LCW and UC

Roundhay23

I have recently applied for Universal Credit and have been sent a UC50 to complete. Next week I am starting a job working 25 hours a week. It is worth completing and returning the UC50 ? I spoke to an adviser from my local CAB over the phone who said that if I was found to have limited capacity I would benefit from the work allowance and that I would be under less pressure to increase my hours. Would I be able to be placed in the LCW group if I am working?

huckster

Some people with LCW award do work.

It depends on whether you think any assessment is likely to find you have limited capability for work.

If you work 25 hours a week at minimum wage, you will be in light touch group, so there will not be too much pressure on you to increase your work earnings.

If you decide to ask UC to cancel the assessment and later find it difficult to work due to health issues, you can then supply fit notes to Job Centre and go through an assessment later.

If you have the assessment now and are found fit for work, then unless you suffer from deterioration of same health condition or have new health conditions, it would be difficult to argue for new assessment, if you stopped working. And giving up paid work without good reason could be referred to Decision Makers to consider sanction.

If you went ahead with the assessment and are awarded LCW, then if you later had to give up work, there would be no issue with this, as you are not required to work.

I think you need advice from people who know you and your current state of health. Ask friends/relatives, Doctors/support workers, for their opinions and make a decision.

calcotti

Posted in your other almost identical thread before noticing that you had posted twice.

You can be found to have LCW although you are working however if you can do 25 hours/week this is obviously going to be taken into account when assessing you.

What you, presumably, do not know at the moment is whether or not you will actually be able to manage working 25 hours/week. Has your health improved since you originally supplied Fit Notes in support of your UC claim.

Had you already been in work for 25 hours/week you would not have been referred for a Work Capability Assessment as your earnings would be over the threshold above which a WCA referral is not made. The threshold is 16 x National Minimum Wage.

Roundhay23

Thanks for this and sorry for posting twice. I'm not sure if I will be able to work 25 hours. I was working full time but I found this too much. I have mental health problems and have a child with a disability. My new job should be a lot less stressful than my previous one and is fewer hours so I hoping that I will be able to manage.

huckster

How old is your child ?

Are they in receipt of DLAor PIP ? If so, what award do they receive.

This can affect your UC claim and whether you have any work related requirements.

If you care for a disabled child in receipt of DLA/PIP, then if you register this with UC, you should receive disabled child element and if you care for 35 hours or more per week, the carers element. You then do not have any work related requirements and can try to work, see how you get on with this and if you gave up the work, there would be no consequences.

If you have a child on your UC claim, you would have the Work Allowance anyway towards earnings, so what you said earlier in regard to CAB must be a misunderstanding.