What are the requirements for LCWRA?

theDon876

My work coach said you need a fit note, is this the start of the process, what happens after this, do you discuss it after the fit note with your WC and they send you UC50 to start the process of applying?

And why was LCW discontinued and now LCWRA?

Spoonie_Turtle

I'm not 100% sure of the specific process, whether they have to wait until day 29 of illness to start the Work Capability Assessment process or whether they can do it if you have a long fit note.  But anyway, they have to refer you for a WCA and then you get the UC50 and at some point after that you'll have an assessment (via telephone, at the moment).

LCW is still a possible decision but they no longer pay extra money for it.  It's in line with the WRAG no longer having a payable element under UC.  But having LCW will give you a work allowance, if you don't already.

The criteria and descriptors are the same as for ESA.  https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/ESA_criteria
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition

https://wcainfo.net/issues/majority-of-time-always

Rubyroobs

You hand in sicknotes and after 29 days you should be referred for a work capability assessment and they will send you a UC50 to complete. Then most people would need a face to face assessment in normal circumstances. Then the decision is either that you are awarded LCWRA in which case you would get £342 extra on your Uc each month backdated to the fourth Uc assessment period after you started reporting fit notes, or you are awarded LCW which is no extra money but you would get a work allowance on your claim if you don't already have one.
Some conditions such as having Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy for cancer mean you can request a day one referral for a work capability assessment so that hopefully you get assessed more quickly. In these cases LCWRA is usually awarded without face to face assessment and the whole UC50 form does not need to be completed.

poppy12345

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I at some point after that you'll have an assessment (via telephone, at the moment).

Sometimes they can't get enough of information through just a telephone assessment. If this happens you'll need to wait until face to face assessments are back up and running again. No decision will be made until this has been complete and your report has been returned to DWP. There's been quite a few people that this has happened to.

theDon876

So do you need to be supplying fit notes after 29 days all the way through the 3 month process and what about after your accepted, if you are, do you still need fit notes?

poppy12345

theDon876 said:

So do you need to be supplying fit notes after 29 days all the way through the 3 month process and what about after your accepted, if you are, do you still need fit notes?

Fit notes need to be sent when you report a health condition and not 29 days after. You need to continue to send them, without any gaps until a decision's been made on your claim and this could be longer than 3 months. If the decision takes longer than the 3 month waiting period (a lot of times it does) then if the decision is LCWRA then any money owed will be backdated.

Have you read the links posted above? If not then please do read them they contain a lot of helpful information.

Edit to add, if the decision is either LCW or LCWRA then no more fit notes will be needed.

[Deleted User]

I hope this doesn’t turn into another one of those threads of drip feeding and ignoring the questions asked of you, OP. 

theDon876

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I'm not 100% sure of the specific process, whether they have to wait until day 29 of illness to start the Work Capability Assessment process or whether they can do it if you have a long fit note.  But anyway, they have to refer you for a WCA and then you get the UC50 and at some point after that you'll have an assessment (via telephone, at the moment).

LCW is still a possible decision but they no longer pay extra money for it.  It's in line with the WRAG no longer having a payable element under UC.  But having LCW will give you a work allowance, if you don't already.

The criteria and descriptors are the same as for ESA.  https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/ESA_criteria
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition

https://wcainfo.net/issues/majority-of-time-always

So why would they award you LCW over LCWRA, what's the criteria for getting extra money?

calcotti

theDon876 said: So why would they award you LCW over LCWRA, what's the criteria for getting extra money?

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/3903-limited-capability-for-work
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/3904-limited-capability-for-work-related-activity
Extra money comes with LCWRA.

Spoonie_Turtle

theDon876 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I'm not 100% sure of the specific process, whether they have to wait until day 29 of illness to start the Work Capability Assessment process or whether they can do it if you have a long fit note.  But anyway, they have to refer you for a WCA and then you get the UC50 and at some point after that you'll have an assessment (via telephone, at the moment).

LCW is still a possible decision but they no longer pay extra money for it.  It's in line with the WRAG no longer having a payable element under UC.  But having LCW will give you a work allowance, if you don't already.

The criteria and descriptors are the same as for ESA.  https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/ESA_criteria
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition

https://wcainfo.net/issues/majority-of-time-always

So why would they award you LCW over LCWRA, what's the criteria for getting extra money?

The first link showed the descriptors for LCW then for LCWRA.  We don't put links in just for fun, you know, we put them there to be read.  LCWRA means a greater degree of functional restriction, so if you're awarded LCW it's because you meet the criteria for not being fit for work, but not limited enough to meet a LCWRA descriptor.

calcotti

Apologies, spoonie - i somehow overlooked that you had already provided all the information necessary. It is frustrating when people come back with more questions having clearly not read the links provided.