Requesting a copy of LCWRA assessors decision?

Newcad

I've just been having a think, and it occurs to me that the OP here will not have a Work Coach.

Those with LCWRA in UC don't have a Work Coach because they have no work requirements.

Which makes you wonder just who is replying to the journal messages?
Is it their Case Manager, who should know better?
Or is it some outside contractor (like the telephone lines), someone with even less training than a WC?

QBdoo

Apologies for misleading anyone. When I used the term "Work coach" I meant the person who replies to any of my queries on my Universal Credit account. This is a person I have never met based somewhere in Glasgow I believe. It is not a member of staff from my local DWP who I communicated with prior to my LCW assessment.

Newcad

HillStreetBlues said:

I wonder how many people are short-changed as they just believe the WC.

The DWPs own report states:
The Universal Credit underpayment rate increased to the highest recorded level of 1.6% (£680m) in FYE 2023
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2022-to-2023-estimates/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-ending-fye-2023#universal-credit-overpayments-and-underpayments

There are no official figures, but both Policy in Practice and Entitledto estimate that £7.5 to £8 billion of Universal Credit is unclaimed. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/blog/2023/may/billions-of-means-tested-benefits-remain-unclaimed-each-year/

In both cases that's a lot of people a lot worse off than they should be.

QBdoo

Having requested a Mandatory reconsideration regarding the DWP's failure to award my backdated LCWRA how long is it reasonable to expect to wait for a decision? My MR was accepted by DWP on 15/1/24.

Jyana

I have no contacts in UC, but I think the PIP ones are still around 4-6 weeks at the moment, even though original targets were 2 weeks I believe. So if their work piles are similar it could well be the same kind of time frame you're looking at unfortunately. 

QBdoo

Finally received the result of my mandatory reconsideration on 2/3/24.
Disappointingly I have been refused any backdated payment.
I'm not sure whether I have the stamina to continue pursuing.

QBdoo

Can anyone offer advice on whether there is any point of me pursuing this further and possibly going to tribunal?

In summary I submitted the first of two 3 monthly Sick notes on the 6/6/23. I resigned from a short lived job between 11/7/23 - 18/7/23 and resumed signing on at DWP. I then started a college course on 5/9/23 and left due to my health on 8/9/23. Would these periods affect my entitlement to backdated payment of LCWRA?

QBdoo

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

HillStreetBlues

QBdoo said:

Can anyone offer advice on whether there is any point of me pursuing this further and possibly going to tribunal?

In summary I submitted the first of two 3 monthly Sick notes on the 6/6/23. I resigned from a short lived job between 11/7/23 - 18/7/23 and resumed signing on at DWP. I then started a college course on 5/9/23 and left due to my health on 8/9/23. Would these periods affect my entitlement to backdated payment of LCWRA?

Was it part or full time?

QBdoo

HillStreetBlues said:

Was it part or full time?

Full time.