Pip and work capability assessment

kasia85

Good afternoon 🌞

I made a claim for pip 24th September, I have phone assessment on 29 march and yesterday morning received text that they received my raport and will now make decision - is this is normal time to wait or maybe something is wrong?

To add to the stress- yesterday almost 6pm I received text from job centre I been referred for work capability assessment and I don't know what to think about it.

To give some background to my situation:
I was terminated from work after long time off because of health.

I just have my first appointment in job center on 21 April and been told that they will referred me for assessment after at least 3 months of providing fit notes from my GP.

I don't know what to think about everything, I constantly worry and this really impacting my mental and physical health.

Thank you in advance for any answer.

Alex_Alumni

Hello there @kasia85 and welcome, thank you for reaching out today and explaining things  

Regarding PIP, I know there's a lot of backlogs at the DWP currently, mostly due to Covid, and that most claims can take anywhere between 2-12 weeks to be fully processed. I don't think there's any need to worry, but I understand that the wait can be quite stressful.

You're on the final stage now, and you've done the hardest part, so if you can try not to dwell on it, focus on things you enjoy, and that will help the time pass. Whatever the decision, we are here to support you

As for your Work Capability Assessment (WCA): 

I just have my first appointment in job center on 21 April and been told that they will referred me for assessment after at least 3 months of providing fit notes from my GP.

It sounds as though the text you got last night was just confirming that you've been referred for assessment. It's good that you've been providing fit notes from your GP.

The WCA is used to see whether you will be placed in the support group for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or considered to have Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) for Universal Credit. You can read more about what to expect on the Turn2Us website.

I am sorry to hear about the impact this is having on both your physical and mental health, is this something you've been able to talk to your GP about? 

Can I ask what support you are getting for the way you're feeling at the moment? 

You might find mental health charity Mind's tips on self-care and managing anxiety helpful.

If you feel we can help with anything further please let us know, and keep us updated with how your WCA goes.

Alex

poppy123456

Regarding your PIP. Sometimes a report is chosen for audit, which means it's being checked to make sure the assessment provider did their job correctly. This is probably the reason why there was a delay in returning it to DWP. Now it's been returned a decision will be made and the timescale for this is between 2-12 weeks.

For your UC claim. As you've now been referred for a work capability assessment (WCA) in a few days you should receive a work capability assessment form in the post (UC50) you will need to fill this in with all your information and send evidence to support your claim. You can see the form here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uc50-form-universal-credit-capability-for-work-questionnaire

Once the form is returned you'll very likely need to attend a work capability assesment (like PIP but different criteria) waiting times for these are very long so you could be waiting several months. You will need to make sure you continue to send in fit notes without any gaps for your UC until a decision's been made on the WCA.

There's some information here regarding UC with a health condition. https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-disability-universal-credit

If you're found to have LCWRA then you will receive ectra money from the 4th month after you reported your health condition. You can see the descriptors for LCWRA here. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/limited-capability-for-work-related-activity

kasia85

Thank you very much for your help.


I'm currently under care of my GP, wellbeing practicioner, social perscriber ,

rheumatologist and neurologist.  I'm taking whole bunch of medication but I feel like my current situation pulling me down. To add something positive - I'm in much better mental condition than few months ago. Have a great afternoon everybody 🌞

Tori_Scope

I'm glad to hear that you're in a better position with your mental health now @kasia85, and that you've found the above comments helpful Please do keep us updated on your progress!

Please only share what you're comfortable with sharing, but I'd be interested in hearing about your experience of social prescribing. Do you find it helpful?