ESA support group and LCWRA element

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dan89
dan89 Online Community 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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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.

  • dan89
    dan89 Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Hi Poppy

    ive been on UC and ESA since last December but only assessed and awarded support group in November 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.
  • dan89
    dan89 Online Community 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. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.
  • littleacorn
    littleacorn Online Community Member Posts: 383 Empowering
    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!
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,611 Championing
    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.
  • littleacorn
    littleacorn Online Community Member Posts: 383 Empowering
    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?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.
  • littleacorn
    littleacorn Online Community Member Posts: 383 Empowering
    What are we waiting for I ask? We have not changed. 
  • dan89
    dan89 Online Community 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? 
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,611 Championing
    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.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,611 Championing
    i think GGRRR should be the slogan of the DWP @poppy123456, it fits quite well :) 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Ross_Scope said:
    i think GGRRR should be the slogan of the DWP @poppy123456, it fits quite well :) 

    I won't disagree with that :)
  • dan89
    dan89 Online Community 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 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.
  • dan89
    dan89 Online Community 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 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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.

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