Bereavement designated as a change of circumstances

Due to Mr Absolut dying suddenly on Sunday 12 November I have had to trawl about looking for evidence that his death is classed as a "change of circumstances" causing me to have to claim UC. There is no mention of the death of a joint JSA claimant being a "change of circumstances" anywhere in UC regs or JSA regs. There is reference to a 3 month run on of full rate joint UC for someone who is already claiming UC at the time of their partner's death and the JSA regs 2013 indicate that the bereaved member of the couple can't be made to look for work, be available for work or attend a job centre for 6 months.

JSA Regs 2013:

Circumstances in which requirements must not be imposed
16.—(1) Where paragraph (3), (4) or (5) applies—
(a) the Secretary of State must not impose a work search requirement on a claimant; and
(b) “able and willing immediately to take up work” under a work availability requirement means able and willing to take up paid work, or attend an interview, immediately once the circumstances set out in paragraph (3), (4) or (5) no longer apply.
(2) A work search requirement previously applying to the claimant ceases to have effect from
the date on which the circumstances set out in paragraph (3), (4) or (5) apply.

(3) This paragraph applies where—

(c) it is within six months of the death of—
(i) where the claimant is a member of a couple, the other member

I've rung the JSA line twice to get them to ask the local JCP to ring me about our joint claim and whether or not they are going to shut it down from Sunday. I'm not stupid. I know that they would like me to think that I've now got to claim UC, but I don't see that rule anywhere. The appointment booked for us both next week is still on the system and despite informing the Bereavement section of Mr Absolut's death on Monday and getting 2 DWP workers to email our local JCP for a call back about that appointment there is no note on my part of the claim to indicate to them that I was widowed on Sunday. They are supposed to ring within 3 hours of a request and twice in a row they've failed to do so.

I suspect they are hoping that I will be ignorant of the blatant discrimination that occurs under JSA when a joint claim member dies and the DWP classes it as a change of circumstances for UC purposes, but not for anyone else.  I can't find anything in any regs that says anything other than there should be a "run on" of full JSA for 6 months before I'm made to claim UC as a single person. I don't want to get caught out on this and I certainly wouldn't put it past our local JCP to try to stuff up my life following the death of my husband by being misleading about a claim for UC when it's highly likely that they can't shut down my part of the claim without breaching the JSA Regs 2013.

I would appreciate any help with this at a time of great distress for me.

Just got a call back. It will be looked into. I said I'm not claiming UC until I'm given the regs that say I have to

Absolut, I am very sorry to hear about the death of Mr Absolut.

I have not experienced the death of a spouse/partner, but one of my parents died suddenly and unexpectedly not that long ago. The sense of shock a sudden bereavement gives rise to is something I had no idea was possible. And I didn't have the DWP to deal with...

Unfortunately, my only experience of the DWP and bereavement is my late parents pension so I suspect it is of limited use to you. Their pension wasn't stopped until the death was registered. I don't know if your joint claim is unable to be officially closed until the death is registered. The Bereavement team must be sadly familiar with your situation so are more likely to know the actual rules than a random WC, but I suspect they have staff shortages.

The JCP agreed to excuse me from my next signing appointment after my parent's death, and I am sure you would be too, although that won't help you learn soon whether your JSA claim will be closed.

I will do some searching on other benefits sites to see if I can find out more.

Away from DWP, take whatever care of yourself you can.

No joy, I'm afraid. A search on Rightsnet, Benefits & Work and the benefits sections of Money Saving Expert and Reddit turned up nothing with regards to a joint legacy JSA claim. Death of a spouse isn't regarded as a change in circumstances for Housing Benefit from what I found on Rights Net. You would like to think there would be some consistency across the legacy benefits but the DWP and all that..

Thanks for the input Ig, it's greatly appreciated. I'm sorry to hear of your parent's sudden and unexpected death. It's truly traumatic when it happens.  

In my case Mr Absolut's sudden and unexpected death has been referred to the Coroner for a post mortem investigation. He'd been struggling to go anywhere without feeling tired and short of breath for at least the last 12 months, which is why I fought the JCP and Maximus so hard over them attempting to rail-road us into a voluntary activity (Restart) in January. We both knew something wasn't right physically, but as long as he didn't have to exert himself too much he seemed to manage ok and he didn't feel the need to get a GP involved. We both thought it was just another sign of getting older (he was 60). Due to the medical authorities not knowing why Mr Absolut had a heart attack (which is definitely what happened) they can't issue a death certificate until the post mortem reveals what the underlying cause was.  

There is a dearth of information about what triggers a claim for UC and the wording they use is "Partner leaving / joining household". When a partner leaves a household, the other person is then classed as a single claimant and that's fair enough. However, under UC rules when a joint claimant dies they don't class the surviving claimant as single for 3 months.

37.  In calculating the maximum amount of an award where any of the following persons has died—

(a) in the case of a joint award, one member of the couple;

(b) a child or qualifying young person for whom a claimant was responsible; F1...

(c) in the case of a claimant who had regular and substantial caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person, that person[F2; or

(d) a person who was a non-dependant within the meaning of paragraph 9(2) of Schedule 4,]

the award is to continue to be calculated as if the person had not died for the assessment period in which the death occurs and the following two assessment periods.

https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2022-0452/046-Death_and_bereavement_V12.0.pdf

When a claimant suffers bereavement there are certain switching-off requirements (Easements) available depending on their particular circumstances. These circumstances can include the death of a partner or child. What the claimant needs to do in order to meet Universal Credit requirements can also be switched-off. Examples of this include the need to immediately look for work or attend appointments at the jobcentre.

When the 3 month run on period has ended, the surviving member of the couple must re-declare their circumstances. This is so a single award of Universal Credit can be made (without the need for a new claim).

Our area has been allowed to send out managed migration letters for a claim to be made to UC since August. When I asked in October why we hadn't been sent a migration letter yet the excuse was they were only doing single claimants. As they decided not to ask us to claim UC then they accepted that our claim was to remain a JSA one.  

The JSA Regs 2013 were created in 2012 and they wrote:

Lifting work search and work availability requirements
21. We intend that work search and work availability requirements will always apply to JSA claimants unless the claimant faces a temporary circumstance which means they cannot reasonably be expected to comply or are exempted.

22. These circumstances include:

• It is within six months of the claimant suffering a bereavement where the deceased person is their partner, child or the person they were caring for.

If the DWP shuts down our joint JSA claim and classes Mr Absolut's death as a "change of circumstances" for me and therefore force me to make a claim for UC as a single person that would be the DWP a) removing the income I'm dependent upon in contradiction to a UC claimant who would be given a 3 month grace period before claiming as a single person and b) treating me differently than a UC bereaved claimant even though the circumstances would be exactly the same. I think a judge would agree with me that it's unreasonable for the DWP to expect a recently bereaved JSA joint claimant to suddenly be forced to make a UC claim as a single person without the same period of adjustment that a non-JSA claimant would get.  

I was told yesterday that I won't be expected to attend next week. To be fair the WC I spoke to, who I've seen a few times, isn't a nasty piece of work, like a lot of the others in our local office and I do think she will make every endeavour to make sure they don't shut down our claim if it's a breach of their own rules to do so.

I'm gobsmacked that the death of a partner on a joint legacy benefit claim doesn't get a mention in the what counts as a change of circumstances guidance. A couple separating is provided for but is materially different so to draw an equivalence would be a low blow, even by DWP standards.

That you received a letter about managed migration is potentially hot air. They send them out in the hope it will push some people into claiming UC before they must. When they are actually ready to migrate your claim you will receive a letter giving you a deadline to either claim UC or have your JSA claim closed.

Absolut, I am very sorry to hear about the death of Mr Absolut.

Once DWP has been informed in writing you should get a "migration notice."

Changes you have to report in writing
You must tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about certain changes in your money, work or home life. This is called a ‘change of circumstances’.
You might also need to tell them about changes that affect people you live with or someone you care for.  If you’ve used the Tell Us Once service to report the death of someone claiming JSA, you don’t need to tell the DWP. Tell Us Once will let them know.

https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once
Not sure if this is the legislation you want to know or whether it is legal but this is what I have. You would have to wait for the migration notice if you get on and deal with things from there.

The problem you're having finding information Absolut is that the DWP likes to make things difficult and hide things away.  You would expect to find the information you need under. Changes to do with your home and family. but no that would be far too easy.

You need to look under.
Health changes!!!!

If someone dies
You’ll need to tell the DWP about the death of:
your partner
your child – if you’re claiming JSA because you’re under 18 and responsible for a child
someone you were caring for
anyone over 18 and living with you
You can use the Tell Us Once service on GOV.UK to tell government departments about a death quickly and easily. You can also ask your work coach for a break from job hunting if a member of your family has died.

I think you know the rest of this but I will put it on anyway.

Writing to the DWP
Write ‘change of circumstances’ clearly at the top of the letter. Give as much information about the change as you can. For example if your partner has moved out, tell the DWP their name, when they moved and what their new address is. Keep a copy of the letter and send copies of any evidence. For example, copies of your payslips if you’re reporting a change in income. Send your letter by Royal Mail Signed For and keep the receipt – you might need to prove when you posted it and when it arrived. Send it to the address on the letter that told you how much JSA you’ll get. If you can’t find this letter, call the DWP and ask which office to send it to.
Department for Work and Pensions Benefit Enquiry Line Telephone: 0800 169 0310 Textphone: 0800 169 0314 Welsh language: 0800 328 1744 Relay UK – if you can’t hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0800 169 0310 You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website. Video relay – if you use British Sign Language (BSL). You can find out how to use video relay on YouTube. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.
If you’ve missed the 1-month deadline
It’s better to report a change late than not to report it at all. You can report a change up to 13 months late, but in your letter you’ll need to explain why you couldn’t report the change on time. For example, if you were sick for a number of weeks. You’ll get any extra JSA from the date you reported the change. If you’re entitled to less JSA, your payments will be reduced from the date of the change. This means if you reported the change after it happened you might have been overpaid – and will usually need to pay the money back.
Finding out how much you’ll get after the change
The DWP might ask you for more information so they can work out how much to pay you. They’ll send you a letter telling you:
what information you need to send them
when you need to send it by
It’s important to send the DWP the information they’re asking for in time – if you don’t, they might stop your JSA. Use Royal Mail Signed For and keep the receipt. Call the DWP if there’s anything you can’t send. When the DWP have got the information they need they’ll write to you to explain how your JSA will change. Look out for the letter – this confirms they’ve recorded your change of circumstances and will be paying you the right amount of JSA. They’ll also tell you if there’s anything else you need to do. For example, if you must make a new claim as a single person. Check the letter to make sure the DWP have recorded the right change of circumstances. You should tell them if they’ve made a mistake by calling the DWP.
If you don’t get a letter from the DWP within 3 weeks
Call the DWP and ask them if they’ve recorded your change of circumstances. You’ll need details of what the change was and when you told them about it – for example proof of postage if you sent a letter. Try to save the extra JSA if you think the DWP might be paying you too much. This will make it easier to pay it back if you need to. Contact us if you’re having trouble reporting a change of circumstances.

Hope that helps.

Thanks oneman. I'm staggered that they class it as a "health change".  

Unfortunately I can't use the "tell us once service". There is going to be a post mortem and until that's been done the Registrar, who issues the code needed for the "tell us once service" can't issue the code.  

I don't see why I have to inform the DWP of Mr Absolut's death in writing or why anyone in the DWP would think that they can close down a valid JSA claim when their own rules say there's a six month "run on" when one of the joint claimants dies. I called the DWP Bereavement service on Monday to inform them of Mr Absolut's death. There was no issue with me claiming Bereavement Payment and costs towards the funeral. They told me that I didn't need to send them a death certificate, which I can't get right now anyway, due to me giving them the direct address and phone number of the funeral director.  

When the JCP eventually rang me back they didn't demand that I put Mr Absolut's death in writing to them. They believe me and why wouldn't they when we've been going in there for the last decade? The generic "in writing" rubbish is easily proved to be rubbish when there is a personal relationship between a claimant and DWP staff in a jobcentre.

Once DWP has been informed in writing you should get a "migration notice."

The JSA Act and 2013 JSA Regs have no connection to UC. If they send a migration notice it would be a breach of the JSA Regs 2013 because there is a 6 month "run on" following bereavement. UC legislation is totally separate to JSA legislation which is why they stuffed up the Restart referrals for JSA claimants thinking they could "port" UC rules over to JSA. It doesn't work that way. Only at the 3 month point would they be legally entitled to send me a "migration notice" where I would also be legally entitled to ignore it for a further 3 months. Now, they might go ahead and try it on anyway with their "it's a change of circumstances" nonsense, but I've already said that I'm prepared to take them to court over the JSA Regs 2013 if they do as discrimination

We both know what the DWP are like when it comes to JSA and UC. In fact they are absolute imbeciles about most things and if they don't know then they tend to lie to you. I know we both will never allow this to happen.
If you go to the gov site titled What to do if somebody dies (it's at the top of that link I provided in the previous post )step by step. In section 2. Tell government about a death there are two options the second one is what to do if you can't use the Tell us once service. I think it's actually quite informative but this is the last place you would look to find it. I'm not sure if it will help you but do have a look.
I agree with everything you have previously said and done and I would fight this. You will get the usual DM referral and a threat of tribunal but you and I know that they will back down when they are presented with their own insane facts. In the end I think it might be classed as a change in circumstance but legislation will have to be changed. At this moment 2029 UC conversion date looks a long time away.

oneman wrote:We both know what the DWP are like when it comes to JSA and UC. In fact they are absolute imbeciles about most things and if they don't know then they tend to lie to you.

I predicted ahead of time what the DWP would do, which was cut off my income. They cut me off on Tuesday and then sent 5 days JSA money to me, which I got this morning, without bothering to inform me that that is what they'd done. They also sent a notification to housing benefit who suspended my claim on the same day despite the fact that there is no claim to UC and I am, effectively, without an income. HB should continue under a low or NIL income yet they've suspended my claim anyway.

circumstances the claimant could not reasonably have been expected to claim earlier1.
1 UC, PIP, JSA & ESA (C&P) Regs, reg 26(2)

I didn't know I had to claim on Monday 13.11.23. I only suspected it. The JCP refused on Tuesday to confirm that our claim had been cut off and no-one has rung me back to say that it had been cut off and I now needed to make an online claim for UC.

A2045 The circumstances referred to in A2044 are that1
1. the claimant was previously in receipt of JSA or ESA or an existing benefit 2 and notification of expiry of entitlement to that benefit was not sent to the claimant before the date that entitlement expired

Which would be pretty fucking hard for them to do seeing as they didn't know that entitlement had expired on Sunday 12.11.23 until I told them on the following day when I claimed Bereavement Pay and funeral costs.  

3. the claimant has supplied the Secretary of State with medical evidence that satisfies the Secretary of State that the claimant had an illness that prevented the claimant from making a claim

I can do this too. It would be a piece of cake to get a fit note from my medical practice seeing as they are the ones who just referred my husband's body to the Coroner. Mr Absolut likely died of a pulmonary embolism, which occurred in my presence, and which has resulted in my having flashbacks (PTSD) of the event.

I believe a judge would view it as unreasonable of the DWP to not backdate any UC claim I make to Monday 13.11.23 and unreasonable of them to allow an existing UC claimant to get 3 months couple rate following a bereavement but I'd only get single rate because I was on joint JSA at the time of his death and not on joint UC. I really don't give a stuff about getting couple rate; it's the time off job searching that is more important to me than the money. I need time to come to terms with what has happened.

Thanks for all the help so far.

Words fail me, Absolut. There is faceless bureaucracy and then there is this. Callous doesn't begin to describe it.

I say this with the enormous caveat that obviously my experiences of sudden bereavement are not yours, and I truly hope I am not being a grief thief here. As I posted earlier, my Mum died very suddenly and unexpectedly in April of this year. From my experience, your wish to get yourself out of the jobsearch firing line is a wise move. The loss of a parent is bad enough. When I see the impact my Mum's death has had on my Father, well, the loss of a spouse is something else altogether. 8 months on, I have found attempting to reconcile the sheer brutality of sudden death with keeping on the right side of the jobcentre exhausting and, frankly, inimical to "healthy" grieving. Being on guard at every JCP interaction is bad enough at the best of times, and is simply the last thing anyone needs when they're in the hyper-vigilant state that results from such a traumatic experience.

I thought it was a 6 month easement of worksearch requirements under UC rules - I will try to find the link for that.

The DWP always take action first and then inform you after. No matter what the situation is. They have always taken a way first and this is where problems start.

If you look up what is classed as a change of circumstances for housing benefit Instead of DWP. It gives you a very similar list to the DWP version but it has a longer version and says that they will consider anything as a change. Each council has a slightly different list but it's better than the vague list provided by the DWP for benefits that just hint that other things might be considered but there is no specific list or legislation. The DWP really are a crock of shit. It keeps us busy though.

According to Section 1.4 of this government guide to UC, the death of a partner or child means there is no requirement to do any work related activity for 6 months if in receipt of UC.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-you/draft-uc-and-you

The DWP always take action first and then inform you after. No matter what the situation is. They have always taken a way first and this is where problems start.

Can they even take action to close a claim when a death hasn't even been registered yet?  

I can see how it would be legitimate to suspend a claim when informed of the death of a claimant, and that would be consistent with the approach of many organisations, like say, freezing a bank account.

Like you, I am surprised they can close a claim without either a death certificate or a coroner's interim certificate in cases where an inquest is required. Death is a legal status, hence the need for the correct paperwork for authorities to proceed all the various things.

As Oneman says, the DWP act on impulse and hope people will just go along with it.

Ignatius wrote:Like you, I am surprised they can close a claim without either a death certificate or a coroner's interim certificate in cases where an inquest is required. Death is a legal status, hence the need for the correct paperwork for authorities to proceed all the various things.  

It seems they can ignore whatever they like. This morning I received a P60 for Mr Absolut dated 14.11.23. There wasn't anything else in the envelope. Does the DWP usually send a P60 to a dead person's address 2 days after they died?

In another envelope addressed only to me it states that from 13.11.23 my JSA will be £84.80 per week and I will be paid it every 2 weeks.

I then went to the account I have with the council. My HB claim has been deleted and they've whacked my council tax up to over £94 per month   starting in December.

Indeed, the DWP just go rogue whenever it suits them. You would think their IT system would have safeguards to guard against an innocent clicking error. No official paperwork, no claim closed. Entirely at odds with the rest of the world. I mean, even local newspapers have higher standards, only allowing the Funeral Director to place a death notice.

If you are still on JSA, as your letter states, your local authority should re-instate your HB claim once you've battled that bit of bureaucracy. But why should you have to? Presumably the increase in Council Tax mean they've stopped Council Tax benefit. More unwanted bureaucracy to deal with when you least need it.

If you are still on JSA, when I was in the position of needing to find out about jobsearch/attendance easements following a bereavement, the WC I dealt with did say I could apply for a 12 week Extended Period of Sickness, but i may still be required to attend . This parliamentary report from 2021 recognises bereaved JSA claimants are at a real disadvantage compared to UC. 6 months on UC Vs 4 1 week periods on JSA.

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/64518/html/#:~:text=There%20are%20easements%20to%20conditionality,The%20periods%20can%20run%20consecutively.)

Absolut wrote:

Ignatius wrote:Like you, I am surprised they can close a claim without either a death certificate or a coroner's interim certificate in cases where an inquest is required. Death is a legal status, hence the need for the correct paperwork for authorities to proceed all the various things.  

It seems they can ignore whatever they like. This morning I received a P60 for Mr Absolut dated 14.11.23. There wasn't anything else in the envelope. Does the DWP usually send a P60 to a dead person's address 2 days after they died?

In another envelope addressed only to me it states that from 13.11.23 my JSA will be £84.80 per week and I will be paid it every 2 weeks.

I then went to the account I have with the council. My HB claim has been deleted a

You raised some very valid points here.

You have no reason to lie about your husband's death to DWP so they stop everything immediately. The only good point in
reporting this sooner rather than later means that you will have nothing to pay back when this is all sorted out.

This is the point where I would be making an official complaint and contacting my MP. I'm sure DWP does this on purpose to get people onto UC or off benefits. These issues need to be stopped and it's clear to me that people in your position are so sidetracked with all that is going on that they forget about complaining. Unfortunately by the time the complaint is dealt with all may be sorted out. I would definitely be making a complaint though. Especially as Nothing has been officially confirmed.
Nothing will change if they keep getting away with doing their own thing.

Due them closing down the housing benefit claim and whacking up the council tax to 3 times what I was paying plus it being inevitable that I'd end up on UC anyway, I claimed it today. This will alert the council to the fact that I will be claiming council tax reduction as well.

I have left a very long note in the UC journal outlining my current circumstances. It's up to them whether they take them into account. I'm not fighting with them. I can withdraw my claim and live off bereavement pay for a while if need to stay away from them for a bit. I'm only getting 4 hours sleep a day and even then not in one go. I've dropped 3 kilos in a weight due to not being able to eat. I have a rash across one knuckle where all the skin has cracked open and I have a huge lump on my calf where a muscle tore when Mr Absolut fell over onto his side and I had to get him on his back to give CPR. I have flashbacks of Mr Absolut dying in front of me, which hopefully will get better as time goes on. I don't think I will have much trouble getting a fit note if they refuse to switch off requirements.

Really sorry to hear your sad news Absolut. I also had a few friends of mine die these past few years in their early 50s fit and just gone, really shocks you. Can't imagine what it must be like for a spouse though. Thats another level altogether.

''I have left a very long note in the UC journal outlining my current circumstances. It's up to them whether they take them into account. ''

I really hope they do Absolut, and if not,  ensure to see your Dr for a very stern letter telling Muppets, ''to take into account your incredibly unfortunate circumstances.'' Many will be signed off for 3 months with stress due to that event. Despite morons thinking packing things in boxes like a headless chicken at a time like this would do you better.

jobberpw wrote: Really sorry to hear your sad news Absolut. I also had a few friends of mine die these past few years in their early 50s fit and just gone, really shocks you. Can't imagine what it must be like for a spouse though. Thats another level altogether.

Thank you. It was pretty awful, but it was quick and he didn't suffer for very long, which is a blessing. We only had each other (all family members are either estranged or dead) so I'm grateful there is support on this forum when it comes to dealing with the very draconian UC rules now that I'm on my own.

jobberpw wrote: Despite morons thinking packing things in boxes like a headless chicken at a time like this would do you better.

They can think what they like but it's a proven medical fact that there is a condition called "widow brain" that I have no control over:

https://trustandwill.com/learn/widow-brain

The loss of a loved one can trigger a significant response in the brain, typically resulting in unintended side effects.

Many people report experiencing:

   Forgetfulness

   Extreme Sadness

   Brain Fog

   Irritability

   Fatigue or Exhaustion

   Numbness

   Nausea

Widow Brain lasts anywhere from two months to a full year; however, there is no concrete timeline on how long the actual grief will last.

Widow Brain will look different for everyone, though there is one commonality reported by those who experience it: you cannot rush the healing process. Your brain and body need time to recover from the shock and pain of losing a loved one.

The loss of a spouse is life-altering, and it can be even more difficult if the loss was unexpected.

I've been sent an appointment to attend the JCP this Thursday afternoon. The claim form is awful when there's no space anywhere for why I'm claiming other than to get financial support while "looking for work". I am looking for work, but it's doubtful I'd be able to work right now even if I wanted to. I had to spend yesterday filling in what job I'm looking for, how many hours, can I travel for 90 minutes etc causing me to post an essay this morning in the journal all about my disabilities. I don't know how aware they are in my local JCP about what's happened, but I did speak for quite a while to a work coach in there I've met a couple of times on Tuesday afternoon. The appointment isn't with her though and despite having claimed JSA for the last 10 years, I am taking it as read that the person booked to see me doesn't know me from Adam and I have to repeat, all over again, what my restrictions are.

It's only a claim at this point, not an actual award. I am prepared to have to get a fit note from a GP to get requirements switched off. They've made it really hard to get a fit note, so I am hoping I won't have to.

This is scandalous. The shock of losing your husband, and now having to claim UC is awful.

Absolut, for Thursday's appointment consider writing a brief note explaining why you are now claiming UC and giving that to the WC at the outset of the appointment to save you having to say it out loud in case the WC thinks you are a run of the mill new claim. You can also ask for a private interview room. As all of us on here know, take nothing for granted with the JCP but the 6 months of worksearch and appointments easements you are eligible for should be automatically applied to your account once it is set up. From what I have read, a Fit Note is not required following the death of a spouse to get these easements nor do you need to demonstrate how grief has impacted you. As I haven't claimed UC (yet), I'm afraid I don't know what else this UC appointment consists of.

Ignatius wrote:Absolut, for Thursday's appointment consider writing a brief note explaining why you are now claiming UC and  giving that to the WC at the outset of the appointment to save you having to say it out loud in case the WC thinks you are a run of the mill new claim. You can also ask for a private interview room. As all of us on here know, take nothing for granted with the JCP but the 6 months of worksearch and appointments easements you are eligible for should be automatically applied to your account once it is set up. From what I have read, a Fit Note is not required following the death of a spouse to get these easements nor do you need to demonstrate how grief has impacted you. As I haven't claimed UC (yet), I'm afraid I don't know what else this UC appointment consists of.

Thanks, there is a journal entry for the work coach to read about what happened, plus another journal entry for work restrictions. The appointment is supposed to be for ID only, but the system chucked questions at me, as it's automated. The journal note should take care of any need for a private room. All the work coach has to do is simply read what I've written, but I'm aware that sometimes they don't bother. I'm happy to wait for the 2 minutes it takes to read it. I'm being careful what I write on there. It can't be edited afterwards. I'm also keeping my own copy of what I wrote.

To be honest I would not be taking any written information with you regarding your personal situation for them to read. Leave it all on your journal and ask for it to be confirmed that it has been read before you go to the meeting. I'm hoping you have a recorder or at least your phone that can record things as they will discuss your CC. They might request 3-month bank statements as well.
I don't want to tell Mother how to suck eggs as I know you are more than intelligent enough to deal with anything but I thought this might help and hope it does not offend as that is in no way my intention.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/going-to-your-interview/