WCA50 / UC50 Form Examples: Weak Wording vs Strong Wording
Six common conditions, six paired examples. The phrasing that scores zero points next to the phrasing that maps directly to a descriptor.
The point of this page
Most Work Capability Assessment refusals are not about whether the claimant is actually unwell. They are about whether the form was filled in using the language assessors look for. Below are six worked examples that show, condition by condition, what changes when you describe the same situation in the right words.
01 Fibromyalgia with chronic widespread pain and fatigue
"I struggle to walk far. I have fibromyalgia which gives me pain. Some days I can manage and some days I can't really do much."
Likely score: 0 points
"On the majority of days, I cannot mobilise more than 50 metres on level ground without stopping due to widespread pain in my legs, hips and back. After walking that far I need to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before I can continue. The day after any longer walk I am usually unable to leave bed due to a fibromyalgia flare. I cannot do this safely, repeatedly or in a reasonable time."
Maps to a 9-point descriptor
02 Severe depression with avoidance and isolation
"I have depression and I get sad. I do not like seeing people. I prefer to stay at home."
Likely score: 0 points
"Engagement in social contact with someone unfamiliar to me is not possible on most days due to overwhelming anxiety, low energy, and avoidance behaviour rooted in severe depression. I last attended a shop unaccompanied four months ago and was unable to complete the visit. Even contact with my CPN, who is familiar to me, leaves me unable to function for the rest of the day. This applies more than half the time and any work setting would require sustained contact with unfamiliar people."
Maps to a 15-point descriptor
03 Severe anxiety with PTSD triggers
"I get anxious if things change. I like routines. New situations make me panic."
Likely score: 0-6 points
"Minor unplanned changes to my daily routine are usually unmanageable. Last month, my GP appointment was moved by 30 minutes at short notice; I had a panic attack in the surgery car park and was unable to attend. I then could not leave the house for the next four days. Any workplace would involve unscheduled tasks, changing instructions, and unfamiliar colleagues - all of which act as PTSD triggers from a previous workplace incident in 2022."
Maps to a 15-point descriptor
04 Chronic lower back pain post-surgery
"I have back pain. I can't sit for too long. I had surgery but it didn't help."
Likely score: 0-6 points
"I cannot remain at a workstation for more than 30 minutes, whether sitting or standing or alternating between the two, on the majority of days. After 20-30 minutes my chronic lower back pain reaches a level that requires breakthrough morphine and lying down for at least 45 minutes before I can return to the desk. Both my orthopaedic consultant (letter attached) and pain management team confirm the post-surgical mechanical pain pattern. This significantly limits my ability to do this safely, to an acceptable standard, and repeatedly."
Maps to a 9-point descriptor
05 Adult ADHD with rejection sensitivity and emotional dysregulation
"I have ADHD which makes work hard. I get frustrated easily and find it hard to concentrate."
Likely score: 0 points
"Untreated ADHD with rejection sensitive dysphoria has led to behavioural patterns that would, on more than 60% of days, cause significant disruption in a work setting. I have walked out of three jobs in the past four years following episodes of emotional dysregulation triggered by minor criticism. I cannot reliably control these episodes without medication, which I cannot tolerate due to cardiac side effects (consultant letter attached). My responses are not in proportion to the trigger and have, in the past, included shouting and slamming doors, which would not be tolerated in a workplace."
Maps to a 15-point descriptor
06 ME/CFS with post-exertional malaise
"I have ME and I get very tired. I cannot lift things easily and I have to rest a lot."
Likely score: 0-6 points
"I cannot pick up and move a 0.5 litre carton of liquid on most days without triggering post-exertional malaise. Last week I attempted to put away a small bag of shopping; this caused 3 days of being bedbound with severe muscle pain and cognitive dysfunction. This pattern of small exertion leading to multi-day deterioration is the defining feature of ME/CFS and is documented in my hospital records. I therefore cannot safely or repeatedly perform even light upper-body activity to any meaningful standard."
Maps to a 15-point descriptor
What every strong example has in common
1. The numbers from the descriptors. 50 metres, 30 minutes, 0.5 litre, "most days", "more than half the time". The DWP guidelines use these exact thresholds. Your form should mirror them.
2. The reliability criteria. Can you do this safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time? Failing any one of those four counts. Name the ones you fail.
3. A specific recent event. "Last month, my appointment was moved by 30 minutes and I had a panic attack." Beats "I get anxious sometimes." The DWP records what is recorded; they cannot record vague statements.
4. The downstream effect. What happens after you try? 3 days bedbound, 4 days inside, breakthrough morphine, missed appointment - these turn a one-off event into a pattern.
5. Evidence pointers. Naming a consultant, a CPN, a hospital record, a medication, a previous workplace incident. The assessor cannot weigh evidence you did not mention.
Get this kind of wording for your conditions
The Done For You report writes complete WCA50 / UC50 answers personalised to your exact conditions, across all 17 activities. The examples above are illustrative; your report will be specific to you.
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