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Will my benefits change?

jmmiller94
jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
edited February 2020 in Universal Credit (UC)
Hi,
I've recently applied for universal credit . I'm still within my assesment period. 
I'm currently sofa surfing which is stressful enough however my asthma got worse and my anxiety is through the roof. My doctors told me to contact mind matters as my anxiety is stopping me from doing things. I had a telephone assesment from mind matters and he was certain that I'm suffering from ptsd.  I'm now waiting for my appointment to come through from them to go and see the psychiatrist to get diagnosed with it. In the mean time my anxiety is stopping me from going to interviews for work and doing daily things my appointments at universal credit job centre is too much for me . The doctors give me tablets for anxiety in the mean time until I see the psychiatrist and has give me a fit note for universal credit. What do I do next regarding to universal credit my statement is due in a weeks time and I uploading my for note tomorrow. Will my benefits change or should I be worried about anything what steps to take

Thank you.
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Comments

  • Ails
    Ails Community member Posts: 2,256 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @jmmiller94 and welcome to the Community.  It is nice to meet you.  I'm really sorry to hear of everything you are going through at the moment and can appreciate that it must be so difficult for you.  I am going to tag in one of our Community Champions, @poppy123456, who has excellent knowledge of DWP matters and will be able to best advise you on your benefits.  Meanwhile, please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on and if we can be of any help/support you then please just ask.  Good luck also with your appointment.  I hope it goes well.

    Hi @poppy123456, can you please advise @jmmiller94.  Many thanks @Ails:smile:
    Winner of the Scope New Volunteer Award 2019.   :)
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    Thank you Ails
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks for the tag @Ails

    Hi and welcome @jmmiller94

    A fit note from your GP doesn't automatically entitle you to limited capability for work.

    If you haven't already sent the fit note then you should do this ASAP. Once it's sent then you'll be referred for a work capability assessment about 1 month later, although this doesn't always happen within this time and sometimes you need to ask your work coach to refer you. Once you've been referred you'll receive a work capability assessment form to fill in and return with all your evidence to support your claim.

    Once it's received back you'll most likely to asked to attend a face to face assessment which is the work capability assessment. During this assessment you'll be assessed on your ability to do any type of work. Once that's been done a report will be returned to DWP and a decision will be made on your claim. All of this could potentially take a few months, maybe longer.

    In the meantime i'd advise you to speak to your work coach and tell them about your conditions and that you have difficultly going out and ask if you can have telephone appointments while you wait for the assessment to take place. Some work coaches are very understanding and will reduce or even turn off your work commitments but it's not guaranteed that this is what your work coach will do because it's their discretion whether or not they do this. You can of course request a different work coach if the one you have isn't understanding. Hope this helps. Good luck.

    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    Okay thanks . So will my first payment be as normal because I'm still in my assesment period an I've uploaded a fit note.. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    You're welcome. Yes, that's correct, it will be for the standard element, depending on age. The waiting period is 3 months, with first LCWRA element paid on the 4th month of your claim, if the decision is LCWRA. If the decision is just LCW then you won't receive any extra money.
    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.
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @jmmiller94 - Welcome to the community from me too. I'm sorry to read about all you're facing at the moment, & hope it's not too long until your appointment. Meanwhile, please chat here any time as there's usually someone about only too pleased to listen. :)
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    Hi,
     I'm just wondering if anyone can give my any help and advice.
    My situation is,
    I have recently come in to a sticky situation . My temporary employment has ended so I've made an application for universal credit . I've confirmed all my I'd I had an advance payment too.  However I'm currently sofa surfing and  I have become ill with chronic anxiety and it's possible I may have ptsd.  The doctor give me a fitnote for 6 weeks and I've sent it by post to the correct address by first class.  I'm wondering what I'll have to do next , my assesment period ends tomorrow what's it likely I'll be paid next week. How long will it take for my fitnote to be accepted and what happens after that. Just confused 

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    You will receive your first payment 7 days after your assessment period ends. You will receive your UC statement with all the details of how much you should receive on there.

    How much you'll receive will depend on your age, if you're under 25 then your standard allowance is £251.77 per month.
    If over 25 then it's £317.82 per month.

    You will then have to start paying back the advance payment you received, so there will be a deduction for that. Also if you received any earnings from working during your assessment period then your UC will be reduced by 63p for every £1 you earn.

    Once they receive your fit note then you'll be referred for a work capability assessment about 1 month later, although this doesn't always happen within this time and sometimes you need to ask your work coach to refer you. Once you've been referred you'll receive a work capability assessment form to fill in and return with all your evidence to support your claim.

