LCWRA - am i entitled to be backdated?

mimimoo12

Hi Everyone, I am new here and looking for some advise on LCWRA and backdating payments.  I'm not sure if I post my question here or elsewhere on this forum? I just want to run this by anyone who is a bit clearer on this than me.

I asked for a UC Medical reassessment in November 2021 as advised to do so by my work coach as he thought I was already or should have been in LCWRA group, having been previously being placed in the LCW group much earlier that year. I was asked to provide any new evidence, which I did, on the 8th Dec 2021 and had my reassessment on 22nd April 2022, shortly after a PIP Assessment. 

I received an outcome letter from UC, placing me in the LCWRA group on 16th May 2022, stating I may receive extra money and would receive a message within 7 days if due any backdated money.    

I just received my first payment today.  I have not had any notification of any backdated money being due.  I just want to get advise on this as it seems unclear to me.  I am not sure, given the dates, if I am entitled to be backdated?   

Would appreciate hearing from anyone who can advise.

Thank you

MH

calcotti

The LCWRA should be backdated to when you reported the health condition provided you supplied details of continuous Fit Notes. The extra money (LCWRA element) should be paid from the fourth full UC period after you reported the health condition.

Working out any arrears takes a while for UC to calculate and will be paid separately.

poppy123456

calcotti said:

 The extra money (LCWRA element) should be paid from the fourth full UC period after you reported the health condition.

OP was already found to have LCW so does the waiting period still apply? I didn't think it did?

mhuss1130 said:

having been previously being placed in the LCW group much earlier that year.

mimimoo12

Thanks for your responses. I should have mentioned that I stopped having to provide fit notes back in April 2021, when placed in the LCW group.

calcotti

poppy123456 said:

calcotti said:

 The extra money (LCWRA element) should be paid from the fourth full UC period after you reported the health condition.

OP was already found to have LCW so does the waiting period still apply? I didn't think it did?

mhuss1130 said:

having been previously being placed in the LCW group much earlier that year. 

Quite right. I overlooked that OP already had LCW. The LCWRA element should be paid from the start of the UC period in which he requested the reassessment. Thanks for correcting me.

mimimoo12

Sorry, but does that mean there is money owed to me? if so, from when? December when the reassessment was requested and evidence submitted? 

Thanks again  

poppy123456

mhuss1130 said:

Sorry, but does that mean there is money owed to me? if so, from when? December when the reassessment was requested and evidence submitted? 

Thanks again  

As advised here..

calcotti said:

poppy123456 said:

calcotti said:

 The extra money (LCWRA element) should be paid from the fourth full UC period after you reported the health condition.

OP was already found to have LCW so does the waiting period still apply? I didn't think it did?

mhuss1130 said:

having been previously being placed in the LCW group much earlier that year. 

The LCWRA element should be paid from the start of the UC period in which he requested the reassessment.

If you reported it in November 2021 then it will be from the start of this assessment period.

poppy123456

calcotti said:

poppy123456 said:

calcotti said:

 The extra money (LCWRA element) should be paid from the fourth full UC period after you reported the health condition.

OP was already found to have LCW so does the waiting period still apply? I didn't think it did?

mhuss1130 said:

having been previously being placed in the LCW group much earlier that year. 

Quite right. I overlooked that OP already had LCW. The LCWRA element should be paid from the start of the UC period in which he requested the reassessment. Thanks for correcting me.

No worries, i doubted myself, which was why i asked.

mimimoo12

calcotti said:

The LCWRA should be backdated to when you reported the health condition provided you supplied details of continuous Fit Notes. The extra money (LCWRA element) should be paid from the fourth full UC period after you reported the health condition.

Working out any arrears takes a while for UC to calculate and will be paid separately.

Thank you.  

mimimoo12

Hi again, sorry can i just clarify when you say that there should be no waiting period as I was already in the LCW group when submitting evidence, that means that I should be backdated to November when I first submitted evidence? How long approx should i expect to wait before hearing from UC if already past the 7 days? just wondering if and when I should put a note on my journal.  

thanks again

poppy123456

mhuss1130 said:

Hi again, sorry can i just clarify when you say that there should be no waiting period as I was already in the LCW group when submitting evidence

Yes, that's correct. It's backdated to the assessment period in which you reported the changes.

mhuss1130 said:

 How long approx should i expect to wait before hearing from UC if already past the 7 days? just wondering if and when I should put a note on my journal.  

thanks again

It often takes a few weeks to pay what they owe you. They first have to recalculate your past statements to work out exactly how much is owed. When your statements are recalulated they will replace the existing ones so you may want to take screenshots before this is done.

Once it's done you'll receive a letter onto your journal telling you how much is owed.

mimimoo12

Thank you Poppy.   Much appreciated.

mimimoo12

Hi again, I am due my UC payment tomorrow and have just looked at my online assessment statement.  I have still not had any notification from UC about backdated LCWRA.  Should I put a note on my journal? Not quite sure what to say.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thank you

Alex_Alumni

Hello @mhuss1130 I don't think there's anything wrong with asking on your journal if you're feeling concerned, especially to get some clarity. Having things up in the air doesn't help with any feelings of stress or anxiety, so if you can, then I'd encourage you to chase this up.

mimimoo12

Thanks Alex I will do.  

Alex_Alumni

That's alright, let us know how you get on when you can

poppy123456

Put a message under the payment section and then hopefully a decision maker will see it.

mimimoo12

Hi there, I just received a response from UC on my journal.  I don't really understand what it means.  No mention of backdating.

.....The LCWRA award was granted as a re-assessment of your previous health condition. This means the LCWRA applies from the date of the reassessment. You can request a mandatory reconsideration on the dates applied to the current LCWRA award. Further evidence should be considered and uploaded to your online account to strengthen the dispute case. 

(So am i being asked to provide further evidence, despite the evidence being submitted in Nov 2021 when i requested the re-assessment and reported the change? They did not carry out the assessment out until after my PIP assessment in March 2022 I think).

Does this mean that they are not back-paying as it only applies from the date of the assessment? Are they asking for me to get further evidence in order to possibly get backdated?  

Any advice much appreciated

Thank you

mimimoo12

Just to add, I received my first LCWRA payment in May 2022.  

Biblioklept

That says to me that they're saying it was a regular reassessment so only paying from the date of decision which would be correct for regular reassessment. But as you put in a change of circumstances they're wrong and it shouldn't be this way. 
They have said you can ask for a decision maker to look at it. Someone will give you better wording than me I hope, but basically you want to explain you reported a change of circumstances in Nov 2021 and supplied evidence of deterioration and the assessment was done as a change of circumstances not reassessment so should be backdated to nov 2021 and ask a decision maker to look at it.

poppy123456

You need to request the Mandatory Reconsideration on your journal. Tell them that you disagree with the decision not to backdate you claim to the assessment period in which you reported the changes, which was November 2021.