Address for UC work capability assessment?

Maddy189

I am helping my friend, who went on to UC in the summer, treated as a fresh claimant although she had been on ESA previously, with a break in claim (which is another story).

She had been told in the summer that she would need a UC work capability assessment (WCA), but has heard nothing since.

I attended a Jobcentre interview with her recently, and we were told that work started on the WCA in late July, but the questionnaire had not yet been sent out to my friend.

The work coach said that we may be able to send the form off in advance, and downloaded it from gov.uk and printed it for us. However she had no idea what address to send it to (the form says to send it to the address on the letter).

As the WCA process itself will take some time, I am keen to send this form off asap, without waiting for the letter to arrive - who knows how long that will take. My friend could really do with that extra amount per month, if she qualifies for it.

Does anyone know an address? Or will it do no good and we should just wait patiently for the actual form and letter to arrive? My view is that it cannot do any harm to fill in the form, photocopy it for future reference, and send it off. If they disregard it or reject it as premature, we are no worse off than now. I don't mind the effort of form-filling for her.

If we only knew where to send it!

Thanks in advance for replies.

huckster

Friend needs to phone UC to ask them to check that the WCA referral has actually been made. If it has, then ask them to check the address the questionnaire was sent out to.

Might be the case that no referral was properly done. Normally a questionnaire should be received within a week or two following referral.

Don't just complete the online form. Make sure UC does the referral first.

Maddy189

Thanks very much for the reply, huckster.

The work coach looked on the system and she could see that the WCA process had started in late July but no questionnaire had been sent out (she was specific about that). She did say that there was a backlog.

You may be correct in suspecting that a referral had not been properly made. As luck would have it, two days after the interview, a PDF letter appeared in my friend's online UC journal.

"The Health Assessment Advisory Service (working for us) will send you a questionnaire. You'll need to fill this in, giving details about any physical or mental health conditions you have and how they affect you. ......."

So it sounds like the questionnaire is imminent. Now I have details of who's sending it (The Health Assessment Advisory Service) we've sent them an email chaser asking when she is likely to receive it. We will hold back on the questionnaire we got from the work coach.

Thanks again.

calcotti

Maddy189 wrote: »

. . the WCA process had started in late July but no questionnaire had been sent out (she was specific about that). She did say that there was a backlog.

That's ridiculous. The system really is not for for purpose. By now (in theory) the WCA should have been completed and if applicable the LCWRA element should be in payment.

Maddy189

I agree it sounds ridiculous. I am only just catching up on my friend's situation very recently. The work coach did say that the extra benefit could be backdated, so that it is something.

poppy12345

Maddy189 wrote: »

I agree it sounds ridiculous. I am only just catching up on my friend's situation very recently. The work coach did say that the extra benefit could be backdated, so that it is something.

Extra money is only paid if LCWRA is awarded and is paid from the 4thh month of the claim.

Alice_Holt

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/

This will help your friend complete the WCA form. Plus
http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/making-exception
https://wcainfo.net/issues/substantial-risk-lcwra

Maddy189

Thank you for the replies.

Citizens Advice also have a section on the WCA for UC, so that is helpful.