LCWRA Reviews

A reassessment is identical to your first assessment.

A form is sent out, and you should always fill it in with lots of detail as if it was a new claim.

Then after the form goes back, most people have an assessment by telephone or in person.

Hello hansolo,

You have tagged me quoting from a post I made on this thread in June 2025, i.e. last summer! I am not sure why you have done that, as a lot has developed since then?

The latest information I have come across about resuming department-led WCA reassessments is that they intend to resume them from April 2026 and begin by targeting their backlog of reassessments of short awards first, i.e. pregnancy risk, cancer etc. Here is a link from the Benefits and Work site Newsletter about this recently, published 9th March 2026:

Claimant led WCA reassessment backlog almost cleared, Timms claims

“ We are prioritising scheduled reassessments for people who are most likely to have had a change in their circumstances—for example, those with a short-term prognosis, for whom we can reasonably anticipate that a change in their health condition has occurred. That includes those with risks from pregnancy complications, or those who have recovered following cancer treatment.”

As you mention, it has always been the case that the DWP prioritise new claims above any reassessments to put them into pay. They then deal with deterioration cases, i.e. those with UC LCW who are reporting a worsening in health who believe they now qualify for UC LCWRA and therefore, more money. What that link I provided says is that they have cleared/almost cleared the backlog of these deterioration cases and will be aiming to tackle their backlog of scheduled WCA reassessments. In the first instance, they will be targeted as to type of case - short UC LCWRA awards as mentioned and then, I believe (as explicitly stated in last year's green paper) the UC LCW/LCWRA substantial risk cases. The aim in this targeting, in my view, is obviously to get them off the books and save money. I have no idea how old some of these targeted cases will date from but likely from even before the Pandemic, dating as far back as 2018. The link mentions the Minister saying they are actively recruiting assessors to meet this workload.

As to what you are concerned with, which I assume is wondering when you might be reassessed… given you have UC LCWRA but it is not a short award, not a substantial risk case and you were awarded in June 2024, I think you have been advised correctly. You will not be reassessed for quite some time yet. Bear in mind that your originally scheduled review date will have been a future date from June 2024 of anywhere up to 3 years later. It should be mentioned on your UC85 if you have a copy of it. Therefore, your scheduled review is even further at the back of the queue of outstanding scheduled WCA reassessments since at least 2019.

It might take anywhere up to a year to reassess the targeted cases I mentioned. Who knows? I have no idea how many there are that are overdue since at least 2019. And, meanwhile, bear in mind, the government still intend to abolish the WCA. The original timetable in the green paper was mentioned as being by April 2028. In the meantime, there will always be continuing new claims to do as well as deterioration cases alongside this backlog of scheduled WCA reassessments. And, logically, once they have cleared the targeted cases first, they will likely tackle the rest of this backlog in date order. The chances of them getting to a case like yours awarded in June 2024 with a scheduled review planned of anywhere from a year to three years later before the WCA is abolished in 2028 is remote, I would say. There are well over a million or more outstanding WCA reassessments. I can't remember the exact figure. They have largely been suspended since the Pandemic.

Incidentally, migration from legacy benefits to UC has no bearing on WCA reassessments. That's an admin exercise for the DWP. It doesn't involve assessment providers. Such cases will have migrated/will migrate from legacy benefits with their prognosis period (scheduled review period) intact.

That hasn't been officially confirmed.

@hansolo

Any member here is fully entitled to comment on threads posted.

I find your tone offensive and unnecessary.

@Adrian_Scope

Hello @hansolo , @luvpink and @Adrian_Scope ,

As to whether an award of PIP will be the gateway to the health element of UC when WCAs (and UC LCW/LCWRA) are abolished, there has been recent confirmation by Sir Stephen Timms MP (the Disability Minister) that it is still the government's intention that this will be the case. As you know, Timms is the Minister heading up the review of PIP whose report is due to be concluded in November 2026.

See the link to the Benefits & Work site Newsletter, published 9th March 2026:

With 44 working days left, Timms review still deciding who to talk to

Timms told MPs that the WCA would be abolished after the review has concluded:

“In future, eligibility for additional health-related financial support in universal credit will be assessed in England and Wales via the personal independence payment assessment. It will be based on the impact of disability on daily living, rather than on capacity to work. . . Due to its link with the PIP assessment, the WCA abolition will not proceed until after the conclusion of the review into PIP that I am currently co-chairing.”

Hope this helps clarify. We will know more by the end of this year, it seems.

Here's a link to the debate where this was discussed in Parliament, which took place on 4th March 2026, for anyone interested:

Work Capability Assessment Timescales - Hansard - UK Parliament

So best to get a pip claim in asap

@Asia23

Thank you for the information.

I appreciate that.

@hansolo

I have an ongoing award high rate and mobility for pip ongoing for ten years.