Hi, my name is danixxx! If I get LCWRA, will it be backdated

danixxx

Hi I started claiming jsa August 2021 as of September 2021 I provided fit note then another one 4 weeks later 
they then sent me a wca questionnaire 
I have now returned the questionnaire and am waiting now for there decision 
If I get lwrca for example in 3 months time 
will this be backdated from my first fit note that I gave in September ? 

6th august to the 5th September is my assessment period an so on 

poppy123456

HI,

It sounds like you claimed Universal Credit and not JSA because there's no work capability assessment when claiming JSA.

For the work capability assessment most people have either a telephone assessment or a face to face assessment so you should expect one of those.

If you are eventually found to have LCWRA there's a 3 full month assessment period waiting time (which means it's not paid at all for those months) and the extra money is then paid on the 4th month of your claim starting from when you reported your health condition.

This means that the extra money would be payable from either January or February 2022 depending on the exact date you reported your health condition.

danixxx

Hi poppy thanks for the reply I was definitely claiming jsa on universal credit I had 2 payments from them but in between provided my sick notes that’s when they then sent me the work capability questionnaire to fill in 
I then received a call of the health coach who said I don’t have fo prepare or look for work and my next appointment will be December 2021 over the phone 
she also asked if I had returned the work questionnaire 

danixxx

Also you say January or February (if found I have lcwra) will I be awarded back payment 
from September 22 up untill jan ? 

This is the part I don’t understand 

poppy123456

JSA is not UC, they are 2 completely different benefits. UC has replaced all the old benefits (including JSA) and is one benefit with various different elements.

As previously advised, there's a 3 full month assessment period waiting time. The extra money is then paid from the 4th month of your claim. So if you didn't report your health condition until middle of August or September, that will be in the middle of an assessment period, which wouldn't count because it's not a full assessment period.

So again, what date exactly did you report your health condition and did you send your fit note within 7 days of reporting your health condition?

danixxx

I told them I had health condition when I first made a claim 06/08 poppy but I then had to go to job centre for a meeting with my work coach on the 12/08 to help look for work even though I am not well enough to work, my next app with the work coach I was 2 depressed to attend so I put a note on my journal to state this, this was on the 
31st August 
On the 03/09 I provided a sick note then another one the following month
they then put a note on my journal
to say we have sent you a work capability assessment which I have now returned 

danixxx

I have suffered since 2017 am haven’t worked and haven’t ever claimed benefits as I was unaware there was help 
also applied for pip 31/08 as was made aware of that aswell 

danixxx

I understand so if any back payment  is awarded it would be 3 months in total for the time they took to asses my claim 
An I would be backdated in January for the 3 months assessment? 

Sorry new to all
this so don’t understand anythin or how it works 

poppy123456

When you report a health condiiton, you're supposed to send a fit note within 7 days. As you didn't do this, DWP may not accept you reporting your health condition at the start of your claim, which could delay your extra money, if you're found to have LCWRA.

If they accept the late fit note and acknowledge you reported the health condition at the start of your claim then the waiting period will be Aug/Sept, Sept/Oct, Oct/Nov, LCWRA starts 6th Nov/5th Dec and payment will be from 12 December.

If they don't accept if from the start of your claim because the fit note wasn't reported until the end of your first AP so that won't count. The waiting period will be Sept/Oct, Oct/Nov, Nov/Dec, LCWRA payable from 6th Dec/5th Jan with payment from 12th January 2022.

You must make sure there are no gaps in your fit notes going forward. Of course the assessment process may take several months because there's huge backlogs. If this happens and it's gone past your waiting period, you will be paid backdated money if the decision is LCWRA.

danixxx

They never asked me to provide a sick note even though I declared a health condition at the start 
they only asked me to provide one when I was 2 unwell to attend the meeting with work coach which I did almost right away 
how long do you have to wait to hear back once retuning the questionnaire is it 3 months ? 

This doesn’t help with how your feeling as If my days/nights rnt bad enough 

poppy123456

danixxx said:

I understand so if any back payment  is awarded it would be 3 months in total for the time they took to asses my claim 
An I would be backdated in January for the 3 months assessment? 

Sorry new to all
this so don’t understand anythin or how it works 

No, that's not correct. If you're found to have LCWRA there's no extra money paid at all for the waiting period, as advised above.

poppy123456

It would have told you on your journal that you needed to report a fit note. Waiting times for assessments vary, some wait just a couple of months, while others wait several months. Backlogs are huge.

Same for PIP, potentially 10 months from starting your claim to having a decision.

danixxx

Yes as soon as I was asked
for a fit note I did it 2 days later or next day 
and I won’t get any back payments if found for lcwra ? 

Been advised by someone else you get it all backdated ? 

poppy123456

As previously advised the waiting period means it’s not paid at all for those first 3 months. The person who advised you differently is incorrect.

danixxx

It tells you online you get 3 months back payment ? 

poppy123456

No, it doesn’t. What it actually says is if it takes longer than 3 months it will be backdated to the assessment period to which it’s paid from, which I did advise you about.  See link. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Long-term-health-condition-or-disability-Universal-Credit

I’ve given all the advice there is to give on this now. Good luck for the assessment and for your PIP claim too. 

danixxx

Nothin registers poppy with my mental health it takes a while for me to understand what am being advised 
thanks for all your help 
I see you always comment on ere you must be fed up repeating yourself 
and am hoping I get what am entitled to as I have struggled for years without anythin only the help from my parents 

poppy123456

No worries, happy to help

danixxx

Hi has anyone here had the assessment/medical for lwrca 
what sort of questions do they ask ? 

poppy123456

If you have a copy of the form you filled in (you should have kept one for yourself) have a read of that to remind you what you wrote. Part of the assessment will be to verify what you wrote. They will want to know what a typical day is like for you.

No one can tell you exactly what they ask because we don't know how your conditions affect you. Everyone who's had a work capability assessment will be asked different questions depending on their conditions.

The assessment can last anywhere between 20 to 90 minutes, sometimes longer.

danixxx

If awarded lcwra will I receive this payment on top of my usual uc payment ?