Absolutely desperate times! LCWA — Scope | Disability forum
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Absolutely desperate times! LCWA

peggy_123
peggy_123 Community member Posts: 3 Connected
Our son is 20 is diagnosed with autism, medication for high anxiety, is so difficult to live with and due to having a younger child at home was advised the best would be for him to live separately, or as mental health one visit told us, throw him out! Which we replied he wouldn’t have anywhere to go and wouldn’t be able to cope, their reply ‘there’s plenty of homeless people out on the streets with mental health problems” there one and only appointment even though the gp asked for urgent help they refused. 
So social worker agreed he couldn’t live in supported housing so we found a privately rented one bedroom place for him, 5 minutes away, we still do everything for him (and I mean everything)
but of course he had to sign on for Universal Credit, he has a diagnosis and receives pip, the doctor has signed sick notes every 3 months because UC office wouldn’t accept the open ended one, sorry for the length but there is so much to make this make sense!
so he signed on (well I did this with/for him) end of March, first sick from doctor dated from this date, one month later and first payment, we asked why is he not receiving the disability payment we were told he would? Told “that’s now LCWA and you have to wait 4 weeks before it is even started” ok we said but it’s been over 4 weeks! Anyway we wait like they tell us too ‘because this is how It happens we’re told’ and in June, we contact again and ask “can you tell us please how far along the LCWA is now?” “Well the forms are on there way to you” ok, so we wait again, fill out the forms and send them back with everything they asked for and we wait again because ‘this is how it happens now’ we’re told again! So July comes and we phone, LCWA don’t even want to talk to us to the point of being rude and basically telling me to go away because they are a private company doing the assessment and cannot answer any questions, so phone UC because we’re not getting anywhere with the work coach, the lady at UC “so I am the new contact for your son and um um, the paperwork was sent to the doctor and they sent it back and it has to be resent to the gp” so I phoned the gp and was told “we received it today for the first time” the gp filled it in and sent it back straight away! Now we are more than 21 weeks from first UC and still no one will talk to us about his LCWA claim, we cannot afford to keep paying half his rent and all his bills as we are going into so much debt ourselves we are struggling with our own mortgage/bills as well as his, we don’t know who to contact for help? We are desperate for help 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,343 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    You have been incorrectly advised. Claiming PIP doesn't automatically entitle him to LCWRA and a face to face assessment is most likely before a decision is made. As you've filled out the work capability assessment form then you just need to wait i'm afraid. There's backlogs in most areas and backlogs cause delays.

    Once a decision is made it will either be LCW, LCWRA or fit for work. If the decision is LCWRA then he'll receive backdated money £336 per month from the 4th month of his claim from when he sent in his first fit note, providing there's been no gaps in the fit notes.

    The reason for the delay in the LCWRA element is because there's a 3 month waiting period.

    Did you send evidence to support his claim because this will be needed.

    May i ask if he's receiving the housing element of UC in with his monthly payment? if he claims daily living of PIP then he should be receiving the 1 bedroom rate of local housing allowance for his area.

    Hopefully you won't be waiting too much longer but it can be several months depending on backlog. Hope this helps.
    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.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @peggy_123   Pleased to meet you welcome.

    Thank you for joining and sharing.

    Sorry to hear what you are experiencing.  I am shocked and stunned by the attitude of mental health support.

    I am one of the team of community champions.  We guide, advise and help new members who join the community.

    I myself have mental health issues I am sorry to hear the problems you are having.

    There are answers and solutions to your sons health conditions.

    Every one is entitled to good mental health.

    Wellbeing, respect and given the opportunity to cope and deal with their health conditions no matter what they are with dignity, kindness, sensitivity.

    As Parents you have done nothing wrong. It is the whole system.

    Of mental health and support.

    There should be some one helping your son a support worker or social worker.  Be advising on benefit situation assisting and giving guidance on his  well being.

    Including attending any necessary benefit assessments, also anything else.

    Please may I suggest. Consider the following mental health charity.

    They do take clientele with additional disabilities. Can help with many aspects.  Help, welfare and additional support you son needs with his mental health.

    Floating support, outreach worker.

    https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

    Might not be in all areas.

    I wish you well.

    Please contact the community if you need ask anything.  Only too happy to be supportive.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman




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  • peggy_123
    peggy_123 Community member Posts: 3 Connected
    Thank you for your reply, When he signed onto UC end of March, his sick note started from this date, (no gaps) but they didn’t send the forms to us until June for LCWA and since then we can’t get any updates from them, he receives the basic rent from UC because he hasn’t been awarded the disability (LCWA) part yet, so his rent being £625 per month we have to make up half of it ourselves or pay the bills, the council told us on the old system he would be receiving the one bedroom amount by now and the disability payment. So basically all his UC pays ‘most’ of his rent, but nothing left, then we pay all his bills, his pip pays for food, clothes and anything else
  • peggy_123
    peggy_123 Community member Posts: 3 Connected
    The spiceman, our son has a social who never comes out, and when he does he just winds our son up and leaves us with a huge meltdown, he never does anything for our son, we have NO support from anyone, since camhs ended mental health won’t take him on, just told us to kick him out! We’re not in the Richmond area so doubt they would be able to help us
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,343 Disability Gamechanger
    Because he claims daily living PIP then he's entitled to claim the one bedroom rate and not the shared rate. You can check the amount he should be receiving for his rent by putting his post code into this link here. https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/

    His PIP award doesn't automatically entitle him to LCWRA and he doesn't need to be claiming LCWRA to claim the one bedroom rate.

    He also needs to make sure that he's claiming council tax reduction through his local council because this isn't part of UC.

    As he's under 25 then the standard allowance for him will be £251.77 per month, with the housing element on top. Any shortfall of rent and you should look into claim a discretionary housing payment (DHP) from his local council. It's a very lengthy form so i'd advise getting some help to fill that in. https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/benefits/discretionary_housing_payments_dhp





    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.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Hello @peggy_123 and welcome to the community. :)
    It does sound like they might be paying him the wrong amount of rent. He should be receiving the one bedroom rate if he's private renting because he's in receipt of PIP. As he's under 35 they may have incorrectly only allocated him the shared room rate. 
    You can check how much he should be receiving by popping his postcode and '1 bedroom' into this link: https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk

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    Scope

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