    Once it's received back you'll most likely to asked to attend a face to face assessment which is the work capability assessment. During this assessment you'll be assessed on your ability to do any type of work. Once that's been done a report will be returned to DWP and a decision will be made on your claim. All of this could potentially take a few months, maybe longer.

    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    I've got a feeling I'm going to end looking at my statement on the 11th and it's goingt o be  £0. And I'm not gunna get anything until March. My assesment period also ends tomorrow and they've not recieved my fit note yet.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    Not receiving your fit note isn't going to make any difference to the amount of UC you receive this month. A decision will not be made for quite some time on the limited capability for work.

    Since you started your claim have you received any earnings from working? If you have then this will affect the amount of UC you'll receive.
    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    Yes, I was working temporary and it was monthly pay I got paid 700 last month for work i did at the end of December and January i finished work on the 7th ..
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    That doesn't really answer my question. What i need to know is if you received any income since you started your UC claim?

    Are you also under or over 25?
    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    Yeah I applied for universal credit and within my assesment period which ends tomorrow I was paid 700 and I'm 25 , 26 in may. Thanks
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    edited February 2020
    @jmmiller94 sorry i didn't see this reply.

    Unfortunately, this will mean that your UC payment this money will be reduced to zero because of your earnings.

    As you have no dependent children and you haven't been assessed as having limited capability for work then your UC will be reduced by 63p for every £1 you earn. To work this out you do the following, 0.63 x 700 (earnings) = £441. As your standard allowance is £317.82, unless you receive any other elements, which i assume you won't then your UC will be reduced to zero.

    You will of course receive your statement in the next few days and on this it will tell you how it's worked out.

    What you should have done was claim UC after you received your last wages. Unfortunately, lots of people don't realise this and claim as soon as their job ends.
    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    So basically I'll have to wait till March for a payment.  All whilst I'm in the process of getting help mentally and getting diagnosed and I'm sofa surfing and currently bidding on properties so it's going to be a very hard month .   Thank you for your time.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    edited February 2020
    Unfortunately, that's correct, i'm so sorry. This is the issue that people have when they claim UC before they receive their last wages, it's then classed as income received during your assessment period.

    May i ask if you've worked and paid NI Contributions in the tax years April 2017 to March 2019? If you have then you could claim New style ESA. This is a Contributions based benefit paid fortnightly.
    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    I cant believe it if I'm honest.  It's a massive issue and I will be telling others that come in to this situation. No idea what I'm going to do for the next month.  And I have paid contributions yes . What's the criteria for that benefit ? 


  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    New style ESA has replaced the old Contributions based ESA. You need a fit note from your GP to be able to claim it, along with the correct amount of NI Contributions in the years i mentioned above.

    The conditions of the NI Contributions are here,
    https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-based It will need to be class 1 or class 2, if you were self employed. You can check your contributions here https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

    It will really depend how long you were working for.

    New style ESA is for those who are unable to work because of a health condition. It's £73.10 per week, paid fortnightly and you'll be able to back date the claim to when you finished work. A claim could take a few weeks though but it's better than waiting another 5 weeks for payment.

    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.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    Just so that you know, if you have paid enough NI Contributions to be able to claim New style ESA, there's no financial gain to claiming UC as well as this at the moment. This is because your ESA will be deducted £1 for £1 from your UC amount.

    Once you're assessed for the limited capability for work, if you're placed into the Support Group (limited capability for work and work related activity) then you'll receive the Maximum amount for ESA (£111.65) per week. Then you'll also receive the extra £336 per month in your ESA. As the ESA is deducted £1 for £1 then you'll be £170 per month better off. This is only if you're placed into the higher group.

    If in the future you need to claim for help with your rent, it will be paid in with your UC amount.

    Complicated yes and sorry to bombard you with so much information. Just trying to help.
    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.
  • jmmiller94
    jmmiller94 Community member Posts: 16 Listener
    I've just messaged my work coached and just enquired about it . Just seems that I've come out of work I've found my self sofa surfing and now im getting assessed by the doctors. My doctors referred me to a psychiatrist they think I've got PTSD,chronic anicety and depression.  My doctors have me a fitnote to say I'm unable to work for 6 weeks or unfit to look for work and have sent it too job centre it should get there soon . So once they've recieved it will that help things . It's hard because I'm having to use friends address for a care of address too. 


    I know it's a waiting game with everything but the thought of having a money with a month or longer is worrying..

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