. 

No occupational sick pay just ssp from employer as they didn’t have any sick pay other than ssp from government. 

Thank you very much for your reply and answer. Least I know a rough time when I should have been getting lcwra element. Just frustrating because I’ve had no response yet of what I’m getting or possibly when I’ll get it. I’ve left a few messages now in my journal no response!