Help with Universal Credit application please

Spoonie_Turtle

Annie2347 said:

Thank you for your help. I’m hoping to get a medical support letter in the next week or two and have it ready for when I apply on his behalf for universal credit. Do I upload medical support/fit note digitally with the universal credit application?

My son received the migration letter in the middle of June. The deadline to have the application in is the 4th September. Does that include the WCA form to be submitted by the 4th September?

That's only for submitting the UC claim itself.

The WCA form comes later, they won't start the process until at least 29 days after submitting the initial claim (or 29 days after reporting his health condition if he does that later), then it's usually a month to fill in and return the form. 
However if the worst comes to the worst and you can't get the form filled in and returned on time, because his conditions include mental illnesses they should still proceed with the WCA anyway.  (Obviously not ideal, because having the form is helpful to make sure everything's been fully explained, but it's a little bit of a safety net at least.)


Unless I'm misremembering, after reporting his health condition and once the claim is submitted, the system will then ask for the fit note to be uploaded.

Annie2347

Hi,

Thank you for your help and advice.

My son only receives income support, housing benefit and carers allowance.

We haven’t applied for Adult Disability Payment yet. As I’m filling in the forms I’ve not been well enough to. 

We both privately rent a flat together. 

I didn’t realise you had to keep getting fit notes, thank you for letting me know. What should the fit notes contain in case my dr isn’t sure? 

Would a more in-depth letter from the dr be good to send with the medical application form? 

I had thought about just applying for my son as a carer and later applying with his health conditions but as he has severe anxiety and agoraphobia he wouldnt be able to go to any outside interviews. 

I know as a carer he’s exempt from work related activities.

I would be grateful for your thoughts. 

Annie2347

My son doesn’t work, does he still ask for a fit note? 

xxxxxxxx

Yes you should declare his health on the UC claim form and whether he works or not. he will need continuous fit notes. Until he has had his health assessment which can take anything from 3 to 12 months or longer, depending on if you do not attend appointments.

He has hypothyroidism so the doctor can put that on the fit note, if he has anxiety, depression, the doctor can put those too. 
When you declare his health conditions on the UC application, you list all of the health conditions he has.

A personalised doctor's letter can help, but it can also be completely useless. For it to help, you need to know which descriptors he fits and the letter needs to support him against those descriptors.

There are 2 boxes on the fit note for the doctor to tick... 
unable to work
may be able to work with reasonable adjustments

It does not matter which one the doctor ticks. 

Annie2347

Thank you for your help I really appreciate it 

Annie2347

Is the fit note a standard form that the gp fills in? Is there room for the gp to talk about how my son’s symptoms affect him and his inability to work or perform work related activities on the fit note? 

Or would the letter of medical support be where the dr can expand on which descriptors apply to my son that we send with the medical application? 

Thank you for any guidance and help 

xxxxxxxx

MED3 Doctor's Statement - Duplicate (cegedim-healthcare.co.uk)  

A GP would not normally write any significant comments on a fit note, but there is a comment section and a GP could, if you persuade them to, write something in the box to help, if GP did write something significant, you would have to ask the GP to print it so you can send it with the questionnaire.   A letter would be better.

Annie2347

Does the GP send the fit note to my son to post with the universal credit application? 

Apologies for all the questions but you’re helping me so much

xxxxxxxx

Not normally, AFAIK AFAIK - Oxford Reference a GP would normally send the fit note to you by text to your phone. 

But if you are in the GP surgery, asking the doctor for a fit note and they write something significant in that comments box, you would need a paper copy to send with the medical questionnaire as evidence.  

You make the claim for Universal Credit online Universal Credit: How to claim - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If he is not capable of making the claim online and maintaining it online himself, he can ask for a "Phone Claim". 
"If you cannot claim online, you can claim by phone through the Universal Credit helpline."

A "phone claim" is then managed by him by phone rather than managed online.

Spoonie_Turtle

xxxxxxxx said:

If he is not capable of making the claim online and maintaining it online himself, he can ask for a "Phone Claim". 
"If you cannot claim online, you can claim by phone through the Universal Credit helpline."

A "phone claim" is then managed by him by phone rather than managed online.

OP has already stated "He can’t talk on the phone to anyone as he’s so anxious."