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ESA support group and LCWRA element

dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
hi everyone, I was placed into the ESA support group in mid November after waiting 11 months for an assessment. I also recieve PIP. Both awarded with no problems. Could somebody tell me if UC should automatically add the LCWRA element to my claim alongside my personal allowance and housing benefit then the ESA amount is taken off my monthly UC statement. This morning I got my latest UC statement they haven’t added any LCWRA but have taken the £490 for ESA payments. I asked in my UC journal about this last week and they said they havent recieved any notifications about my ESA award but surely now they’re taking more ESA money from my UC it shows I’m in the Support Group and LCWRA element should be added. Any advice on what I should do please? 
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Replies

  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    HI,

    How long have you been claiming UC because there's a 3 month waiting period before the LCWRA can be paid. It's then paid on the 4th month of your claim.

    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Hi Poppy

    ive been on UC and ESA since last December but only assessed and awarded support group in November 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    Then the LCWRA element should be added and you should receive backdated money from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you sent evidence of your health condition. Put a note on your journal to tell them you've been awarded Support Group and ask them when the element will be added.

    Wait a couple of days and if no one answers you then i'd advise you to ring and ask.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Thanks for your help Poppy. I’ve tried the journal entry and they just say they haven’t had any notifications about me being awarded support group. Il have to ring them tomorrow and explain. 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    That's ridiculous, they are taking £492 per month because of your ESA Support Group amount, i have no idea how they can say they haven't had any notification.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • littleacornlittleacorn Member Posts: 127 Courageous
    It just beggers belief why if you made a claim so many months ago and stated your circumstances which have not changed during this period or likely to change, how can they not give you LCWRA to cover the whole of the period not just aftr 3 montns! Do we not exist during this period or did our disability or illness magically disappear!
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    littleacorn said:
    It just beggers belief why if you made a claim so many months ago and stated your circumstances which have not changed during this period or likely to change, how can they not give you LCWRA to cover the whole of the period not just aftr 3 montns! Do we not exist during this period or did our disability or illness magically disappear!

    There's a waiting period of 3 months for everyone that hasn't already been assessed as having limited capability for work. The only ones it doesn't apply to are those that are claiming using the DS1500 form ( for a terminal illness with a diagnosis of 6 months or less)

    They are not say you don't exist, you receive money if entitled to while you wait, you just don't receive the extra money at that time.

    There was always a waiting period when claiming ESA but for this it's called "assessment period" rather that waiting period and it's 13 weeks for ESA.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • Ross_ScopeRoss_Scope Community Team Posts: 2,373 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @dan89 and welcome to the community, I hope the above advice has been helpful. 

    Let us know how you get on if you end up giving them a call to resolve this.
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  • littleacornlittleacorn Member Posts: 127 Courageous
    I understand there needs to be a waiting period as everyone claiming ESA may not be entitled to the full benefit. but surely if you had the condition when you applied, and still have it after the assessment period and as a result you are entitled to the extra payment with your ESA now, then you surely should be entitled to a back payment from the date you applied.  It makes no sense to me or am I missing something?
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    edited December 2020
    No because regardless of that, the waiting period still applies. The same rules applied when i first claimed ESA in 2012 and they're unlikely to change now.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • littleacornlittleacorn Member Posts: 127 Courageous
    What are we waiting for I ask? We have not changed. 
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Update

    phoned UC and they say I may not be entitled to LCWRA element and they need a letter from ESA confirming I’m in the Support Group. Any advice on what my next move should be? 
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  • Ross_ScopeRoss_Scope Community Team Posts: 2,373 Disability Gamechanger
    Sorry to hear that @dan89

    You would think they would have that information on record given that it all comes under the DWp umbrella

    If that's what they need, and you are in the support group, calling the ESA helpline to request a letter of confirmation might be a way forward. Alternatively if you have your initial reward letter this would suffice, I'd just ensure to ask them to return it to you afterwards unless you just send them a photocopy.
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    This is just totally insane! Please ask UC to send the MPG1 form to ESA for your ESA Support Group award to be honoured in UC. They can see that you're in the Support Group because you're being deducted the full amount each month...GRRR.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • Ross_ScopeRoss_Scope Community Team Posts: 2,373 Disability Gamechanger
    i think GGRRR should be the slogan of the DWP @poppy123456, it fits quite well :) 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    Ross_Scope said:
    i think GGRRR should be the slogan of the DWP @poppy123456, it fits quite well :) 

    I won't disagree with that :)
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Hi another update.

    UC have told me this morning that they cannot award LCWRA and they need to send a LCWRA form out to me and I need to have another health assessment. Surely this cannot be true. Any advice please 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    No, this definitely isn't correct, you do not need an assessment for both ESA and UC because they are both exactly the same assessments and this would be pointless. Did you ask them to send the MPG1 form to ESA so that your support group award can be honoured in UC? If you haven't then you need to do this.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Hi Poppy, 

    yes I’ve asked them to send the mpg1 form, now they’re saying they’ve sent my case to a decision maker 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    This is just crazy. They can clearly see you're in the support group for ESA because of the deductions in your UC monthly amount. lol. If you don't get any joy with the decision maker then contacting your local MP maybe the answer. Very often this can make them shift rather quickly.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Hi guys another update. Still getting nowhere with Universal credit, just keep telling me to wait and wait. MP hasn’t responded to calls and emails. I really don’t know where to turn next. I just want the money I’m entitled to and it feels like UC don’t care one bit 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    Have you asked UC to send the MPG1 form to ESA so that your details can be passed across to them? Also ring ESA to ask to speak to a decision maker and then ask them to send your details across to UC. Other than that i don't know what else you can do.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Hi Poppy

    ive finally recieved a letter in my IC journal telling me they’ve added LCWRA element to my claim. However it doesn’t tell me when the payments start. Do you have any idea how long you have to wait for payments to start and get the backdated money I’m owed? 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    That's great news! finally! To save me read through the whole of the thread again, when did you claim UC please? and when was the decision made to place you into the Support Group for your ESA claim?
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    I first went onto UC/ESA on 13th November 2019. I had sicknotes from then, until I was assessed in October 2020 and got my Support Group award on 15th November 2020 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    There's 3 month waiting period for UC and the LCWRA element is paid from the 4th month.
    Your AP waiting is as follows 13th Nov - 12th Dec 2019 1 month
    13 Dec - 12th Jan 2020 2 months
    13th Jan - 12th Feb 3 months
    13th Feb - 12 March 2020 LCWRA starts here so count back the amount of months from here until now.

    Hope this helps.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • dan89dan89 Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Thanks for all your help and advice Poppy. Just one more question. Will I get my money ASAP or will it be more weeks and weeks of waiting? 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    You're welcome. Once the LCWRA has been added backdated money is usually paid about a week later. They will put a letter on your journal.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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