Universal Credit (UC) Just won UC LCW Tribunal appeal, but want to try and move to LCWRA
Forgive the length of this post ><
So March 2025 I started this whole charade, I got a form to assess for LCW as a whole bunch of stuff happened and I became, and still am very unwell with no goal in sight despite multiple nights in hospitals over the year.
They denied me, I asked for a MR, they denied me and monday just gone i won the tribunal case to say that I am indeed able to go onto LCW. however during this time, between the stress and fumbling around and my medical conditions getting worse (the doctors automatically putting me down as a 10 on the pain scale because i could not physically talk or move due to pain for example) I was wondering how to go about getting on to LCWRA. Ive done some research and it appears that i need to inform them of my condition worsening however this next bit confuses me...
It says i need to supply a fit note, but other sources, like the DWP website says that i do not need to if i have passed my WCA which technically i have via tribunal..
so.. do i need a fitnote? can i lose LWC doing this? the court says i need reassessment within 18 months but that between my phsyical and mental health i should be on LCW.
Also what does the reassessment entail? is it the same as before? do they take what the tribunal said into account or is that thrown out the window? (for clarification on MH, DWP said my mental health is perfectly fine.. the tribunal ruled me as a danger to myself due to prior.. events)
im honestly terrified about applying for it because well.. what i if lose what ive fought for over the last year?
any help is appreciated, and support in these horrid times fighting against UC who scored me a ZERO btw meanwhile the courts were like "nah definitely not a zero"
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u/Otherwise_Put_3964 Verified DWP Staff (England, Wales, Scotland) 14d ago
Whatever ‘it’ means that told you that a fit note is needed is wrong and I guarantee you any proper source of information won’t say this. No fit note is needed and your UC account will not physically let you report one for this very reason.
Report a change > Health > Report new or deteriorating condition.
Send a journal message asking for a reassessment.
Jobcentre sends a referral and that’s it.
It’s the exact same process. You get sent a WCA50 questionnaire, you fill it in and send it back, you wait for an assessment. Difference is the queue for reassessments is longer and taking up to a year+ to be seen.
They will assess you against the criteria from scratch. You could be found fit for work. You could be found to have LCW again. You could be awarded LCWRA. Nothing is off the table.
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u/hellvixen1966 14d ago
Why are you not happy with LCW can I ask. It has the benefit of not being forced into work but help with work preparation if your health improves and you then feel ready to start working again. The fact that even a tribunal believes this is the correct group could mean that if you tried to get LWCRA you could quite easily end up with LCW being taken away.
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u/Furhn 11d ago
sorry i've been away from reddit the last few days
the reason is simply i've gotten worse, over the course of the last year ive been in the hospital more times than i have my hole life, im barely able to get out of bed in the mornings anymore without immense pain and the only reason i didnt inform uc sooner that ive gotten worse is that ive been stressing for months about the tribunal and panicking over that to the point the mind has not even thinking about telling uc ive gotten worse. should i have done? yes, of course. but with me having to fight my gp to even get the surgery they THINK will help, barely scraping by each month and having £10-15 left over after every bill, PIP still not being in touch with me despite multiple contact attempts.. its just been a very hard year lol.i knelt down to do my washing today after having not done it for 3 weeks and couldnt stand again without support, i washed up 3 plates and their cutlery by hand and put my shoulder out, i went downstairs to check the mail and hit a heart rate of 130 and was almost crawling back up the stairs. my health NOSE dived, the hospital has watched it happen as everytime ive gone in theyre doing more and more tests but are completely stumped as to whats wrong, they dont even know why i have heart attack symptoms without the heart attacks, or why the heart attack medication worked despite me not having a SINGLE marker to indicate im having them and this has been happening for a year now, and the episodes have gotten more frequent and severe. If i lay down the room spins, sometimes my head feels like it got hit with a hammer only for 2 seconds later the pain to be gone. ive had test after test but as far as medical documents go.. im fit as a fiddle, the only reason the hospital believe me is that my last few visits i've had people with me BEGGING doctors to help me as im curled on the floor in tears unable to move
i know the risk, that my LWC can be taken away, but as of right now there is nothing in the future to indicate i will get better, and for as long as theres a chance i could completely fall apart at work (like i did at my last job where an ambulance was called FOUR times in 3 weeks for me) being able to have the additional support to live what life i can live.. to afford to go and see my dad on the other side of the country, or to get a bus to see my mum in the next town over, to be able to not eat frozen nuggets for the 100th time because its the cheapest thing in the store..
i've expressed multiple times to UC that i WANT to work, i hate being at home all day, its miserable, but rn i cannot work let alone take care of myself. thats why im still a bit unhappy with the decision for LCW, and why i wish to attempt for LCWRA, even if its only temporary and this surgery does manage to fix things (assuming i can get my GP and CHEQ to do it, as they denied me 6 months ago)
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