PIP/JSA/ UNIVERSAL CREDIT... HEEEELP

To add to the above information to claim limited capability for work under UC then you'll need fit notes from your GP. This will start off the work capability assessment which is the same procedure as ESA. If you're then given LCWRA then you'll receive an extra £336 per month from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you sent your first fit note.

Hi Denise,

Well he comes the complicated part... When i made the claim last week i was in my role for 2 weeks so i only have this week and next week left. i earn £9.50 per hour and work 4 hours a day, so 20 hours a week. I have been told if i entitled to any UC i would find out 4th January and get a payment on 8th but what happens after my job finishes? How will i tell UC that my job no longer exists after next week....

To make things worse the job is through an agency, and i the role is on the phones... I suffered hearing loss last week and went to doctors and was diagnosed with ear infection in both ears and perforated ear drum in one ear, i got a sick note stating i can work but with amended duties (the doctor didnt want me on the phones until i recovered)... I showed this to the people i work for and they sent me home as they said my role is based on the phones and their isnt anything else for me to do... so i didn't work last week.... (the people i work for took a copy of the doctor note)

so i am assuming i have lost a week wages aswell because they sent me home.... even though it says i could work but with amended duties.

As it was working more than 16 hours a week then the advice that your JSA claim ended and closed was correct.

As you've now claimed UC any earnings you receive during your assessment period will reduce the amount of UC you're entitled to by 63p for every £1 you earn. The more you earn the less likely you are to receive any UC.

Unfortunately because your job was dealing with phone calls then i'm really not sure what else they could have offered you. Once your job ends you will need to report the changes on your journal. Your journal will tell you what your work commitments are and what is expected of you.

Have you had your first UC appointment to confirm your identity?

May i ask how many hours you've worked so far? and when do you receive your wages from work? and also when is your assessment period for UC?

I recieved my first wage last Friday. £150 after tax and worked 20 hours

This week I will get nothing as I didnt work last week.

I went last wednesday to confirm my identity and she gave me a code.

Then made an appointment for me for 30th December I'm assuming to do my work commitments. The job centre lady said their was nothing for me to do on the journal until the 30th.

If that wage has been received during your assessment period, which i think it may have been then your first UC payment will be reduced by £94. If you receive more wages during this assessment period then your UC will be reduced further because of the 63% deductions.

Ah ok.. thank you for your help Denise. how can I claim limited capability for work? I don't know how I'd even go about it... I dont know if the fact I cannot stand up for periods at a time or carry things and walk and always be in constant pay will add to a claim..

You're welcome,

For LCW (limited capability for work) you will need to hand in ft notes from your GP BUT these will only be accepted if you are working less than 16 hours per week. You will also need to continue to send them until a decision's been made on the LCW.

Once you hand this in after 29 days your case manager will refer you for a work capability assessment but do be aware that sometimes it can take longer to refer people so you may have to remind your case manager to do this. Once you've been referred you will be sent the work capability assessment form (UC50) this will need to be filled in and returned with all your evidence to support your claim. You will most likely have to attend a work capability assessment (similar to PIP assessment but different criteria) and they will assess your ability to do any type of work. The WCA is about the work you can do and not the work you can't do.

The descriptors are available online to see if you search LCWRA descriptors and then you'll see them for both groups, LCW and LCWRA. IF you're given LCWRA then you'll receive an extra £336 per month from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you sent your first fit note. You won't need to attend any WFI when you're in this group.

If you're given LCW then you won't receive any extra money and you'll need to attend work focused interviews (WFI) with your work coach to prepare for work sometime in the future.

If you're given LCW or LCWRA then you'll also have a work allowance each month, this means that you'll be able to earn a certain amount of money before you start to receive any deductions each month. How much your work allowance is will depend on your circumstances. £287 per month if you claim the housing element or £503 per month if you don't receive the housing element.

Or you could be found fit work.

I remember that you claim PIP Enhanced mobility, if you look at the descriptors for LCWRA you'll see that one of them is mobilising 50 metres BUT for the WCA they take into consideration your ability to self propel a manual wheelchair, it's not just about walking.

There's lots of information about the WCA process and the criteria available by searching google. Links can't be posted here. If you search work capability assessment then it will come up but it may come up as the ESA assessment but the criteria is exactly the same.

Hope this helps.