Daughters UC stopped

Haribo1

Shes definitely in LCWRA group. All her appointments were stopped and she has no commitments to agree to. Been like that for over a year and nothing to do in the journal. No explanation or anything which is why we cant understand why her money has been stopped. 

We will find out Tuesday I suppose.

poppy12345

Having no commitments doesn’t means she’s been found to have LCWRA. A work coach has discretion to turn off or reduce them. You can check her past statements to make 100% sure she does have this, if she does then it will show the element which is £390.06/month. 

It’s the WFI that is in question here. 

Haribo1

Yes poppy she gets the full amount every month. It says on her statements. She's been getting that since her assessment last year.

Newcad

If/when there is a question about the legitimacy of ongoing UC then they can/will stop payments until things have been sorted out one way or the other.

That is done to avoid the possibility of further overpayments if the claim turns out to be invalid.
(They aren't bothered if the claim turns out to be valid and it caused an underpayment instead).

Those with LCWRA can be invited to WFI's and other appointments.
They can also be mandated to attend other types of appointments that are not WFI's.

Given the circumstances this particular appointment  sounds more like a Complience Interview than a WFI.
It sounds like it's an interview to discuss and clarify the actual dates of her absences from the UK.
So does the journal actually say that it's a WFI? Does it actually say that she must attend or risk losing benefits?

Also note that informing them of the dates on the journal is good, but they can (and do) check further.
For example if you make posts on social media that appear to show you are out of the country for longer that you said on the journal that you would be then they will want to know why that is.
If they have any doubt at all about what you said on the journal, or sometimes just as a random check, they will look at any SM posts that you may have made while abroad or about being abroad.

More than one claimant has been caught under-reporting their length of absence from the UK by what they then posted on Facebook or Twitter/X.
I am not saying that that is the case here at all, but it does happen and so the DWP can get suspicious and check.
As said above flight/ferry bookings or tickets will soon prove just when she was out of the UK.

Haribo1

It's says it's a work focused interview but nothing about her benefits being stopped. That has already happened. It says an interview to see about the steps she's made to look for work or the next steps she needs to take to increase her earnings but she's not working!

Jyana

Is this your daughter who was under 18 when she started her claim? I'm not as clued up on UC admittedly, but is there a change that happens when a child reaches 18 in these cases maybe, or was the LWRCA only to a certain date? 

NedS

If there is a doubt of entitlement (hence the claim may be suspended) as the claimant has been abroad, they may have booked the WFI appt for the claimant to prove they are back in the country - the best way to prove you are not abroad is by attending an appointment at the jobcentre.

Spoonie_Turtle

Jyana said:

Is this your daughter who was under 18 when she started her claim? I'm not as clued up on UC admittedly, but is there a change that happens when a child reaches 18 in these cases maybe, or was the LWRCA only to a certain date? 

That was over 2 years ago so she'd be well beyond 18 now.

LCWRA is an indefinite decision that lasts until/unless someone is reassessed and determined to no longer have LCWRA 

Newcad

That sounds like an invitation to a WFI. As I say those with LCWRA can still be invited to WFI's.
And they will do it now and again to check on things if there has been no contact for a while, although this does sound like a bit of extra checking here.

In the circumstances I would not miss it.
If nothing else then it will prove that she is currently in the country.
(TBH I tend to go to all jobcentre 'invitations' anyway whether they are mandatory or not, it keeps them happier if you show willing even if you then trun down whatever they are offering).

However her payments are likely to remain suspended until the actual time periods she has spent out of the UK has been cleared up to the DWP's satisfaction.
Hopefully she may be able to do that on Tuesday.

HillStreetBlues

I'm wondering if being out of the country is just coincidence, and the "help" centre was just guessing at a reason.