I was transferred from DLA to PIPS and am confused!

General health and lifestyle
1

I have been getting the highest rate of mobility and the lowest rate of personal care for a number of years (DLA).

Recently, I applied to have the personal care component increased to a higher level and was automatically transferred to PIP.

After going for a consultation, I have been awarded the enhanced level of personal care but my mobility component has been lowered to the standard care level.

It was decided that I can walk between 20 and 50 metres using a walking aid.  On most days I suffer a lot of pain just moving from one room to another and the only time I get out is for hospital appointments etc.

On rare occasions my husband takes me to a small supermarket (Aldi) and if I hold onto the trolley and stop numerous times I eventually make it to the check-out in lots of pain.  Normally my shopping is delivered and it mainly out of desperation to do something normal that I persuade my husband to take me on these outings.

At present I qualify for hospital transport if I have appointments and also qualify for disabled tax on our car (I can't drive.  My husband is the named driver) and I have a blue badge.

Will I lose all of the transport related benefits?  I will be grateful if anyone can help me.

2

Hi Shanben,

unfortunately you will lose your blue badge, car tax and other transport related support.

i can only suggest you appeal the decision and request this over the phone or in writing. There should be instructions on what to do on the paper work they have sent through with your decision on and where it shows all the descriptors of the expectation of points you need to receive enhanced rate mobility. It is usually 12 points to gain the enhanced rate.

keep fighting if you were awarded it before then you should hopefully describe your difficulties and gain evidence from your GP or consultant of your diagnosis of how you have difficulties walking.

Good luck,

Dimples

3

Hi Shaben,

This paragraph:

"Recently, I applied to have the personal care component increased to a higher level and was automatically transferred to PIP.

After going for a consultation, I have been awarded the enhanced level of personal care but my mobility component has been lowered to the standard care level."

Basically, applying at a tiime when so many changes are going on can cause your payment to go up or down. I was in the same situation, however I applied for the Higher Care Component Rate of DLA back last June.

If your area has been changed to have PIP Allowance awarded then you are basically applying for a new Allowance, DLA is not an automatic change-over to PIP. My area is still not covered by PIP, even though another 49 Postal Codes have just been added. Because of my circumstances, my Care Component of DLA was increased in December, that was 6 months after applying for it. However, when you apply for an increase on DLA, your mobility and care must be worse than when you initially applied. In my case, it took longer than usual because of my medical records are over 3 volumes long at the hospital, I have multiple disorders, over 30 tablets a day and given 6 Botox Injections every 10 weeks, by a Neurologist.

You also have to consider if your DLA was Awarded "indefinitely" or a certain period. This all makes a difference regarding a claim being changed over to PIP.

PIP lower rate entitles you to no mobility related schemes whatsoever. As for your Blue Badge you will need to go to a mobility test to get another one.

I would suggest you appeal against the decision since all of the problems with the DWP at the moment. If you do appeal, you may want to record the assessment, because some people are losing their benefit or allowances.

Regards,

Les.

4

You also need to be aware, you cannot just appeal the mobility component. They look at the whole benefit again and so you may actually be worse off.,as they may award you less.

There is a forum I'm a member of, called yourable, which has a lot of info regarding benefits and appeals.

5

This benefit system is an absolute minefield, I am still on DLA and they have not assessed me yet. So I have not applied for PIP at the moment.

The only advice I am giving everyone in this group is to check things out with your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They were brilliant with me and helped me get my DLA in the first place.

Good luck with all,this you will need it!!

Sarah

6

Hi Sarah,

Do not apply for PIP unless you are asked to do so by the DWP. If you do you may likely end up losing DLA completely.

There is 800,000 back log of appeals and claims, which at the current rate they are being dealt with, will take two decades to remove. This is why so many people are losing their benefits, motability vehicles, and more.

It is difficult to state when you will get a PIP Application if you are on DLA "indefinitely", because they are still "zoning" the UK via Postal codes, hence why another 49 have just been added to the list.

