Feel trapped by current situation on LCWRA

ns72
ns72 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

I'm currently on LCWRA. One thing that helps with my mental health is writing, recording and producing my own music. There is an opportunity for me to post my music on SoundCloud and various other places whereby I could make a small residual income, which would be nice. 

Obviously I will declare to the relevent authorities any income I do make, but I kind of feel trapped at the moment. I feel that as soon as I earn any sort or income from this, it will immediately trigger a WCA. Also, I don't want to ask the work coach in case that also triggers a WCA. 

It is helpful for me to do stuff with music and would be great also to share and to upload music and have people listen to it. Additionally an added bonus if I make a few quid in the process. It just seems as though it would be a move in the right direction from my point of view, but at the same time find myself back to square one because it all triggered a WCA. It just seems as though all I can do is plod along in life making sure I don't do things that'll trigger a WCA. 

I've never been too concerned about this, but I want to give things a go, I feel as though I'm trapped. 

Also, with the new rules coming in 2026 about bank etc passing information on to specific authorities, it makes is more awkward. Before, I could have tried it for a few months just to see how it would work out and then, if successful, declare everything. But now, I won't even get that small period of grace while I try it out.

Thank you in advanced for any helpful responses.

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Comments

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,770 Championing

    With LCWRA you don't have a work coach.

    With LCWRA your UC claim has a work allowance.

    This means you can earn £411 (if claiming Housing Element) or £684 (if not) before UC make their standard deduction of 0.55p for every pound earned.

    Declaring earnings won't trigger a reassessment.

  • ns72
    ns72 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    Thank you for answering.

  • neurobloke
    neurobloke Online Community Member Posts: 1 Listener

    One thing that I would add is declaring earnings alone shouldn’t trigger a reassessment, but you often have to explain where the income has come from and if you are receiving those earnings in a manner that contradicts your LCWRA health report then that might be a problem.

  • ns72
    ns72 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    Good to know, thank you.

  • carbow32
    carbow32 Online Community Member Posts: 256 Empowering

    I went self employed August 2023 and it has not triggered a WCA but I do worry it will go against me when it does.

  • ns72
    ns72 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    Thank you for replying. It's good to know that you've been left alone. But like you say, it worries me also that it it may go against at some point in the future. If you don't mind my asking, how did you let them know that you went self employed? Did you just mention it in your journal and they advised from there what to do next? Also, do you just send a message in your journal telling them what your earned that month? Sorry to bombard you with these questions, but you seem further down the process and could have the answers I'm looking for.

  • NeuroEve
    NeuroEve Online Community Member Posts: 109 Empowering

    you go into report a change of circumstances and declare self employment. You will possibly get a phone call/appointment to discuss your work etc and they explain how to report it monthly. Just done it recently for our song who writes/composes music. It was all pretty straightforward to be honest.

  • ns72
    ns72 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener