LCWRA reassessment?

Crazydennie

I'm due for a 1-year review soon and am wondering if these are still taking place as they are inundated at moment and we are meant to be social isolating?

calcotti

All reassessments are suspended. Why do you think you are due an assessment anyway - they don’t normally give timescales.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-update-benefit-reviews-and-reassessments-suspended

Crazydennie

Thanks, I thought they might be a bit busy!
I called and asked when I got the decision and was given the suggested review time frame of 12 months from the assessor's report.  It was a paper decision and I was anxious about what was going on.

Robbie64

calcotti said:

All reassessments are suspended. Why do you think you are due an assessment anyway - they don’t normally give timescales.

The DWP usually use the recommended review period which is on the ESA85 / ESA85A and whatever the UC equivalent of the WCA reports are. The date is then input by the case manager onto the ESA computer (it's dialogue screen JA791 if anyone phones the DWP to get the date) by adding the review date period on from the date of the face-to-face or paper based assessment). Although a review can take place at any time the DWP usually stick to that date and will issue an ESA50 about 8 weeks before that date.

calcotti

Robbie64 said:

calcotti said:

All reassessments are suspended. Why do you think you are due an assessment anyway - they don’t normally give timescales.

The DWP usually use the recommended review period which is on the ESA85 / ESA85A and whatever the UC equivalent of the WCA reports are. The date is then input by the case manager onto the ESA computer (it's dialogue screen JA791 if anyone phones the DWP to get the date) by adding the review date period on from the date of the face-to-face or paper based assessment). Although a review can take place at any time the DWP usually stick to that date and will issue an ESA50 about 8 weeks before that date.

I realise that but claimants don’t usually know that - in this case it appears OP knows because he rang.

Robbie64

I do wonder if re-assessments will even restart in the next 6 months. Although they have been suspended for three months I expect the lockdown situation we are in to continue for much longer than that and even when it is lifted it has to be done slowly otherwise infections will just start to happen at the pace they are doing so now. A vaccine for COVID-19 is not expected this year.

Back in 2014 the DWP simply put reassessments of ESA on hold when there was a massive backlog and the full reassessemnt programme didn't properly get going until 2017. In 2014 the DWP simply extended the WCA date for most people by 2 years and then did it again a couple of years later for many people. As far as I am aware many staff have been taken off legacy benefits work and have been given UC training to deal with the backlog of outstanding claims. It wouldn't surprise me if those who are due to have a reassessemnt in the next three months simply have their reassessments deferred for at least a year. Again, when things settle down, the OP might want to phone and see what his or her WCA date is as I doubt it will be left unchanged as the WCA reminder would keep being triggered on the list of to do items that the ESA computer system throws out each day.

calcotti

Robbie, I agree with your first paragraph. The historical information in your second paragraph is interesting, thanks for that.

I similarly wonder how the NHS will ever catch up on the treatments/operations etc that are currently deferred or on hold (although sadly in this case some of the patients may not survive long enough for their delayed treatments).

Robbie64

^

Yes, the DWP had to suspend ESA assessments in 2014 when ATOS pulled out of the WCA contract and it took months for them to be replaced by Maximus. The new assessment company then had to concentrate on new claims. The result was that reassessments were largely put on hold, initially for one year and this was extended in 2015 for another couple of years for most people. I think in 2016 Maximus started to do reassessments for people in the Support Group then in 2017 most areas saw reassessments happening again. However some people still didn't get reassessed and once again had their WCA date extended by another two years.

I get ESA and converted from Incapacity Benefit / Income Support in January 2013. My WCA date was set as January 2015 but this was automatically extended for two years and the same happened again in January 2017. I wasn't so lucky in January 2019 and got an ESA50 and had a WCA in March with an 18 month review recommended. My WCA date is September this year and the ESA50 should be sent to me at some point in July or August. It will be interesting to see if I get one this year. I'm hoping I don't! I expect that I will either get one on time or that the WCA date will be extended to next year, probably in the September,

twhitehousescat

I am watching carefully as I have recieved the form and have untill 22nd of april to reply (esa) , but in my case the "elephant in the room" is that I go onto state pension on 4th july https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76971765#Comment_76971765

the more i read , it looks like people will not get a face to face at all this year 

poppy12345

twhitehousescat said:

I am watching carefully as I have recieved the form and have untill 22nd of april to reply (esa) , but in my case the "elephant in the room" is that I go onto state pension on 4th july https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76971765#Comment_76971765

the more i read , it looks like people will not get a face to face at all this year 

Yes, i also received one to be sent back by 13th April. I was hoping i would have heard from them extending the time to return it but haven't heard anything at all. No idea how or why they expect us to return these forms with everything that's going on! It's ridiculous! I haven't even started filling it out yet

Robbie64

twhitehousescat said:

I am watching carefully as I have recieved the form and have untill 22nd of april to reply (esa) , but in my case the "elephant in the room" is that I go onto state pension on 4th july https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76971765#Comment_76971765

the more i read , it looks like people will not get a face to face at all this year 

Just fill in the ESA50 as much as you can. I very much doubt if your case will even be looked at in time. In addition now is not the right time to be collecting supporting information, especially from GPs. There's no way you can get an appointment. My GP told my mother that they have been instructed not to see any patients and I doubt they'd want to give you a telephone appointment for this sort of thing.

What was your Work Capability Assessment review date or do you not know? If it's within 3 months of you reaching State Pension Age then DWP guidance is to set the review date to the same date as the day you reach SPA. Either you've been very unlucky in that your review date is just outside of the three month period or someone at the DWP has overlooked their own guidance.

If you can get through it might even be worth giving the DWP a call to see if they can withdraw WCA action. They probably won't do it but they can stop the WCA action if they so desired. If the review date is within 3 months of your SPA then they should stop any further review action.

The guidance on when to extend the review period the review date is within 3 months of SPA  says:

Claimant within 91 days of State Pension Age

17.When it has been confirmed the claimant has LCW or LCW and LCWRA, the following action must be taken:

Step Action

1 Check if the claimant’s next review WCA will be within 91 days of their State Pension Age (SPA), before inputting the prognosis. This can be calculated by using the State Pension calculator.

2 If not within 91 days of their SPA input details as normal.

3 If the claimant is within 91 days of their SPA, extend the prognosis by three months. Note: the WCA commences two months before the end of the prognosis period. 4 Note JSAPS to explain the extension of prognosis.

Example
Claimant was born 01/07/1951. Claimant’s face to face conducted 16/03/2016. The prognosis is three months, which will take them to 15/06/2016. Using the SPA calculator the claimant will be entitled to their state pension on 01/07/2016, therefore the review would commence within 91 days of their SPA. You should advance the prognosis period to six months.