Claimants in the "indefinitely" group, are being checked last.

By the way, the Citizens Advice Bureau does not always give you a good chance of the Award, the excuse used by the DWP often is "they cannot read the writting". In your best interests it is better that you fill the form in as accurately as possible, and make sure you enter as much detailed content as possible, even if it means using additional sheets of paper.

The DWP are using "dirty" tactics to avoid Awarding the allowance. So, you need to be wise and not fall for the trap questions, more so in the PIP forms.

Regards,

Les.

7

Thanks for reply and advice. I am going back 20 years or so when CAB helped me, maybe things are different now, all I can say is that at that time they were brilliant for me.

There is no way I am going to be asked to be reassessed, if their admin is so bad they do not get round to me for decades so be it I am 65 later this year so if they are going to assess me they'd better hurry up before I pop my clogs!!!!!!

Mind you my fasther's cousin is 102 so maybe they have got a little bit of time left!!

What I don't quite understand is that this PIP was brought in in April 2013. If they are still assessing people now and taking their benefit away from them they have still had that benefit as DLA( like I am having it now,) for the past 2 years. Surely they are not asking them to pay this back?!!!

Sarah

8

Hi Sarah,

I have been on DLA for roughly 25 years or more, there was a break, when I moved from my home town to when I moved in with my girlfriend back then, and later we married. The gap was caused by people namely my new doctor not having my full health records and stating I had nothing wrong with me. When I met him, and told him my history, he realized he had made a huge mistake with my DLA. Meanwhile the DLA was stopped, and I had to see a Social Security Private Doctor, who could not believe what had gone on. He said to me, Don't worry about your DLA now, I will make sure they never make any mistakes with you again. I was unsure what he meant by this, and he ordered me a taxi home and even paid the driver double! The next thing I got was DLA Awarded Mobility High Rate & Care Component Middle Rate and "Indefinitely".

PIP is classed as a new allowance, this is why you have to apply for it when they send you the forms. But, if you ask for your DLA to be looked at again, many people usually gain on the Care to High, but lose out on the Mobility side. They differ in rates and components, DLA you have 5 rates, PIP there is only 4 and the questions are totally different.

DLA is still paid to you while your PIP Assessment is being dealt with, but if you score Zero points on PIP then your DLA payments stop. At this point you need to Appeal against the decision, which takes time but can be back dated from the original assessment date if you win any part of the Award.

It takes time for the DWP to get through areas because there are so many claims they need to change over from DLA to PIP. The actual aim of all this is to pay you just 2 payments per month Personal Independance Payment and Universal Credit. This is where all the payments will be done online.

Universal Credit = Every Benefit, including Housing Benefit, ESA, etc. It is then up to the Claimant to pay their Housing Benefit to their Landlords, this is why people whom are claiming ESA now, are being asked for their Landlords address and phone details. Personally, I can see some people not paying the monthly Housing Benefit to their Landlords, obviously causing many issues.

Regards,

Les.

9

Thankyou to everyone for your help.  Things have moved on a ittle bit.

Apparently, my medical evidence has gone missing from my DLA file and my claim was being forwarded with the evidence.  I contacted the Spinal Foundation (they had provided evidence of 13 different problems with my spine).  Unfortunately they didn't keep records going back that far (1996) and my G.P. didn't have a copy of the report.

I knew that I had received a copy but couldn't find it.  Finally, on Thursday my husband found it.  I sent a copy of the list and a covering letter to PIP's yesterday.

I realised where another problem had arisen.  During my interview/medical assessment, I was asked how many aisles I could walk down in a supermarket.  I had replied that with regular stops and leaning on the shopping trolley in a small supermarket, I managed one.

Due to nervousness I didn't explain that it was quite a while ago and my husband and a member of staff helped me back outside to our car.  The shopping was abandoned and I was in tears with the pain.  People were looking at me and I felt terrible.

After printing off the letter I received a phone call from a lady at PIP's and when I explained what had happened at the supermarket and that I had found my medical evidence she asked if I could walk between 1 and 20 metres.  On a 'good' day I can probably manage 8 to 10 metres using my walking stick

 Unfortunately, my 'good' days are becoming fewer.

As things stand, I am still waiting for a decision.  I do feel a bit more confident than I did now the evidence has been sent off.  It's just a case now of wait and see.

10

Hi Shanben,

When I read this part "Apparently, my medical evidence has gone missing from my DLA file", this is a tactic DWP has been instructed to do in many cases, so they have less evidence and can deny the claim.

There are under certain Government Legislations that changes occur under the Data Protection Act, with Banks statements they are by law only allowed to Print out the last 7 years. However, if you wish to see your account beyond this period then you can ask your bank if you can view this at a suitable time. So, you can take notes, etc. Hospitals and Doctors is different again.

May I ask, who asked you to provide evidence from 1996? The DWP only takes in to account the past 12 months, not all those years!!

I enquired last year how much it would cost me for a copy of all hospital records since around 1990, I was informed roughly £150+ but this is due to the amount of problems I have and thats clocked up over 3 A4 volumes. PIP claims usually only require 12 months of medical forms, not anymore because some claimants have been asked to pay their doctors for notes by PIP, which is not anywhere in writing.

Anyway, I hope you get the PIP Award.

Regards,

Les

11

Hi Les,

I have had 2 letters from the DWP.  The first one stated that they had obtained my file from the DLA and there was no medical evidence in it.  They also said that my claim would be forwarded to the PIP Benefit Centre without any medical evidence.

The second letter arrived after I had spoken to someone from the call centre at the DWP.  I had asked them to look again at my file as I wouldn't have been awarded DLA for all those years without medical evidence.  They again stated that as there wasn't any evidence in my file, it had been forwarded without it.

One other thing; I was told over the telephone by 2 different people at the call centre that the DLA sometimes extends the cut off deadline re benefits.  My DLA ends on the second of June and and because the reduction to standard mobility by PIP affects the car tax etc. it was suggested by the first of these 2 people that the DLA sometimes does delay the cut off date and that I should contact them asking for the delay.  The DLA told me that was rubbish and to contact the DWP again.  This time the call handler said that he had heard about the extension delay as well and has sent the DLA an e-mail requesting it for me.  I was told to contact the DLA in a few days to get the result.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best!

Christine (shanben)

 

12

Oh Shanandben I really feel for you, all I can suggest is to do what I did and ambe totally honest, try to keep copies of EVERY THING you send in to them, my memory is so bad I can never remember what I've said, not because I'm lying, just my memory let's me down more and more, if you'd had a flu jab you'd remember right, for me not so, can't recall it, makes for angry unpleasant exchanges between me and my husband.

Good luck with your claim, had all my assessments done, bit miffed that I missed the enhanced DLC by just one Point but smashed the mobility one, didn't want to challenge it as afraid they'll then come back and say I don't qualify after all, it's all such a corrupt system xxxxxxx

13

Hi Christine,

The main problem is DWP, ATOS & Maximus all informed to lie to claimants. This is why so many cars are going back to Motability Finance at the moment.

But, you also have to be careful of abusing their Terms & Conditions, they are also clamping down, and many new vehicles are being fitted with trackers, to make sure they are being used for the claimant. They have made numerous changes, and phoning current users regarding surveys, say the wrong thing and say goodbye to your car. Alterations have been made to the terms.

They phoned me last week, asking how I was getting on with my car, I was thinking this is not normal for Motability - but I answered the questions and said we only had 2 breakdowns since we been on the scheme which is many years. He asked me who drove the vehicle, I said well I suffer from seizures and my wife drives me to the doctors and hospital appointments. And I'm looking at around at least 7-8 appointments a month, including Botox Injections every 10 weeks.

I hope you don't lose your Mobility side, because thats the side most people are being hit on, not the Care.

Regards,

Les.

14

You should not haqve to put up with this. Been passed from one to the other. It is time they all got their act together.

Hope you get some sense out of someone.

Sarah