LCWRA back pay

Lou_ise

Hi,

Sorry if this is a ramble but trying to be thorough. I worked full time before my illness and I have been receiving PIP since November 2021. I applied for LCWRA in June 2021 and finally had my assessment on March 12th 2021- understandable due to covid delays. I received a decision quite quickly and received my first payment on April 21st. I'm assuming because I have waited so long that the three month wait has come and gone. Presumably calculated from June 2021? Does this mean I am owed back pay from September/October time? 

When I first applied for UC and the change to LCWRA I was told I may be entitled to backdated pay but the person was quite vague. Does this mean I may not receive any? I don't want to ask on my journal because im still quite embarrassed by my condition and inability to work right now. But I also would benefit from receiving the back pay due to the massive drop in income, and the wait I've had to receive the extra money. 

I have never received any letters in the post regarding the change to LCWRA despite the payment already been made. Should I expect a printed letter outlining the backdated payments, or is it all online these days? 

poppy12345

There's a full 3 month waiting period and the extra money is then paid from the 4th month after you reported your health condition. Providing you sent in fit notes without any gaps until the decision was made.

When it's paid from will depend on when exactly you reported your health condition and the dates of your usual assessment periods.

If you reported it in June 2021 then it will be either Oct or Nov 2021 that it's paid from.

If you didn't previously have the work allowance then you will have that applied from the assessment period in which you reported your health condition, so they may owe you some extra money for this too.

It often takes a few weeks for them to recalculate your past statements to work out exactly how much money they owe you. Once they do this, your existing statements will be replaced with the new ones so you may want to take screenshots of your exisiting ones. Once this is done you'll receive a letter on your journal telling you exactly how much they owe you. It will then be paid into your bank account.

Spoonie_Turtle

a) please know there is no reason to be embarrassed - the benefits are there for anyone who qualifies for them.

b) it's all done online.  Letters are uploaded as a PDF in your journal.

c) if you've supplied continuous fit notes since the beginning of your claim you will be entitled to the LCWRA element from the October's payment (I think, if I've counted properly - if not someone with a clearer brain will be some to correct me).

If you wish to keep your original statements before they are recalculated you will need to take a copy of them (screenshot, or print to PDF) before they are overwritten with the new statements once your payments have been recalculated.