Navigating UC for those with health conditions: Nov 2025

Join us for this informative online Conference where will we look how Universal Credit
should work for those with health conditions.

By the end of 2025, the number of UC claimants with health problems will have increased
by 500,000 and yet the system is letting them down.

Hear from our thought-provoking speakers, attend three practical workshops and
put your questions to our panel of experienced advisers.

An essential event for any front line worker supporting benefit claimants.

Just £125+vat per delegate

(3 delegates for the price of 2)

Feedback from previous Conference:

"I feel very uplifted after yesterday's conference , it was well planned and easy to access - I came away feeling connected to the wider sector reaffirming my passion to help support people to reduce poverty, homelessness and suffering . It was so good to hear what other organisations/projects are doing so that we can all connect and be part of a collective voice for our most vulnerable customers."

Plan of the Day

9.30am Welcome

The Conference will start at 9.30am with a welcome from the Chair, Peter Barker.

9.35am UC: The Challenges for those with a health condition

Helen Rogers, Stockport Welfare Rights and North West Mental Health & Welfare Rights Group

Our introductory speech sets the scene for the day ahead, with Helen highlighting the real-life challenges faced by many UC claimants with a health condition.

10.00am Workshop 1

Choose between:

1A: Hot Topic: First claim failures

1B: Help with rent in Supported Housing

1A: Hot Topic: First claim failures

We're seeing an increasing number of queries about ESA claimants making the move onto UC who are experiencing problems when their initial UC claim fails. This often results in a gap in benefits, a drop in income and them being advised to restart the Work Capability Assessment process.

This workshop will consider:

- Opportunities to get the first claim re-opened.

- Could getting the second claim backdated help?

- What about entitlement to NI credits for LCW?

- What about the Transitional Element?

- Tactics if the claimant/DWP has already started a fresh WCA.

1B: Help with rent in Supported Housing

UC has introduced an extra layer of complexity for those living in Supported Housing. This workshop will examine:

- how help with rent works for those living in supported housing:
when it is HB, when UC,

- specified managed accommodation and 'floating support',

- protecting help with rent when disputing a HB 'not living in
specified accommodation' decision,

- the lesser known rules that apply to UC claimants living in
'specified accommodation': the higher UC work allowance,
special rules for DHPs, and

- UC, work and HB for supported housing: how some claimants
face a cliff edge. Showcasing our new calculator.

- Future changes? What's being proposed.

11.10am Break

11.40am Workshop 2:

Choose between:

2A: Getting the right amount of UC

2B: Transitional Element - understanding erosion and loss

2A: Getting the right amount of UC

Claimants can miss out on UC if they are not aware of what the DWP can / do. This workshop will look at some common errors / useful rules and how to ensure the DWP apply the rules correctly including backpay where relevant. This workshop will include:

- Housing Costs Element - extra bedroom missing from start of award.

- Special rules relating to health conditions - moving home,
non-dependant deductions, Mixed Age Couples

- Who can request a WCA and ensuring DWP the start the
'relevant period' / work allowance from the correct date.

- Getting the correct back pay.

2B: Transitional Element - Erosion and Loss

Between 40-50% of those who have moved onto UC through the Managed Migration process have been entitled to transitional protection and many claimants will have a Transitional Element in their UC award.

But this is only safe for their first Assessment Period, after that it can be eroded or lost altogether.

This erosion and loss can mean that claimants don't receive the extra UC they need when they experience key changes in their circumstances, or could see a sudden drop in their income when they're not expecting it.

In this session we take you through the rules so that you are better informed to support your customers.

12.50pm Lunch

1.30pm Guest speaker: UC and Complex Needs

Daphne Hall, Rightsnet and NAWRA

For those with complex needs the UC system can be quite challenging.

Daphne will explain what systems the DWP currently has in place as well as how a claimant makes the most of them to ensure that the DWP provide them with the most appropriate service, help reduce anxiety, and minimise potential problems.

She will also outline what we know about the government's safeguarding review and potential improvements.

2.30pm Break

2.45pm Workshop 3

Choose between:

3A: Conditionality and minimising sanctions - for those with a health condition

3B: LCWRA Element - get to grips with the April changes

3A: Conditionality & Minimising Sanctions for those with a health condition

In this workshop we look at conditionality and sanctions for those with a health condition.

In this workshop we will:

- give a quick refresh of the different conditionality groups,

- explore how to ensure the conditions in the claimant commitment
are right for a claimant with health conditions,

- explain why claimants get sanctioned, and how to help reduce them,

- look at the process the DWP must follow before they sanction a claimant,

- consider how and when to challenge a sanction.

3B: LCWRA Element - get to grips with the April changes

Next year the value of the LCWRA Element will be halved (to £217.26). This will effect any UC claimant becoming entitlement to the Element on or after 6th April 2026 (unless an exception applies).

This workshop will look at:

- who will be affected - including current claimants
- who will fit under the 'exception' rules
- what action claimants can do now to protect themselves
- the different deadlines for taking this action.

4.00pm Q and A Panel

4.30pm Close

Comments from delegates who attended our last Conference:

I thought it was an extremely well run and informative training day, and I learned a lot from it.

Good pace, lots of useful practical information and good examples.

I always enjoy the presentation style for conferences / workshops from Housing Systems as the topics are always explained so well and clearly in language I can understand.

All the speakers were really interesting and all the information very much relevant to our current work. Receiving the pack with the added extras was brilliant!