Where to find LCW form and descriptors

Joe__F

I applied for PIP nearly a year ago, and I'm currently appealing DWP declining my claim. The process has been horrendous.

I will be below maximum savings threshold for universal credit in a few weeks time, and I'm now looking into getting LCW so I don't have to apply for lots of jobs while I'm currently disabled and recovering from long term illness.

Does anybody have any advice about how to go about doing this? I know I need to first get a doctor's note, and my experience with PIP tells me that it would help to ask the doctor to word that carefully at this stage.

I also remember when I was looking into PIP there was a helpful website with a quiz where I put what I was able to do for each descriptor and it told me what score I could aim for. Can someone direct me to a similar site for LCW for universal credit?

Also where is the form that I'd need to fill out for LCW?

Thanks

Joe

Ross_Alumni

Hello @Joe__F

Thanks for posting, I hope you are getting on okay.

Sorry to hear about your PIP, how are you getting on with that process?

In terms of LCWRA and Universal Credit, Scope have a help page here that you could go through at your own pace, and it will explain the key aspects. There is also a useful guide here on the Benefits and Work website that details how you qualify for LCWRA.

wilko

@jo__F, hello and welcome. The site you may have been looking at reference the PIP descriptors is the Benefits and Works site. I have just looked online putting ESA descriptors and scrolling down came across the site. A self test for ESA . Ross as given you the direct link .

poppy123456

Personally, the self tests for both PIP and the work capability assessment are completely pointless if you don't fully understand what the descriptors mean and the criteria for each benefit. Anyone can tick a descriptor that they think is relevant and it's very easy to over score and even under score yourself.

If you're assessed as having just LCW there's no extra money for this as your claim started after April 2017. The extra money applies to those found to have LCWRA. The extra money is from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you reported your health condition, provding you sent a fit note within 7 days of reporting the health condition and you continued to send them with no breaks.

calcotti

To answer the part of your question seeking a copy of the WCA questionnaire, you can find one here
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/985609/uc50-interactive.pdf

Joe__F

Hi everyone thanks for your advice. I spoke to an advisor at Mind when I was writing my appeal for PIP and she was very helpful, I wish I had spoken to her before my initial application.

I have PTSD and I have flashbacks triggered at least daily which can last for an hour or two. Does anyone know whether this would be likely to qualify me on the 'staying conscious while awake' category?

Don't think I will qualify for LCWRA, so I'm aware that I won't get any additional money from universal credit. I need to be exempted from applying for jobs 35 hours a week, I understood that this would be called LCW.

poppy123456

If you're found to have LCW you won't be expected to look for work but you'll be expected to prepare for work sometime in the future, which could mean attending appointments with your work coach.