But if the councils save any money their budgets will be cut again so further cutbacks will be needed ad intinito! It's a mugs game.
Also those with medium or even low needs can, depending on their circumstances greatly need more help if for eg they live alone or in an isolated area.
That is one way of looking at it, but the DWP is so slow and behind with assessments I was told mine could be put back even further from 2017 to 2018.
But I have noticed an incline in DLA "indefinite" periods being processed whether this is because of the change from Zones to random I do not know.
The reason I worry about it is because I have so many hospital appointments every month, on top of that is doctor apppointments and Community Dentist appointments (that deal with the special cases of disabled people). Without a car I would literally be stuck, I cannot even steer a standard wheelchair my wife has to push me around in a small wheeled wheelchair.
If you are/were 65 in April 2013 then you dont have to apply but unfortunately for the likes of myself you do I was 66 last August and on DLA Mobility/Carers indefinite but come September the dratted letter came through the door. Anyway I had my assessment at home at the beginning of January and have just today received a letter saying they apologise for the wait but they now have all the documentation and information and that I will be hearing if my claim is successful shortly!! So we OAP's are not imune, let us see how it goes but I shall definitely go to tribunal if refused.
I thought that a home assessment for PIP was not the norm?
When I telephoned the PIP helpline after receiving the letter asking if I wanted to move from DLA to PIP, the lady told me that you could only have one if you would normally only have home visits by the GP with a letter being sent from the GP to ATOS confirming that to be the case. She made it clear after I told her that I always see the GP at the surgery due to the vast number of patients wanting help and with every home visit,10 more patients could be seen,that I would not be given a homer assessment.
I am in the South East under ATOS if that makes any difference.
I was awarded indefinite DLA way back in 1992, I had struggled for years with a lower back injury I suffered working at a drift mine, I also suffer from vertigo from industrial deafness, and I had an heart attack from the stress of being out of work, my Doctor adviced me to claim DLA. I got lower care, higher mobility. I decided to claim PIP I will be lost with out my mobility car, but I just got a letter back saying there is no recent evidence on my DLA files? I was awarded indefinite, I am sat at home taking it easy, I am on loads of medication, what new medical evidence do they want to see, I am approaching 68 years old, other than developing arthritis in every joint, and suffering from a swollen prostate, my bad back as not suddenly cured itself, I am at a loss what to do to submit recent evidence?
For a start I am right in assuming that after you sent the PIP2 form back they wrote to telling you that there is no recent medical info on the old DLA file? For a start for those on indefinite awards it is highly likely to be the case so why would they bother looking at the old DLA file.
Additionally for PIP old evidence (more than 24 months old) is not much good for assessing you as you are today - your health/needs etc could have changed from earlier times.
You need up to date reports etc identifying the descriptors that you are relying on for PIP.
This was a point I brought up earlier in the week. Those with indefinite DLA awards, those with long standing chronic conditions wouldn't normally have up to date medical evidence as there is no need to keep on seeing the GP or consultant.
All I have gleened is that no matter what your health condition is it seems to be important that you see all of your medical professionals on a regular basis even if only to tell them that nothing has changed. Doing that will build up a wall of recent evidence. Ridiculous and time wasting I agree, but it seems that the DWP had not thought about these types of situations when they devised PIP to include those being transferred over from DLA with those types of conditions.
Like you I was awarded High Mobility/Middle Care DLA from 1995 indefinitely.I too am 68 and when told to move to PIP late last year I fell foul of the rules in starting off the claim process. They closed down my option to transfer to PIP and at the same time closed down my DLA. I like you, have numerous, serious, chronic and life threatening conditions, but unlike you the DWP now refuse to see them as needing any support.
As for arthritis, don't bank on it being accepted as being disabling. It took my dear wife nearly 6 years to convince the DWP that it affects her so much that she was entitled to Attendance Allowance she's 73 next month!
Thank you for your reply, I am thinking there is a lot of unfairness in play here, if I had been born 32 weeks earlier I would have been able to stay on DLA ?And who is at fault that it as took 3 years to get around to us? Surely if you are 65 or over it would be fair to keep all those on indefinite DLA if they are 65,66, 67, 68 etc when they contact you. How can an old pensioner expect to raise enough money to buy and run a car? When I saw my Doctor all those years ago it was to ask if I could have an operation on my damaged back, he suggested and signed for me to go on DLA,and he was the Senior Doctor who assessed people for the DWP in our area.
If I had been born 12 weeks earlier none of this carry on would have happened. I would still be receiving my DLA, Guaranteed Pension Credit, 100% Council Tax reduction and £49 a week towards the mortgage interest.
As for a car I bailed out of my Motability vehicle early, just as PIP came in. I didn't want to be without a car as I expected to not get the enhanced rate for mobility. Thankfully I took out 3 year finance loan which was all paid for by DLA bar the last 3 payments.
I too was advised by SSAFA and my psychiatric keyworker/CPN to claim DLA in 1995 as all believed that the government would provide financial help for as long as it was needed.
How niave was I!
I can't claim PIP as I am too old, and aftter claiming Attendance Allowance the assessor/decision maker has concluded that my health has improved so dramatically that I now have no needs. They must know more than I do.
