How long is the wait for a WCA?

Ennazus

Hi, new here so be gentle, only posted once or twice before.

Trying to get an idea of how long people are currently waiting for a WCA, as I'm starting to worry.

Started new UC claim in August 2021 due to leaving an abusive relationship, so have had a lot to get my head round. But I suppied them with fit notes from the start of my claim, filled out and returned the UC50 form before the deadline of October 1st and been sending on additional supporting evidence to the email address I was given.

Have called for an update several times, told I'm in a queue awaiting an assessment date but they can't give any indication of when. I appreciate the pandemic has caused a backlog but its 4 months since the deadline and all the info I can find suggests they should be making a decision within 3 months of you first supplying a fit note, which was August 15th. 

I also get ESA, which was backdated to July and unless I get LCWRA it will stop after a year. When I said to the guy at the centre for health assessments I was worried I wouldn't be assessed before it stopped he laughed and said, oh it'll be done by then, but in the next breath said he could offer no timeframe on when I would get an assessment date!

Does anyone know if this is usual right now, or have any idea how long the wait for assessment dates is?

Or should I be worried that they're just overlooking my application? I don't know how or who I complain to.

All advice gratefully received 🙂

calcotti

People are waiting many months for assessments and it is a long time since the three month period was achieved. 

Some have indeed had ESA stopped after 12 months because assessment has not yet been completed. As you are claiming UC as well and the ESA is deducted from the UC you will be no worse off if the ESA stops. If you are later found to have LCWRA the ESA will be reinstated and all arrears paid (with appropriate deductions then made from the UC calculations when they too are revised). 

Hopefully however you will have a decision before 12 months is up.

poppy123456

Ennazus said:

all the info I can find suggests they should be making a decision within 3 months of you first supplying a fit note, which was August 15th. 

That's the waiting period before the LCWRA element can be paid from, it doesn't mean a decision should be made within that time. Even under normal times, it's rare a decision's been made within that time.

calcotti

poppy123456 said: That's the waiting period before the LCWRA element can be paid from, it doesn't mean a decision should be made within that time. Even under normal times, it's rare a decision's been made within that time.

To be fair, if things are working properly the assessment and decision should all be completed within 3 months. It was possible for ESA but UC has made it almost impossible, even without a pandemic, because of delaying issue of the UC50 to day 29.

poppy123456

 There's always backlogs and going by others on here even before the pandemic a lot of the time decision's were rarely made within the 3 month period.

janer1967

Have a look at other posts on here as examples of how long people are waiting read one this morning about waiting 26 months