Peoples experience with the Universal Credit Capability for Work process.

SaitenMar

dp1 said:

Hi My most recent experience of LCWRA has been positive, but it has taken a while  to get here!
I have Long Covid and was advised by job centre a couple of years ago to apply for LCWRA which I didn't get....I had a video assessment and one of the comments on the report was that 'I didn't look ill enough!' The interviewer didn't show any interest in my or how I felt and wasn't pleasant to talk to.
Then applied for PIP and went as far as tribunal which I still lost, one lady on the panel said she didn't believe I could possibly  feel as bad as I said I did, and still go to work for a few hours a day. I felt awful after it, like they hadn't believed me.
Anyways, at the beginning of last year I applied to LCWRA again, had a phone assessment in November and found out I'd been awarded it less than a week later. I spoke to a lovely lady, who said she wouldn't need to ask much as I'd given them so much information about how Long Covid affects me and how I try to manage. She asked a few questions and seemed genuinely interested.
It has made such a difference to me to feel believed, as well as lifted the financial pressures of managing to work only a few hours a week.
My advice would be to go into detail about how your condition affects you, using extra paper if necessary. If you are working, explain clearly how you can only manage to work under certain condition and adaptations, and how it affects you if you try to do more.
Best of luck -  you'll get excellent advice on here

Sorry to read about your tough experience dp1, I know how that feels. But I really appreciate knowing your story. Unfortunately I had a similar experience with PIP and had to take it to a tribunal before I won, took nearly nine months in total. I to had an health assessment which only lasted about five minutes when I was told they could last from 20 to 30 minutes and even when I asked him a bunch of questions he wasn't interested in answering any of them. It's actually something I pointed out when I had them reconsider my claim, how rushed and poor the assessment was done. I think that's why I have no faith in the process this time round either. 

Worst of all it just makes you feel worthless, some of the lowest points I've felt in my life was dealing with the PIP process and it's so difficult to get help other than online (which I'm so grateful for). Hopefully I have a better experience this time around, but I'm not holding my breath. Thanks again for your input and telling me your experience, appreciated. 

SaitenMar

I've sent off my form. Completing it drove me crazy, I think I rewrote my answers like six or seven times. I struggle to find the words to properly detail the difficulties I face and I'm still not happy with what I wrote, but I don't think I ever will be so I might as well get the form sent off. Putting down words to describe my mental health issues is particularly hard, because it can be so stressful.

Now I know I can't do anything but wait, but I'm already worrying. I know tacpot12 said not to focus on previous experiences, but it's hard not to. But I do want to thank everyone for their replies, it's been very helpful. 

HillStreetBlues

I have gone though two WCA, first nightmare full of lies got Support Group via Tribunal.
Last one in 23 was completely different and was all truthful and I stayed on LWCWR (I had moved to UC)
The difference is I had the second one recorded, and will only now have them recorded, as I believe it does put them off lying.

SaitenMar

HillStreetBlues said:

I have gone though two WCA, first nightmare full of lies got Support Group via Tribunal.
Last one in 23 was completely different and was all truthful and I stayed on LWCWR (I had moved to UC)
The difference is I had the second one recorded, and will only now have them recorded, as I believe it does put them off lying.

Interesting, it's got me wondering if I should record my WCA when it happens. Though I'm not entirely sure how I go about that. I have no faith in the assessment process already after PIP, so recording the interaction might be a wise move for me. It does look like it's with the same company (Capita) who'll do this assessment who also did my PIP assessment so I expect that'll be just as useless as they were before. 

I'll look into that, thanks HillStreetBlues.