Additional Elements of Universal Credit - Health Element

If you are ill or have a disability and cannot work, you may be able to get an extra payment as part of your Universal Credit. This is called the health element.

Limited Capability for Work Element

You will get one of these if you satisfy the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Read our Universal Credit - Work Capability Assessment information.

You might get either the:

• Limited capability for work element (LCW) £158.76 per month. (From 3 April 2017, the limited capability for work element is not available to claimants who claim Universal Credit (UC) on or after this date, unless they were in receipt of a work-related activity component in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) immediately before they claimed UC) or
• Limited capability for work and work-related activity element (LCWRA) £423.27 per month.

If you are making a joint claim and you both have LCW or LCWRA, your award will only include one element:

• If one or both of you have LCWRA, you will receive that element
• If you both have LCW, you will receive that element.

You may have to wait three full assessment periods from first reporting sick notes for your LCWRA element to be added on. Although there are some instances where it can be added on straight away, such as if you are terminally ill or you were entitled to one of the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) components immediately prior to your Universal Credit claim.

If you have already been assessed as having limited capability for work or for work-related activity as part of your UC claim, you can work while still being treated as having limited capability for work. If you are doing a lot of work, this might mean the DWP will want to do another Work Capability Assessment to check whether your condition has changed.

If you haven’t had a Work Capability Assessment yet and are earning more than £846.56 per month, you won’t be able to have a Work Capability Assessment unless you are also getting PIP, ADP, DLA, Scottish Adult DLA, Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment (Scotland).