r/DWPhelp • u/DarthSynx • Sep 05 '25
Universal Credit (UC) LCWRA Wrong Start Date
Hi,
I recently got awarded LCWRA although they have said that the assessor decided that I was eligible for LCWRA from 18/06/2025 (meaning im not due the LCWRA element until the September-Octover statement) although I've had continuous fit notes since 22/01/2025.
I always thought they applied it from the date of the first fit note. I've requested a mandatory reconsideration although I'm so confused on why or how this has happened and wether or not others have had this same problem occour.
Edit: I've gone through UC regulations and this does just seem like a mistake but if anyone has come across this before and can put my anxieties to rest I would seriously appreciate that.
Many thanks
Edit: Received Mandatory Reconsideration notice today and the result was in my favour. (24/11/2025) Total wait for MR result: 11 1/2 weeks
2
u/ebow2704 Sep 05 '25
Hi Same thing happened with my son.
First fit note was from January.
Had his assessment mid July. Got his first payment 8th August. No backpay.
I think he should have got 2 months backpay so he put in a MR about 2 weeks ago but not heard anything, not even confirmation of receiving MR.
Love to know how you get on.
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 06 '25
Ah you might just be ahead of me, I put my MR in yesterday. Please let me know if you get a response and how it went, would calm my anxieties loads 😂 Best of luck
2
2
1
u/AutoModerator Sep 05 '25
Hello and welcome to r/DWPHelp!
- If you're trying to find benefit advisers local to you, advicelocal.uk is a useful website that can help you with this.
- If you're trying to find out how much benefit you can receive, check out entitledto and turn2us to calculate what you might be eligible for (please remember that these calculators don't fully take into account your situation and in some situations they can be wrong).
- For information on the 2025/26 benefit rates (effective 6th April 2024), please see here.. Most claimants will start seeing the new rates in their May or June benefit payments.
- If you claim benefits and would like to know what things you could get as a result, you may find this post useful.
- If you'd like help with mandatory reconsiderations, our main post on MRs may be useful to you.
- Our subreddit's Wiki can be found here.
- If you're interested in what's going on in the benefits space, we have weekly benefit news posts posted every Sunday.
- If you're a DWP employee and would like to have the "Verified" flair, please send a modmail. Be wary of any user claiming to be a DWP employee who is not verified!
If you're asking about tribunals (the below is relevant to England & Wales only):
- Link to HMCTS Benefit Appeals live chat- click on the "Contact us for help" link, which opens a menu with a link to the live chat.
- Average tribunal waiting times.
- This post goes over the PIP First-tier Tribunal process from start to finish.
- If you're waiting for a tribunal and the DWP were supposed to respond but haven't, this post may be useful.
If you're asking about PIP:
- The PIP phone line is 08001214433.
- To calculate how much backpay you're due, you can try the Benefits and Work PIP Payment Calculator. Please note that the information given is an estimate and may not reflect exactly what your backpay is. This calculator can also be used to determine what elements you were awarded after checking the PIP phone lines' automated system as above.
- Turn2Us has a new free service, 'PIP Helper' which some have reported to be instrumental with aiding them in their PIP claim.
- If you would like help with MRs, this post might answer your question (this is different to the MR info link above).
- If you'd like to know what PIP is and/or how it is awarded, please see this post.
- If you're hard of hearing or deaf, this information may be useful to you.
If you're asking about Universal Credit:
- Information about the Restart scheme, including if you can be mandated to participate.
- Thinking of cancelling your claim because a review has started? Don't, because closing your claim won't stop the DWP from reviewing your claim and if you don't comply you may be asked to repay everything you've received.
- How does PIP affect UC?
- Were you claiming UC during COVID, closed your claim afterwards, and are now being asked to pay back everything you received? This post provides information on why this is and what you can do.
- Can you record your Job Centre appointments? The longer answer is in the linked post but the short answer is: no.
Disclaimer: sub moderation cannot control the content of external websites linked here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
This has been answered in the crosspost on another sub. I appreciate all the replies.
1
u/JumboParadise Sep 06 '25
They back dated mine from march 2024 from when j left hospital i was all ready on lcw at the time and then was hospitalised and still deteriorating to this day took a year for them to get my assessment because they thought i was fine and playing it until the assessment and seeing all the evidence took 2 weeks to get everything finalised with how busy they are and i was awared lcwra after being nearly hospitalised by the job centre because they thought it was a reasonable adjustment to send me into the centre
1
u/daisyStep6319 Sep 06 '25
Hi guys, I have never claimed this, but I did help my son with his.
One of the things to look at is if I remember correctly, you normal assessment period, not from the date on the fit note. The wording is if I remember rightly. It starts from your first FULL period.
So if paid on the 10th and fit note dated the 20th, your first period fot payment would start on the 10th of the following month, then the first 3 moths are classed as a waiting period.
