LCWRA Back payment

[Stubby]

If youre entitled to back payment does it come when you first get the LCWRA payment on your payment day or can it be added to your account at any time? i got my first statement with the LCWRA added today, I assumed i am owed 3 months backdated, I told DWP i was sick on 1st july 2020 and was awarded LCWRA on the 8th Feb 2021, The 90 days covers july, aug,sept and octobers periods so i assumed i would be paid for nov, dec and jan periods or do i have to apply for it?

[nukecad]

It may be taking then time to calculate backpay.

However sometimes it may also be an error on their part.
We have seen it where they wrongly treat the date of the award as the start of the 3 months waiting.

That hasn't happened with you as you have got a LCWRA payment this month, so it's probably just taking time to calculate the backpayment.
I'm assuming that you did have Fit Notes to cover the whole period between 1st July 2020 and 8th Feb 2021?

You could put a note on the payments section of your journal asking when you can expect your backpayment.

To work out when the backpay should start from I'd need to know your UC monthly period dates, (or your ususal payment date), and if you were already claiming UC before you told them you were sick or if you told them when you first claimed.

The waiting period isn't exactly 90 days, it's more complicated than that and can vary, they just say 90 days beause that's the average with a new UC claim.
With an already existing claim it can be longer.

[Stubby]

hi, Thanks, my assesment periods are from the 19th to the 18th of the following month and payed on the 25th. i was claiming UC 4 months prior to telling them on 1st July i was sick.

[nukecad]

Fine,

The rule for LCWRA waiting on existing claims is 3 full APs following the AP where you first provide 'evidence' that you were unfit for work.
And then as UC is paid in arrears you first see the payment the next month.

You told them on 1st July, presumably with a Fit Note, unless the need for a fit note was waived because of Covid?

So your 3 months waiting started on 19th July and ended on 18th October.

You are due LCWRA backpay from 19th October to 18th January, 3 months as you thought.
19th Jan to 18th Feb is already included in your statement to be paid on the 25th.

It's not difficult to work out, but it may take longer to authorise the backpayment.
Backpayments over a certain amount have to be authorised, I'm not sure what that amount is for UC but 3 months UC-LCWRA is just over a thousand pounds (£1,030.89) so it probably needs authorisation.

The only possible problem I can think of is Fit Notes, they are not realy necessary under law (other forms of 'evidence' will do) but the DWP tend to insist on them.
Normally with UC you are supposed to take them to a jobcentre, but of course that hasn't been possible because of covid.
(With ESA you can send them online, which is a laugh because UC is supposed to be digital, not ESA).
Did you actually take/send any Fit Notes in, or scan/photograph and upload them to your journal if asked to?

As said you can ask on your journal to make sure that the backpay is being looked at and will be probably paid next month.

[Stubby]

Thanks for confirming my thoughts, i was told to keep the notes if they are ever needed which i have done so if they are asked for i have them. I will wait until the next payment date before i chase them up.

Many thanks for your help.

[nukecad]

Well done on keeping the Fit Notes, always keep anything that may be relevant later.

Most regulars here have a file or files in which they keep everything from the start of their claims onwards, just in case.

[worried33]

I still remember the couple of months when I had to send in sick notes whilst in "SG". have no idea what the legality is of that but I complied, and managed to get it stopped as I had a contact within the DWP at the time.

[nukecad]

The system wth Fit Notes is different for ESA and UC.

ESA has a portal where you can send them online, or you can post them.
With UC you are supposed to take them to a jobcentre, but that has been suspended during covid.

[Peggy]

Hello,Am not sure if I should open a new thread but the question is quite the same so I do apologise if am breaking the rules.
I was on UC for a while before I had to quit my job because of my condition worsening.By contract had to give 6 week notice so I got sick note the 20th August 2020 to cover the notice period without working. In September I received the UC questionaire and sent it straight away. I got sick notes since 20 August 2020 until 20 March 2021. My phone WCA assessment was last monday 22nd February 2021and got awarded the next day 23rd Fevruary 2021 with LCWRA so dont need fit notes anymore.

Question is, the medical evidence starts since 20 August 2020 or since they received my UC fullfilled questionare around end september /early October 2020 ? I struggle to calculate and undestand this things, got cognitive impairments due to my condition, am losing my mental abilities ,
Got all sick notes as they told me to keep them.

I get paid on the 20th each month.

Many thanks

[nukecad]

It starts from when you first supply medical evidence of being unfit for work.

So let's work it out.

When you say you get paid on the 20th I'm assuming you mean that you get paid UC on the 20th.

That would mean that you monthly period is from the 14th of one month to the 13th of the next, and you get paid 7 days later.

Your first Fit Note was from the 20th August, so your 3 full months 'waiting' ran from 14th September to 13th December.

You should be paid the LCWRA element as from 14th December.

So you should get a LCWRA backpayment for Dec 14 -Jan 13, and one for Jan 14 -Feb 13.

Hopefully those should be included with your next payment on 20th March, which should also include LCWRA for Feb 14 - March 13.
If it isn't then phone, or put a note on the payment section of your journal, asking why not.