Changing to universal credit online

hi Denise

i have always been on universal credit since i went on the sick the tribunal put me in the support group where i am not required to look for work

however i got a letter saying that universal credit is going online and i need to set up an online universal credit account which i have done and now i need to take my tennancy aggreement pasdport and bank detsils in to the job centre

i have rang several times and keep getting fobbed off with them saying once i go down the job centre my claim will update then another lady said i dont get the right amount for support group (which i do) and made me out to be a liar but due to the disgusting way i have been treated and thats not my words thats the words of a lady who works for them

i am very dubious about the whole situation and my mental health has really been affected i will take my tribunal paperwork with me to

UC equivelant of ESA Support Group is LCWRA and this is an extra £328 per month for UC, do you recieve this payment extra per month? As you've always been on UC rather than ESA then the Tribunal should have used the words LCWRA (limited capability for work related activity)

It seems like when you first claimed UC you claimed it when your area was a live UC area rather than a full UC area. The live areas at the time didn't have online accounts and you now have to swap to the online account which is the full UC.

If this is correct then it really should be just a simple change from one to the other but DWP don't know the meaning of the word simple. Once you've taken all you need to take into your local Job centre then yes your claim should automatically update.

hi DENISE

thank you so much i am in the lcwra group and recieve the extra 328 a month

you have put my mind at test as you did with my tribunal.

i may be back to ask your advise afain my solicitor at my universal l credit tribunal asked for my pip report and asked me why i was only getting enhanced mobility but no living componant and he says he scored me enough points to receive enhanced living part

i rang in june to report my circumstances changing and to be reviewed i have assesment on friday no doubt they will turn me down and send me to mandatory reconsideration as they do

tnanks again Denise i am really grateful for you putting my mind at ease over this matter

kind regards

bridgey 675

You're welcome. Once you've changed to to online version, if they don't put you into the LCWRA group then add a note to your online account to tell them you're in this group.

I'm surprised you had a solicitor to help you with your Tribunal, solictors don't usually deal with benefit related Tribunals, or do you mean you had a representaive?

Is this person helping you with your PIP change of circumstances? It's extremely risky reporting a worsening of condition especially if you're doing it yoursef, without help.

Did you send evidence to support your claim? The assessment will be the same as the first time. A week after this you can ring DWP to ask for a copy of the report to be sent to you, this will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be as they mostly go with the report. Good luck.

yes Denise it was a solicitor from the law centre as they were making me live on 650 a month and my rent was 600 a month so citizens advice got me a solicitor i was only in the tribunal for 5 mins he has said he will represent me if it goes to tribubal i just need to go to get rereferred i filled forms out myself for pip and it said can you dress yourself i said yes but because i am disabled i have to sit down to get dressed which is 2 points etc etc so he told me what to put this time i will update you with my outcome they cant take my mobility off me and i have ptsd servere depression and anxiety i get severly mentally impaired so i dont pay council tax etc i am waiting for my cpn and also to go to local day hospital to get the right help to get my head back on track so i am fairly comfident but who i knows they cant take my mobility off me so the worst that can happen is they turn me down again i will let you know what happens and thanks for your continued support i for one find it a great weight of my mind once i speak to you thanks again your a star

Who told you they can't take your mobility off you? Who ever it was is not correct. Whether you report a change of circumstances or have a review you can have your existing award taken away and be refused. As i said it's extremely risky reporting a change of circumstances because you risk losing everything you already have. On the other hand your award could also stay the same or be increased. If it stays the same or increases then you'll have a new award date and length of time. If you're refused then your existing award stops 4 weeks after the decision is made.

When filling out the forms or being asked questions about how your conditions affect you, if you're asked can you do something like dress yourself, if you answer yes but you have to sit down, they will take that as you can dress without any problems. What you should say is no and tell them why you can't and what problems you have when you do try to do it. Same as using a bath, if you can't get into a bath without the use of a aid to help you then you must so no, not yes. When saying yes they will take it as face value and change what you said and put "can dress without any problems" i can't tell you the amount of times i've heard this happening. You have to be extremely careful and think about the answers before you answer them.

hi i just meant my ankle is no better than last assesment its a permanent disability still cant walk 20 yards without stopping still on two crutches and it will never get any better than it is now so thats what i meant and thanks for the advice again thats how i will explain about getting dressed and bathing etc i will let you know how i get on

No problem.

If you stated on the form that yes you can dress but you need to sit on the bed then you may have problems scoring points in that descriptor as a bed or a chair isn't classed as an aid for dressing/undressing. This is the exact reason why getting some help will benefit a lot of people what claiming PIP, especially if you don't understand the descriptors and what they mean.

Good luck!

If you live in the UK you can ring DWP to as them to send you a copy of the assessment report. This will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be as they mostly go with the report. You need to look at the boxes with dots or ticks inside that report and compare them with the descriptors to see what you have scored, if anything. It's also handy to have if the worst happens and you need to ask for the MR. Good luck.