Finally DWP admitted errors and have apologised but..... — Scope | Disability forum
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Finally DWP admitted errors and have apologised but.....

Ranson
Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
edited April 2019 in Universal Credit (UC)
I have no idea if I'm right sub forum or even if this the website to ask.
In short I was signed off sick in June 2018. For multiple reasons I wasnt paid ongoing UC (I had been in receipt of job seeking payments under UC no break in payments) and finally in January 2019 I was profusely apologised to with DWP admitting multiple failures and was paid for the complete missing months........ Because I was now under under sickness umbrella was sent off (finally) for assessment start of this month (big back log my area) and was immediately within 48 hours receiving a journal entry of unfit for work you're entitled to higher rate etc etc.
Now the reality is that the assessment should have been undertaken clearly in summer of last year not april of this year....Am I entitled to the arrears from June 2018 until current date and ongoing obviously ??  The sick notes are obviously from June 2018
If I am I havent been paid it
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Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    HI,

    If you were given LCWRA then the extra payment of £328 is paid from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you sent in your first sick/fit note. This is only paid if LCWRA it's not paid if you have LCW.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    edited April 2019
    @poppy123456 thank you for your respobse. Am not up to speed on these abbreviations though. I have been told yes via journal it was £328 extra per month  ??
    So does that mean roughly from October 2018 (4th month after) there should be arrears of £328 paid till current times ??
    Apologies if I appear little confused. My MP who got involved in my case said it was the worst case he had ever seen of UC problems albeit DWP completely admitted it
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    LCWRA is limited capability for work related activity and yes this pays the extra amount. If October is the 4th month then yes that's when it will be backdated to. Payment will most likely be from the up until your last assessment period, what ever date of the month that is. It can take a few weeks to receive payment.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Hi Poppy
    Thank you for your help it does appear that I "should" get it at some point. I note you say can take a few weeks to update. The journal entry confirming the extra £328 was only on the 11th April and it mentioned arrears but I had a normal payment date on 23rd April where only the normal amount was paid. Thats why I came on here and queried it
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    No problem. You could either ring them or put a note on your journal.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Hi Poppy
    Here we go again I despair. I queried via the journal yesterday but have received notification back in precis saying yes whilst its  paid from month 4 in your case the length of time involved is extensive (lol its entirtely their fault) between receipt of first sick note and current date. As such we have taken it taken it from the time "we" admitted fault in January 2019 and hence the 4th month process starts then
    Unreal simply unreal. Can I appeal this Poppy.??  They admitted fault on multiple fronts period yet now penalise ME for it !!
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Apologies for spelling above am somewgat upset here
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    Sorry, i'm confused. I wouldn't say the length of time is extensive. Some people are waiting a lot longer than that for a work capability assessment and decision. LCWRA is paid from the 4th month of the claim from when the fit notes were first sent it regardless of how long it takes.

    What i'm not understanding here is the part where you said "I wasnt paid ongoing UC (I had been in receipt of job seeking payments under UC no break in payments)"

    Where you claiming JSA before your claim for UC started? JSA and UC are slightly different.

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    No Poppy apologies what I meant was I was in receipt already of Universal Credit in the first part of 2018 (originally july 2017) under the work programme whereby you have to look for work. The sick/fit notes kicked in June 2018 but there was no break in any claim under UC.. The issue was simply the system couldnt cope (ludicrous I agree) with the switching to fit notes...my cancer got worse and worse but went into remission at Christmas last year....however that was only one small part of ongoing illness

    Hopefully that makes more sense ??  I do appreciate your help believe me

    Ray
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Sick of this. Apologised to profusely regards previous appalling treatment plus payment received finally. Now they are witholding (cant be any other reason) the higher rate payments that should now be included by their own journal entry
    Am back to square 1 with them ignoring journal entries with me simply asking them to clarify the position.
    This is exactly same treatment I had last year. Ignore ignore ignore and force the claimant to go to their MP to get redress

    I'm tired and exhausted
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    They are supposed to check journals daily but they rarely do. This is why it's always much better to ring them.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    They are supposed to check journals daily but they rarely do. This is why it's always much better to ring them.
    Hi Poppy
    Yes it would be great if they answered the phone lol.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Testing team Posts: 10,666 Scope online community team
    Hi @Ranson, this all sounds very stressful and confusing. 
    Did you receive a decision letter about your LCWRA award? Did it state anything about backdating on there and were there any breaks in your sick notes between June 2018 and your assessment at the start of this month?
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Hi @Ranson, this all sounds very stressful and confusing. 
    Did you receive a decision letter about your LCWRA award? Did it state anything about backdating on there and were there any breaks in your sick notes between June 2018 and your assessment at the start of this month?
    Yes decision letter of 11th April confirmed LCWRA award and mentioned back dating. No breaks in Sick notes whatsoever Adrian.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Testing team Posts: 10,666 Scope online community team
    Does it give a date they will back date to? 
    What were they apologising for in the January letter, that you were still waiting for an assessment? 

    Sorry for all the questions, I just want to be sure I’m understanding correctly. 
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Does it give a date they will back date to? 
    What were they apologising for in the January letter, that you were still waiting for an assessment? 

    Sorry for all the questions, I just want to be sure I’m understanding correctly. 
    Hi Adrian
    Its clear from a journal entry of 17th April from DWP that they are confused themselves. Whilst its not an excuse I think its different departments not talking to each other
    In short 2 events happened within 6 days of each other. On the 5th April DWP admitted I had live sick notes dating back to last year and should have been paid normally. I subsequently was in one large payment
    Now overlapping that an ongoing assessment result came through granting the LCWRA award and the backdating of it. In addition there are 2 DWP entries from different people contradicting themselves.
    One entry from DWP saying first higher rate payment would be 29th May. I have already received the higher rate on 28th April lol....(That is obviously someone not aware that the claim is live from last year)
    Just before answering this have just put another polite journal entry asking them to review all 5 entries from the 5th April. A third party reading would just laugh and think what on earth are they doing there
    Because of the rather large backdating payment originally (at normal UC rates) I'm not short of money obviously however as I'm told it will be backdated at the higher rate as per award its fair to say I would like to receive it
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    LCWRA element is paid from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you sent in your first fit note, this is because there's a 3 month waiting period and UC is paid in arrears so from the 4th month is when you'll be entitled to the element. I make that September 2018, if your first fit not was sent in June 2018.

    What do you mean by this? Because of the rather large backdating payment originally (at normal UC rates) I'm not short of money

    Are you saying that you received the LCW rate instead? £126 per month instead of the £328 per month?

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    LCWRA element is paid from the 4th month of your claim starting from when you sent in your first fit note, this is because there's a 3 month waiting period and UC is paid in arrears so from the 4th month is when you'll be entitled to the element. I make that September 2018, if your first fit not was sent in June 2018.

    What do you mean by this? Because of the rather large backdating payment originally (at normal UC rates) I'm not short of money

    Are you saying that you received the LCW rate instead? £126 per month instead of the £328 per month?

    I had received absolutely nothing for over half a year. The large payment came from the housing element of UC plus the basic £317 a month, £408 (housing element) so £725 a month back dated for half a year hence large sum
    That £725 has increased by an additional £328 now from the higher award from 28th April (the award letter of 11th April)
  • Ranson
    Ranson Community member Posts: 23 Connected
    Hopefully that makes sense now
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,034 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes, it makes sense now. Thanks for explaining that and yikes that's a very long time to go without any money. Hopefully they won't keep you waiting  much longer for that LCWRA element to be paid from September.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.

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