Universal Credit and Fit note

[UndertheCedartree]

Can anyone explain this to me. I am on UC due to illness. I put a claim in (well actually some kind of support worker did) when I was in hospital. I'm guessing they maybe provided a fit note. I don't know as I was too unwell.

Some years have passed and I was just recently asked for a fit note. I'm a bit confused as I've never got one before. Why would they ask now? Do I need to speak to a GP to get one?

www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition

During January there was a change to the rules to mean that fit notes weren't needed to help free up doctor time for vaccinations.

That's why you didn't previously need a fit note. However, if you are still too ill to work then you need a request a new fit note from your GP

Sorry just seen that you said years have passed.

Have you had your work capability assessment, what category are you in?

Generally uc for disability and/or illness has to be renewed periodically, dsd's was every 3 years despite profound lifelong disabilities including severe ld's

[quote Hankunamatata]www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition[/quote]
I already read all that! It doesn't answer my question!

How long have you been on UC?

Have you had your work capability assessment yet?

What category are you in?

@Dishwashersaurous

Sorry just seen that you said years have passed.

Have you had your work capability assessment, what category are you in?

I didn't need a WCA. I am in the category of unable to work and work related activity or whatever they call it.

Are you in the group that extra money for a health condition or disability that prevent you from working? I have a friend who is because of her mental health and she has to attend assessments every now and then and have medical letters that show she is still unwell. Every year or two she has to have them but with covid it's been more like three years

Before she was placed into that group she was providing fit notes every four weeks as her GP wouldn't do them for longer until she got her bipolar diagnosis, the fact you've not been requested to provide fit notes regularly for a few years makes me think you're in the group that gets extra money and it's maybe them just reassessing. I'd ask in your online journal maybe and staff can give you more answers, it might just be a mistake.

So you will.have had to have WCA to determine which category you are in.

If you are limited capacity for work and work related activities then you will at some point be reassessed. But this will not require a fit note

@gogohm

Generally uc for disability and/or illness has to be renewed periodically, dsd's was every 3 years despite profound lifelong disabilities including severe ld's

Thank you. So what did that mean? Did you need a fit note every 3 years?

@Dishwashersaurous

So you will.have had to have WCA to determine which category you are in.

If you are limited capacity for work and work related activities then you will at some point be reassessed. But this will not require a fit note

Oh ok, well maybe I had it but I didn't have to see anyone. Maybe some forms were filled in? So seems like asking for a fit note is a mistake?

So you've been on UC for years, and have done so because your support worker put in your claim? I take it you claim Employment Support Allowance? It's a benefit because you can't work, or you might be on a historical benefit that hasn't switched over yet.

Yes, you will need to get a fit note from your Dr confirming that you are not fit for work, and upload the details to your online universal credit account.

I don't know about your Dr's surgery, but I can order fit notes via the surgery website, which might make it easier for you.

How long have you been claiming uc for?
You would have had some sort of assessment, either by telephone or in person.

Could just be a mistake.

Ask on your journal.

Without knowing all the details of your specific case we are not going to be able to advise.

@ChaoticWoman

Are you in the group that extra money for a health condition or disability that prevent you from working? I have a friend who is because of her mental health and she has to attend assessments every now and then and have medical letters that show she is still unwell. Every year or two she has to have them but with covid it's been more like three years

Before she was placed into that group she was providing fit notes every four weeks as her GP wouldn't do them for longer until she got her bipolar diagnosis, the fact you've not been requested to provide fit notes regularly for a few years makes me think you're in the group that gets extra money and it's maybe them just reassessing. I'd ask in your online journal maybe and staff can give you more answers, it might just be a mistake.

Yes, I am in that group. It doesn't seem right asking for a fit note if being reassessed.

I'd ask in my journal but no one ever answers. I'd phone up but noone ever knows the answer to my queries and it is passed to my case manager, who then never gets back to me!

@Dishwashersaurous

How long have you been claiming uc for? You would have had some sort of assessment, either by telephone or in person.

Could just be a mistake.

Ask on your journal.

Um about 4 years. No, I had no assessment. I think it was because I was in hospital. I was too unwell to have answered their questions so an assessment would have been pointless.

But yeah, as above I'd ask on the journal but noone ever answers anything on there so it's a complete waste of time!

Instead if asking here. Ask on your journal

Try the journal, someone should respond.

Have you had any other change of circumstances recently? Eg moved house, partner moved in, or started work or something

Good luck.

There would have been an assessment. It might have been a paper based assessment using your medical evidence only.

It may be that you are due for a reassessment

@YouCantTourniquetTheTaint

So you've been on UC for years, and have done so because your support worker put in your claim? I take it you claim Employment Support Allowance? It's a benefit because you can't work, or you might be on a historical benefit that hasn't switched over yet.

Yes, you will need to get a fit note from your Dr confirming that you are not fit for work, and upload the details to your online universal credit account.

I don't know about your Dr's surgery, but I can order fit notes via the surgery website, which might make it easier for you.

I'm on Universal Credit not ESA. I've never got a fit note before so no idea!

Contact a welfare rights charity for Advice

@Dishwashersaurous

Try the journal, someone should respond.

Have you had any other change of circumstances recently? Eg moved house, partner moved in, or started work or something

Good luck.

Haha - my journal has probably hundreds of entries from me! I never get a response. Maybe once a year someone will say they are passing it on to a case manager.

@MissMaple82

Instead if asking here. Ask on your journal

I could but I never get an answer on my journal. I get an answer on here everytime!

It's really odd that no one has responded at all.

That's clearly not how the system is supposed to work

@Dishwashersaurous

There would have been an assessment. It might have been a paper based assessment using your medical evidence only.

It may be that you are due for a reassessment

That's what I said - maybe some forms were filled in. Perhaps I am. The only change I had was last summer and that was that I started claiming disabled child element.