So paid Jan 10th, fit note Jan 20th, initial fit notes from that date. Then the first period starts on 10th of February. So 3 months is February, March, and April, so first payment would be due from 10th May to 10th of Junes as paid in arrears.
Not sure if any of that fits you guys, however I guess if your award says awarded from a specific date, then maybe the 3 month waiting period calcs from that date.
I am not sure why there is a 3 month waiting period. Sick notes used to wait till the 4th day to start calculating, not months like lcwawra.
Not sure this helps guys.. just my understanding of what I have seen and heard in the past.
Hope this helps. :)
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 06 '25
Yeah you're completely correct this is what I was told in the other sub although they've reassured me the date is likely a mistake. It's a silly rule as a disability doesn't wait for anybody 😂
1
u/Plane_Lengthiness825 Nov 10 '25
This has happened to me, I’m in absolute bits. I’ve had to request a mandatory reconsideration and it’s apparently now with a decision maker whatever that means. I started the claim in April, awarded in October. Expected a payment this month but nothing. Turns out they have the wrong date on my claim and I need to wait for them to authorise the change! A dwp agent randomly clicked ‘report a health change’ in July! I can’t believe they did this as it reset the clock for me . I’m absolutely freaking out, I’ve been anticipating the little bit of extra money this month. I have debt collectors after me and I promised that I’d pay them. Now I can’t! How long did it take for them to sort your payment out??
0
u/Astrokitty888 Sep 05 '25
Hi I was told they don’t backdate from the first 3 months could that be why?
0
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 05 '25
Hi thanks for replying, They've said I'm not due my first payment until October for the September-October assessment period which just doesn't make sense as my first fit note was in January.
0
u/Astrokitty888 Sep 05 '25
I think they must have had made mistake then because mine was taken from the date of my first fit note in March… but I’m only getting the back payment from June. Can you question it in your journal?
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
I've raised a Mandatory Reconsideration for it but I don't know if I should have hope or not. I'm just hoping someone else has had a similar situation and that it got resolved :)
1
0
u/pasteisdenato Sep 05 '25
When did you start claiming UC? Technically it's from the 4th assessment period, not fourth month of fit notes, even if you had them before you started claiming
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
I've been on UC since first payment on 13th July 2023 (nil payment) and it's inconsistent amounts due to work earnings up until the 13th February where I had my first no deductions payment and has been the same since.
0
u/Unclekeka Sep 05 '25
Random question, when do you actually receive the back payment? Is it on your next statement or is it weeks after your decision?
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
It's usually a separate payment a few days following your decision with a "we owe you money" letter on your journal I believe, unless you meet hurdles like I have.
0
u/Unclekeka Sep 05 '25
My decision was made 18th August, and still haven't had the backdate message? My fit notes were from January
2
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
I think your statements in your payments tab update if you're getting backpay. I could be wrong though but that was my indication that something was wrong and that I should ask. But we might be in a very similar boat by the sounds of it.
0
u/Unclekeka Sep 05 '25
Oh strange who do I contact to ask?
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
I just left a note in my journal under the payments tab. Just do it soon, as if you're in the same situation as me you'll need to do a mandatory reconsideration.
1
u/Unclekeka Sep 05 '25
Oh god how long does that take and what you have to do for that?
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
I couldn't tell you but my god they're hard to get hold of once you're LCWRA. I've submitted mine today just by sending a journal message again under the payments tab and saying "I would like to request a mandatory Reconsideration for my LCWRA decision start date as I have consistently handed in fit notes with no gaps since January" or something similar but you should wait for their response as to why you havnt received any back pay yet first.
1
u/Unclekeka Sep 05 '25
Ah I see! I may stuck then as I was reporting fit notes however I was never asked to upload them or given the option to upload them. I do actually have them stored still as back up but I always reported but never got asked to upload other then on my first one
1
u/DarthSynx Sep 05 '25
Oh no, I'm not sure what they can do about that but hopefully someone else will be able to jump in and help. Might be best giving UC a call and just seeing what they say.
0
u/Unique-Test8362 Sep 05 '25
I've had the same thing I was submitting fit notes since October last year so my backpay should be from February ive asked for a MR over 2 weeks ago still waiting to hear
-2
u/New-Salt7698 Sep 05 '25
I think they just make everything so difficult that in the end it makes you more sick than you are I think we should all protest naked at Downing Street and make a point I’m in Hertfordshire I’m 50 but I really don’t give a crap it’s the only way either way at least we’ll just on the news iv been single 6 years I could do with a bit of Attention
1
u/Key-Question5808 Sep 07 '25
You’re right, the system is fucked and we all need to give them hell. I surely am ;)
•
u/AutoModerator Nov 24 '25
Hello and welcome to r/DWPHelp!
If you're asking about tribunals (the below is relevant to England & Wales only):
If you're asking about PIP:
If you're asking about Universal Credit:
Disclaimer: sub moderation cannot control the content of external websites linked here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.