Worsening health condition on UC LCWRA

nenaw

Hello, I wonder if there is anyone that could help me. I've looked all over the internet and I've phoned up the universal credit help line and I've not really had a straight answer.

I have an autoimmune condition and I was sent for a work capability assessment just over a year ago and was put into the "limited capability for work and work related activity" thing. Now recently my condition has become worse and caused other issues. There has been no improvement in my overall health. I've spoken to the UC people and I've had different answers depending on who I talk to. One person told me that I didn't need to report a change because its essentually the same condition that has just become worse. One person told me to leave a note in my journal and another told me that I should report the change.

I have no issues reporting the change saying that my health has become worse, I just would like to know what happens after I do that because, again, I can't seem to get an answer out of the UC people and things change depending on who I speak to.

Do I need to actually make a "change of circumstances"? and If I do report that change, what happens afterwards? As I'm currently in the LCWRA group, will I end up out of that group after reporting a change? Will I need to start getting fit-notes again? Will I have to go to another work capability assessment? and I suppose, after reporting the change (even though, my ability has not changed) will my benefit money end up going back to the basic UC amount?

I hope all that makes sense and doesn't come across like I'm rambling on... I'm just really worried about this all (which is not good for my over-all health anyway) and I don't want to put myself in a situation where I've done wrong or done the wrong thing.

Thank you for any info or help you could give me.

poppy12345

You are already in the LCWRA and you can't be placed into a higher group than this, therefore you do not need to report any changes.

When you have your review then you can tell about about all your conditions and how they affect you.

Do you claim PIP? If not then have a look at this. https://pipinfo.net/

huckster

You have already been awarded LCWRA, so reporting health changes would have no impact on the UC claim.

When UC awarded the LCWRA a review date was set and when the review date is reached, this will create an action on your claim that the review process will need to be started.

Within a few months of the review date, you may then see a letter appear in your journal advising that the health capability for work process will be required to review current situation and the local assessment centre would send out a questionnaire. This is the same questionnaire you would have already completed before the LCWRA award and this is when you provide a full update in regard to your health at the time of completing the questionnaire. A health professional within the assessment centre will then decide on the process. It could be that the information in the questionnaire and from your Doctors leads to a report to DWP Decision Makers recommending the LCWRA is extended.  DWP may also decide to simply extend the LCWRA award period if the health situation is the same (they would contact you to ask about health) without going through the questionnaire review process, but you will have to wait to see what process they are following at the time.

Please note that the LCWRA will continue to be awarded, until a DWP Decision Maker following a health professional assessment report, decides that the award should be revised. For example your health situation is assessed to have improved, so they believe you have some capability to work.

danjackson2021

What are your symptoms 

poppy12345

danjackson2021 said:

What are your symptoms 

That's irrelevant here because OP is already in the highest group.