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LCWRA at £217.26. WCA was before April!
- mrwhitz
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18 hours 8 minutes ago #315600 by mrwhitz
LCWRA at £217.26. WCA was before April! was created by mrwhitz
LCWRA at £217.26 despite starting the WCA process before April. Should I get £429.80?
Hi everyone. My first LCWRA payment is due this September, but my statement includes £217.26 rather than the protected £429.80 rate. I’m worried and would appreciate some advice.
Here’s my timeline — all dates are in 2026:
• 11 February — Started UC and reported my health condition and fit note. I’ve supplied continuous fit notes.
• 26 March — DWP accepted my fit note and sent a journal message confirming they would send me a WCA50 questionnaire.
• 1 April — Posted my completed WCA50 with supporting evidence and recorded this in my journal.
• 20 July — Had my telephone Work Capability Assessment.
• 27 July — Awarded LCWRA.
• 11 September — Statement issued showing the LCWRA element at £217.26.
I did have earnings above the WCA assessment threshold in February, March and April. DWP has used 11 May as the start of my three-month waiting period, with LCWRA first payable for 11 August–10 September. I already have a Mandatory Reconsideration pending about that start date.
My question here is about the lower RATE.
My understanding of DWP’s ADM Memo 04/26, paragraph 8.1, is that claimants whose assessment was pending on 5 April 2026 can qualify for the protected higher rate when subsequently awarded LCWRA.
1. Does my March WCA50 correspondence and April submission mean I should qualify for that protection?
2. Could my earlier earnings affect the protected rate, even though the assessment process was already underway?
3. Has anyone had this corrected, and what helped resolve it?
I have dated journal screenshots supporting the timeline. Any advice, especially from someone familiar with these rules, would be appreciated.
Hi everyone. My first LCWRA payment is due this September, but my statement includes £217.26 rather than the protected £429.80 rate. I’m worried and would appreciate some advice.
Here’s my timeline — all dates are in 2026:
• 11 February — Started UC and reported my health condition and fit note. I’ve supplied continuous fit notes.
• 26 March — DWP accepted my fit note and sent a journal message confirming they would send me a WCA50 questionnaire.
• 1 April — Posted my completed WCA50 with supporting evidence and recorded this in my journal.
• 20 July — Had my telephone Work Capability Assessment.
• 27 July — Awarded LCWRA.
• 11 September — Statement issued showing the LCWRA element at £217.26.
I did have earnings above the WCA assessment threshold in February, March and April. DWP has used 11 May as the start of my three-month waiting period, with LCWRA first payable for 11 August–10 September. I already have a Mandatory Reconsideration pending about that start date.
My question here is about the lower RATE.
My understanding of DWP’s ADM Memo 04/26, paragraph 8.1, is that claimants whose assessment was pending on 5 April 2026 can qualify for the protected higher rate when subsequently awarded LCWRA.
1. Does my March WCA50 correspondence and April submission mean I should qualify for that protection?
2. Could my earlier earnings affect the protected rate, even though the assessment process was already underway?
3. Has anyone had this corrected, and what helped resolve it?
I have dated journal screenshots supporting the timeline. Any advice, especially from someone familiar with these rules, would be appreciated.
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- David
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3 hours 8 minutes ago #315609 by David
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by David on topic LCWRA at £217.26. WCA was before April!
Hi mrwhitz
Most people have to serve a 3 month waiting period before the payment of the UC LCWRA element commences.
The DWP talk about a Health Journey which starts when the UC agent requests a WCA and posts out the UC50.
However the Health Journey stops when the claimant earns an amount equal to or above 16 hours per week at the national minmum wage. Unless you get certain Benefits such as PIP.
Here is the guidance from Entitledto:-
"Earnings and the work capability assessment
If your capability for work has not yet been assessed
The work capability assessment which determines your entitlement to a limited capability for work element will not be carried out, therefore you will not receive a LCW or LCWRA element, if your earnings are equal to or above a set threshold. This threshold is the amount you would earn if working 16 hours at the national minimum/living wage.
The exceptions to this are if you are receiving Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment or can be without having to go through the work capability assessment. In these cases the earnings threshold does not apply."
I can only assume that your Health Journey stopped when you earned over the amount mentioned above and that you have lost your eligibility for the higher LCWRA element.
David
Most people have to serve a 3 month waiting period before the payment of the UC LCWRA element commences.
The DWP talk about a Health Journey which starts when the UC agent requests a WCA and posts out the UC50.
However the Health Journey stops when the claimant earns an amount equal to or above 16 hours per week at the national minmum wage. Unless you get certain Benefits such as PIP.
Here is the guidance from Entitledto:-
"Earnings and the work capability assessment
If your capability for work has not yet been assessed
The work capability assessment which determines your entitlement to a limited capability for work element will not be carried out, therefore you will not receive a LCW or LCWRA element, if your earnings are equal to or above a set threshold. This threshold is the amount you would earn if working 16 hours at the national minimum/living wage.
The exceptions to this are if you are receiving Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment or can be without having to go through the work capability assessment. In these cases the earnings threshold does not apply."
I can only assume that your Health Journey stopped when you earned over the amount mentioned above and that you have lost your eligibility for the higher LCWRA element.
David
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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