UC and UC50

Havent been on for a while due to a number of serious health issues but thankful this site is still here and the helpful guides, forums and moderators.

During lockdown a family member was reciving phone calls from DWP and advised they needed to try and look for work, after all the job centre`s husband had operation and back in work, The family member has a number of Physical and Mental health conditions, also PTSD they were in receipt of legacy benefits -EESA income based and PIP. The family were unaware they had been to Assessments on both and points deducted. They never appealled as they did not share what had happened as they felt so depressed.

Anyway after getting medical support back in place, and family members finding out our family member had no income only reduced amount of PIP - they were told to help them apply for UN and that they could not go back to there other benefits.

Recently the claim was submitted and they have to go to Job Centre to meet their work coach and activaly look for work 35 hours a week. They are mentally and physically unable too..

We are very concerned as a family and need to know if we should have also requested and complete a UC50 Form or is this something that the Job Centre will send shortly?

We are concerned they have lost their legacy benefits and there mental and physical illness is not taken into account and they have been surviving on their basic care amount of PIP and borrowing money,

thank you for the helpful information Gary. At the moment the family member does not want a appointment with the GP, they are urrently overwhelmed with the new system, Councelling support, and apptointments for his physical disabilities.

They had to attend the local job centre and produce documents of evidence of whom they are and tenenacy agreements. They were told that if they did not attend there claim for UN maybe closed.
They have also been told to attend another appoinment this week and at that appointment they will meet their work coach and be advised how much they will be paid and the decision from the decision maker re commitments and availability.

The first appointment lasted approx 50mins and went through everything filled out on line for universal credit. Our family members health conditions were on there so we hopeful they have been taken into account.

They have not asked for a sick-note, and it sounded from the first appoinment the decision will be made this week. I think we are all awaiting to see if some type of Limited capabilities will be taken into account which limits availability. We have advised our family memeber to take some recent medical letters today. I think we are all in the mind if there conditions are not taken into account we will appeal.

We feel there claim for UN is being rushed and at this stage and everything crossed we hope it all goes Ok.