Hi, my name is Fazzzbooodddd! First LCWRA payment?

Fazzzbooodddd
Fazzzbooodddd Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
edited December 2023 in Universal Credit (UC)
Hiya can one one help me when my first payment for lcwra I been handing in sick note was June 28 my assessment period is 7 nov - 6 - dec can any one help please x 

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    There's a full 3 month assessment period waiting time and the extra money is paid from the 4th month after you reported your health condition/provided your first fit note. The extra money is then paid at the end of the 4th month. It's not paid at all during the waiting period.

    Providing there were no gaps in your fit notes until a decision was made on your WCA then your waiting period will be as follows.

    July/Aug, Aug/Sept, Sept/Oct... LCWRA starts from AP 7th Oct to 6th Nov and first payment will be 13th November. This means up to now they owe you 1 months LCWRA element.

    Money owed will be paid as a separate payment to your usual monthly money and often takes quite a few weeks to pay it.

    You will need to check your next statement to make sure the element is included. Please be aware that my advice assumes you're not claiming UC with a partner that already receives the LCWRA element on your claim.
  • pipersiren
    pipersiren Online Community Member Posts: 9 Connected
    Hello,

    I came across this post when I've been trying to understand this myself. I wondered if you would mind helping me too?

    My assessment period runs from the 9th to the 8th of the month and I provided my first fit note on 9th October. I’m unsure if this means that October is discounted and not included in the “relevant period” or if, because it’s the first day of the new period, that that period counts in the 3 months. I’m assuming it means October is discounted as I haven’t received a payment yet, but I wanted to check I've understood it correctly.

    I'm also worried because I've noticed you've mentioned "providing there were no gaps in your fitnotes". I had fit notes with no gaps, right up until after the decision was made, but I was a few days late submitting the last one. Initially I was waiting to receive it from my GP, but also I was quite unwell for that few days. My previous fitnote expired on 24th January. On my account it said I had until 14th February to submit a new one. Due to being unwell, I didn't get back on my account til 29th January, but I knew that was within the period it had said, and I received my decision letter that day. I then tried to submit the latest fit note (dated 25th January - 22nd February) as there was still a request to do so in my To Do list, but it wasn't accepted as the WCA decision had been made. I'm now worried this will count as a gap in my fitnotes.

    I hope that all makes sense. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you :)

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited February 2024
    @pipersiren Based on the information you gave your waiting period will be Oct/Nov, Nov/Dec, Dec/Jan... LCWRA starts from AP 9th Jan to 8th Feb and first payment would be 15th Feb. 

    The gap in your fit note may well have gone against you and I'm unsure why it said on your journal that you had until 14th Feb to provide it because usually there must be no gaps in the fit notes until a decision is made, as you correctly pointed out. 

    Put a message on your journal under the payment section and ask about the LCWRA element and why you haven't receive anything extra yet. It will be down to a decision maker to make the final decision. 

    Please also note, my advice assumes you're not claiming UC with a partner that already receives this element on your claim. 

  • pipersiren
    pipersiren Online Community Member Posts: 9 Connected
    poppy123456 said:
    @pipersiren Based on the information you gave your waiting period will be Oct/Nov, Nov/Dec, Dec/Jan... LCWRA starts from AP 9th Jan to 8th Feb and first payment would be 15th Feb. 

    The gap in your fit note may well have gone against you and I'm unsure why it said on your journal that you had until 14th Feb to provide it because usually there must be no gaps in the fit notes until a decision is made, as you correctly pointed out. 

    Put a message on your journal under the payment section and ask about the LCWRA element and why you haven't receive anything extra yet. It will be down to a decision maker to make the final decision. 

    Please also note, my advice assumes you're not claiming UC with a partner that already receives this element on your claim. 


    Hi Poppy,

    Thanks very much for your reply. It said "If you are still unable to work or look for work you will need to provide a new fit note by 14 February 2024" so that made me feel as though it wasn't as urgent (I can still see it in my journal). I was waiting to receive it from the GP when I read that and then after that I was unable to add it for a few days. The fit notes are covered in terms of dates, I just couldn't add it as quickly that last time and then it clashed with my letter coming through. At the time I didn't know what was going on as they'd cancelled my phone assessment without telling me (so I waited all day for it to find out they'd cancelled it when my mum called up) and I later received a letter telling me to call UC if we wanted to know why it was no longer needed. But UC didn't know. This had gone on for weeks so I wasn't even sure I was still being assessed and was going to get the fit note uploaded as soon as I was well enough.

    Thanks for your help :) I will ask in my journal. I was going to wait until the next payment in case it wasn't due until then but it sounds as though it should've been in the last one so I will find out.

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