Wca and saying you would like to work in future will go against you?

Amazonianup
Amazonianup Online Community Member Posts: 54 Contributor
in Universal Credit (UC)
Hi,

I cannot work yet and haven't been able to for a while. I was advised if I said I wanted to work I'd likely be put in lcw and not lcwra. This just doesn't make sense to me if I have not been well how can they decide not to help you financially but some people that say they don't want to work but most people are capable of something yet they get extra financial support. I really haven't been able to sustain long term employment it's not like I'm living on basic uc for fun of it. I also read article that some people get afraid of employment because they would lose benefits I also see people talk like this at food banks. 

I just feel uc have worked against me since my claim years ago but if I was On lcwra I would have been better off and with right help with some kind of plan. This isn't what is does?! I had been asked to appointment s when I had fit notes and told or if I can go to meetings. But it hasn't benefited me doing this? I thought uc was to design plan to get people into work best suited for their health but it's felt like I have not understood anything and been pushed until I break because I want to work in long term and no matter what my assessor decides I won't be working until I get nhs help I need this time otherwise I'm just going to get worse and I'm to unwell.

I don't  understand the purpose of lcw because you can't live on nothing and a dr will always help by giving you a fit note if unwell. You cannot live on lcw and failing to sustain employment? Or have a dr say you not fit for work and an assessor say you can?. Why does lcw exist it serves no purpose as a dr can write a long term fit note?

 But you don't have to go to uc if you have a fit note then why ask someone when unwell to be pressured to go? People under stress often don't realise the massive amount of stress or massive mental health decline in the first place so getting them to go to meeting to not look for job seems pointless? You're wasting travel money you don't have that you would of had if you was put on lcwra in the first place having financial support in the event your health declines or relapses!?

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    How do you know that most people are capable of working? You don’t know anyone else’s circumstances or anything about their health condition.
    The rules for LCW changed in April 2017 so those that were awarded after this will not receive any extra money.
    A fit note doesn’t automatically entitle you to LCWRA. They are not forcing you to work or look for work but what is expected of you will depend on your claimant commitments and if this includes appointments at your local job centre then you need to attend.
    If you think you qualify for LCWRA you can report a change of circumstances and have another work capability assessment. 

  • Amazonianup
    Amazonianup Online Community Member Posts: 54 Contributor
    If you can do something or anything it's possible to find something eventually however brief you can find a job to fit criteria to work even though it might affect someones quality of life, I'm not saying whether or not it is right for that person to work. Ie replying to this post could demonstrate ability to volunteer to help forum and add community value as job role if you are On benefit. Hence it's not favourable for some people to work as it can cause harm to self or others. This is what I'm referring to. If you was On a new medication for something you might want to try and work to see if it makes this possible but if you find out you then can't sustain that work you might loose benefit but the process of reapplying and waiting with detriment it causes this seems to create more harm. This is the scenario I'm tying to infer not on the amount of people that may or may not be able to work but I'm pretty sure i have met a fair few people with this problem it's very obvious I don't mean to infer everyone should work or is capable or if I think they are capable of long term employment. I'm not referring to the standard of the disability effecting you all time scenario which prohibits work. 

    Most importantly I don't think your post validates the existence or purpose of lcw which I am trying to understand..
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    LCW can benefit those that do work, especially with the work allowance, if they weren't entitled to it before the LCW award. If you're unsure what the work allowance is then you can see information here. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-your-earnings-affect-your-payments
    Some people do work while claiming LCW and LCWRA.


  • Amazonianup
    Amazonianup Online Community Member Posts: 54 Contributor
    Okay because otherwise it like saying here you are in lcw we recognise your disability but you are not disabled enough. So if I have been unable to work consistently I need lcwra? As this gives me the financial assistance I need.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Yes, basically, they are not saying you don't have a disability. They are saying you need to prepare to work in the future, which is work related activity is about.
    It's not about you being unable to work consistently. LCWRA is about the work you can do and not the work you can't do. They assess your ability to do any type of work as well as work related activity.
    As i advised, if you think you qualify for LCWRA after looking at the descriptors then you can report a change of circumstances. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/limited-capability-for-work-related-activity

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