Limited Capability for Work – LCW

If you have a disability or a health condition, you may be eligible to claim for limited capability for work or limited capability for work-related activity.

To qualify, your condition or disability will need to be ongoing for 28 days or more.

Your universal credit award will be calculated and awarded differently for those who qualify for this additional element. 

You will need to undertake a work capability assessment, or if that’s not possible, provide proof to the DWP of your disability or health condition.

To find out if you can claim lcw or lcwra, you will need to complete a questionnaire, ‘UC50’ you will then be invited to a work capability assessment, which can be face-to-face or over the phone.

There may be certain conditions that will not require an assessment; these are:

• If you’re already in receipt of ESA – Employment support allowance
• If you are terminally ill and are not expected to live for more than six months
• You receive specific treatments, e.g., Chemotherapy or Hemodialysis.
• If you’re hospitalized for 24 hours or longer.

How much money do you get for limited capability for work?

LCW – Limited capability for work element on universal credit is £146.31 per month. You can only get this if you had an active claim for ESA – Employment support allowance before 3rd April 2017 or claimed for LCWRA – Limited capability for work-related activity before April 2017.

What is the work capability assessment?

WCA – the DWP uses work capability assessment to determine how your illness or condition affects you daily.

You will need to score a minimum of 15 points out of 255 points to be eligible for LCW or LCWRA. Your score will be based on how your condition affects your day-to-day living, including the activities can do yourself or if you require help.

What is the capability for work questionnaire? (UC50)

Before you can be assessed for LCW or LCWRA, you will need to complete a capability for work questionnaire, also known as a UC50. You can request the form from your work coach. Alternatively, you can download it from the link below.

What is the qualifying period?

The qualifying period is usually three months from diagnosis or when your sick leave begins. You can still apply for LCW or LCWRA, within the first three months; however, you will not receive any award during that time.

How long does the LCW or LCWRA assessment take?

Once you complete and return your UC50 form, you must wait for an appointment. The typical waiting period is 1-12 weeks. If your application is successful, you may be owed money if the qualifying period has been exceeded.

Suppose you already claim ESA (support group) and are moving to universal credit. In that case, you may automatically be awarded LCWRA limited capability to work and work-related activity without any assessment.

LCW or LCWRA backdated Payment

After a successful claim, any money owed to you will be sent separately from your regular universal credit payment.

If you owe money to DWP from any overpayments or crisis loans, any backdated Payment will be sent to debt management, who will recover any money owed to DWP before it is released to you.

For example: If you have ever been overpaid any benefits in the past, they will look to recover 100% of the money owed. So, if your backdated Payment is £1,000, but you owe £1,200, you will not get a backdated payment.

Can I still work and claim LCW?

You can still work and claim limited capability to work, and you are still expected to prepare for work. If your circumstances change while claiming LCW, for example, You find a job or your hour’s change. You may need to attend another work capability assessment.

Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity – LCWRA

If you are awarded limited capability for work and work-related activity ‘LCWRA,’ you will not be expected to look for work while your condition/disability remains the same.

To find out how you may score on the WCA assessment, complete the form below. This is not an application for LCW or LCWRA; the results are for example purposes only.

Your assessor will have a final decision on how you score on the official assessment.

The rules for the work capability assessment (WCA), limited capability for work (LCW) and limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), and elements payable in respect of LCW or LCWRA are set out in the universal credit Regulations 2013 (SI.No.376/2013).