So after all of this plus the aggravation I have had with the DWP over the past 21 years I have given up. I now believe that there is only one person in the world that will be there for me - myself. I am certainly not going around any longer with the begging bowl looking for charitable handouts from the government or local authority.
Hi I have just recieved my letter today I have till 26th of this month to make a claim can you tell me does dla stop completely now until you have been accessed by pip
No, as long as you apply for PIP by the date stated and return the forms on time your DLA will continue untill a decision has been made you PIP. If you don't apply by the time stated you DLA will stop.
If you were 65 or over when the legislation came into force in April 2013, currently you stay on DLA and don't have to claim PIP. I was 72 years of age at that time, I won't be asked to claim PIP. My wife born in July 1949, an ex nurse contracted hepatitis at work and has chronic arthritis. She never received a call from the DWP, just a letter saying she would be examined at home. THe first appointment the Health Care Professional (HCP) <sic> didn't turn up or phone us. I contacted the PIP office and was advised they would arrive the following day between 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Again, they never turned up. 5 days later we received a call from a Nurse to say she would visit about 10.00 am..
She was very professional and asked relevant questions, and even allowed me to prompt my wife at times, as she has also had depressio since our son 27 was tragically drowned whilst working in France She didn't examine my wife, nor look around. As I showed her out, I said I've aleady prepared a mandatory consideration and appeal, to which she retorted " they won't be any need to do so",
Your wife is a very sick lady. Three weeks later she was advised by post by DWP that she qualified for enhanced payment for both mobility and care. I should add, I'm a trained WRO so am familiar with both DWP and PIP.
However, there are rumours which I've not heard a lot about that even those 65 or over in April 2013, will have to claim PIP at some point. However don't be alarmed
I have contacts in the DWP and HMCT who know nothing about this.
Jim Allison (former Welfare Rights Lawyer & DLA Tribunal member)
former Senior Moderator for Benefits & Work
I am 67 and have been receiving the higher rate of mobility since I was 16 and was awarded this for life, as my condition would never improve, I have now been invited to an assessment, and fear the worst as it appears to me that it’s about the money and not the person. I hope all goes well for you.
Hi,
I see you commented on an old post that's 2 years old but wanted to advice you a little about you up coming PIP assessment.
So many people think that they don't need to send in evidence to support their claim but they very rarely contact any for evidence so hopefully you sent some in when you return the PIP form. If you didn't then i'd advice taking it with you to the assessment and hope they accept it because a lot of the time they will refuse on the day.
During that assessment they will ask you questions about your condition and how it affects you daily. The questions will be based on all of the PIP descriptors. You should answer with as much detail as possible and avoid answering just a yes or no. They will be watching you from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave. (same for a home assessment, if it's this you're having) You can take someone with you to the assessment and they can go into the room with you but unless they're your appointee then they won't be able to answer any of the questions, they will only be able to prompt you.
A few days after the assessment you can ring DWP and ask for a copy of the assessment report to be sent to you. This will give you some idea what the decision will be as mostly they go with that report.
Good luck and hopefully a decision will go in your favour.
Thank you I am gathering loads of evidence together.
My support worker, Chiropodist, Audiologist, Warden.
In a way I feel I have too much evidence and do not want to bombard them with irrelevant stuff that they will not bother to read. They have extended my time to get the form back to them because I have an appointment with CAB who are going to fill it in for me. My support worker suggested I went to them and said that everyone she has advised to go to CAB has got their money. Hope I am not the odd one out!!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
My comment was meant for Bruce not yourself but it's fine.
I wouldn't go as far as saying everyone that goes to CAB gets awarded. Some do and some don't. You can never have too much evidence.
Good luck.
Hi mike , I was getting DLA for 10 years due to an arthritic condition , , when time came for me to be interviewed for pip I was turned down . So be very careful how you answer the questions , I've since got worse and am not receiving any money , I'm thinking about applying again , good luck . Oh and if they ask you to stand on one leg don't do it because if you can do that you can work !
Hi Dawn,
It's been 2 years since this thread was started so it's doubtful that you'll receive a reply.
As for your PIP refusal, you can't be found fit for work for PIP or be told that you can work because PIP has nothing to do with working. People claim PIP and work.
Did you ask for the Mandatory Reconsideration? Then Tribunal if that wasn't successful? Did you also send in evidence to support your claim? They very rarely contact anyone for evidence, the onus is on you to make sure you send this in with your form.
If you didn't ask for the MR then Tribunal then you can try re-applying. There's no timescales to the amount of time you leave it before trying again.
Many thanks for the infomation I will now include evidence of my conditions, it was not made clear when I phoned to make my claim that I would need to supply evidence to support my claim, no wonder it’s such a traumatic time for so many people.
many thanks
I have started a new discussion in this category entitled GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
They gave me an extension date of 20th April to get PIP from back to them and still wrote to me and told me the form had to be in by 26th March otherwise my money may be stopped.!!
OK I rang them and explained that I had an extension but imagine that happening to someone who is already experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety with the whole process.
I have now asked for the extension date to be given to me in writing which they said they would do.
Hope you all read this and have someone to support you and stand up for you.
Best of luck to you all.
Sarah