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Online Universal Credit migration claim
- TMD
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3 weeks 3 days ago #301907 by TMD
Online Universal Credit migration claim was created by TMD
Hi azerlovi,
Be prepared for the possibility of being called prior to your appointment. It happened to me. I was called 40 minutes beforehand. The caller said she was checking I was going to be available for my appointment? I replied yes and she then asked me whether I could take the assessment sooner than my appointment time if the assessor was available? It caught me off guard a bit but I firmly stated no I couldn't as I was waiting for my son to join me. I asked her if my assessment recording was in place but she said she couldn't see it in my notes, which made me a little apprehensive.
The assessor was 50 minutes late calling me. After waiting for 40 minutes and getting anxious, I asked my son to call them as I was worried they had called and somehow hadn't got through. My son was told the assessor was overrunning but it shouldn't be much longer to wait.
My advise is to be prepared well in advance on the day and don't be browbeaten into taking your assessment early if you don't want to. Also Be prepared for them to be running late but of course they could also be bang on time or even a little early.
I gave my son a piece of paper and a pen for him to write me any messages whilst I was on the call in case he needed to highlight anything quickly to me. I also had my WCA form in front of me and a bottle of water as you have to do a lot of talking!
When the assessor finally rang I checked with her that she had the recording all ready to go, which she confirmed. If she hadn't I would've insisted on rearranging the assessment as I had made the request for it to be recorded and I'd even double-checked it with them.
The assessor ran through a preamble around data protection and security stuff etc.
I was asked about my meds and dosage and I was asked if I had any pets. Be aware if you have a dog that you might get asked about how it gets exercised etc. There is a general belief that this question is aimed at trying to trip people up if they claim to have mobility problems.
The assessor, no doubt because she was running late, sometimes hurried me through my answers. Nevertheless, she was comprehensive in her questioning!
She said she had read my WCA form and my medical evidence and had a good grasp of my conditions.
The questions were all about how my conditions affected me day-to-day, both my physical and mental health issues.
I was asked what time I went to bed, what time I got up and what was the first thing I did when I got up. In my case it is usually visiting the loo, followed by sitting down with some water and taking my morning meds (from my pill receptacle marked with the days of the week) that need to be taken before food and staying sitting in my recliner until I felt able enough to make myself a drink.
She also asked me to talk her through a typical day from getting up and going to bed. I fumbled with this and found it trickier than I expected. I didn't write any of it down beforehand because I assumed I'd easily be able to convey the daily problems I have but I actually found it quite difficult to articulate it to another person! I was kicking myself afterwards and would definitely recommend writing it all down before your assessment to ensure you get across all of your difficulties, both mental and physical - such as how often you need to rest before, during and after doing any daily tasks such as getting dressed and taking care of yourself, etc.
At the end of the assessment my son spoke to her briefly reiterating my difficulties from his perspective.
I was convinced the best I would get was LCW and so I was amazed when I was awarded LCWRA. Not only that but it was awarded to me 3 days after my assessment! The CD of my recording arrived 2 days after my assessment.
Al-in-all it was a positive experience. The B and W guides are a 'Must-read and follow'.
I wish you and anyone else going through this all the best and that you get the right outcome.
TMD
Be prepared for the possibility of being called prior to your appointment. It happened to me. I was called 40 minutes beforehand. The caller said she was checking I was going to be available for my appointment? I replied yes and she then asked me whether I could take the assessment sooner than my appointment time if the assessor was available? It caught me off guard a bit but I firmly stated no I couldn't as I was waiting for my son to join me. I asked her if my assessment recording was in place but she said she couldn't see it in my notes, which made me a little apprehensive.
The assessor was 50 minutes late calling me. After waiting for 40 minutes and getting anxious, I asked my son to call them as I was worried they had called and somehow hadn't got through. My son was told the assessor was overrunning but it shouldn't be much longer to wait.
My advise is to be prepared well in advance on the day and don't be browbeaten into taking your assessment early if you don't want to. Also Be prepared for them to be running late but of course they could also be bang on time or even a little early.
I gave my son a piece of paper and a pen for him to write me any messages whilst I was on the call in case he needed to highlight anything quickly to me. I also had my WCA form in front of me and a bottle of water as you have to do a lot of talking!
When the assessor finally rang I checked with her that she had the recording all ready to go, which she confirmed. If she hadn't I would've insisted on rearranging the assessment as I had made the request for it to be recorded and I'd even double-checked it with them.
The assessor ran through a preamble around data protection and security stuff etc.
I was asked about my meds and dosage and I was asked if I had any pets. Be aware if you have a dog that you might get asked about how it gets exercised etc. There is a general belief that this question is aimed at trying to trip people up if they claim to have mobility problems.
The assessor, no doubt because she was running late, sometimes hurried me through my answers. Nevertheless, she was comprehensive in her questioning!
She said she had read my WCA form and my medical evidence and had a good grasp of my conditions.
The questions were all about how my conditions affected me day-to-day, both my physical and mental health issues.
I was asked what time I went to bed, what time I got up and what was the first thing I did when I got up. In my case it is usually visiting the loo, followed by sitting down with some water and taking my morning meds (from my pill receptacle marked with the days of the week) that need to be taken before food and staying sitting in my recliner until I felt able enough to make myself a drink.
She also asked me to talk her through a typical day from getting up and going to bed. I fumbled with this and found it trickier than I expected. I didn't write any of it down beforehand because I assumed I'd easily be able to convey the daily problems I have but I actually found it quite difficult to articulate it to another person! I was kicking myself afterwards and would definitely recommend writing it all down before your assessment to ensure you get across all of your difficulties, both mental and physical - such as how often you need to rest before, during and after doing any daily tasks such as getting dressed and taking care of yourself, etc.
At the end of the assessment my son spoke to her briefly reiterating my difficulties from his perspective.
I was convinced the best I would get was LCW and so I was amazed when I was awarded LCWRA. Not only that but it was awarded to me 3 days after my assessment! The CD of my recording arrived 2 days after my assessment.
Al-in-all it was a positive experience. The B and W guides are a 'Must-read and follow'.
I wish you and anyone else going through this all the best and that you get the right outcome.
TMD
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- David
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3 weeks 2 days ago #301925 by David
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by David on topic Online Universal Credit migration claim
Hi TMD
Thanks for sharing your experience.
You are describing the WCA which is part of a UC or ESA health assessment.
The original post was about the information gather for UC Migration.
David
Thanks for sharing your experience.
You are describing the WCA which is part of a UC or ESA health assessment.
The original post was about the information gather for UC Migration.
David
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: TMD
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