Any positive stories changing from DLA to PIP?

catswhiskers4
catswhiskers4 Posts: 98 Forumite
edited 29 March 2017 at 11:31AM in Benefits & tax credits
My husband has had the dreaded letter through that he needs to move to PIP. He currently receives DLA middle for care, lower for mobility. He receives it for mental health problems, including severe anxiety so you can imagine what effect the letter has had. Does anyone have any positive stories of moving? All I've heard are bad stories so I'm really really worried about it.




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  • w06
    w06 Posts: 917 Forumite
    mine went fine

    Like you I'd dreaded it, thankfully avoided online discussions until after the event

    called roughly this time last year, only issue was I'm deaf and so couldn't make the phone call, the DWP eventually gave me an email address to solve that.

    couldn't bring mysefl to complete the forms until the last minute, sat down and did it all one evening (which I'd recommend, just get it over and done with) couldn't put myself into a category for several and so just explained things in the box.

    my handwriting is barely legible and the form was as a result also barely legible.

    called for a face to face assessment a few weeks later

    face to face was absolutely fine, how it should be as far as I was concerned. Everyone very pleasant, the nurse amicable and understood where I was coming from

    I work full time and rely heavily on informal care, have little recent medical evidence, and sent none and so wouldn't have been suprised if I'd been turned down

    went from middle care high mobility on DLA to enhanced for both parts on PIP with an ongoing award (not to be recalled before 10 years)

    the assessor said it would be roughly 8 weeks to receiving a decision and it was

    try not to worry about, just be open and honest with them
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,366
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    Catswhiskers4, the problem is that only the problem cases ever get publicity. You never see headlines along the lines of "Vast majority of benefit claims are uneventful" although that truly is the case.
    I'm not going to pretend that there aren't claims which are handled badly, any more than I'd claim that there are never claimants who are found genuinely not to be entitled. I think w06 experience is nearer to being the norm than many people appreciate, or others would want to acknowledge.
  • w06
    w06 Posts: 917 Forumite
    One thing I'd recommend is adding a mobile number to the form, I did and received several texts telling me what was happening 'we've received your form' 'we now have all the info we need' etc.I don't recall ticking a box asking them to but there may have been one. THey've not used the number inappropriately at all.

    that might help your husband's anxiety, it's the unkown that makes it more worrying.
  • w06 wrote: »
    One thing I'd recommend is adding a mobile number to the form, I did and received several texts telling me what was happening 'we've received your form' 'we now have all the info we need' etc.I don't recall ticking a box asking them to but there may have been one. THey've not used the number inappropriately at all.

    that might help your husband's anxiety, it's the unkown that makes it more worrying.
    Unfortunately I don't like giving out personal contact details on government forms - you never know where the info ends up. So everything goes via the post.
    Additionally I don't even give government departments consent for them to get info about me or passing info onto others for the same reason.
  • w06 wrote: »
    mine went fine

    Like you I'd dreaded it, thankfully avoided online discussions until after the event

    called roughly this time last year, only issue was I'm deaf and so couldn't make the phone call, the DWP eventually gave me an email address to solve that.

    couldn't bring mysefl to complete the forms until the last minute, sat down and did it all one evening (which I'd recommend, just get it over and done with) couldn't put myself into a category for several and so just explained things in the box.

    my handwriting is barely legible and the form was as a result also barely legible.

    called for a face to face assessment a few weeks later

    face to face was absolutely fine, how it should be as far as I was concerned. Everyone very pleasant, the nurse amicable and understood where I was coming from

    I work full time and rely heavily on informal care, have little recent medical evidence, and sent none and so wouldn't have been suprised if I'd been turned down

    went from middle care high mobility on DLA to enhanced for both parts on PIP with an ongoing award (not to be recalled before 10 years)

    the assessor said it would be roughly 8 weeks to receiving a decision and it was

    try not to worry about, just be open and honest with them

    You were extremely lucky. I was refused a face to face on my transfer from DLA (High Mobility/Middle Care - indefinite) to PIP - the DWP just issued a flat - not entitled letter.
  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430
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    edited 16 March 2017 at 4:22PM
    You were extremely lucky. I was refused a face to face on my transfer from DLA (High Mobility/Middle Care - indefinite) to PIP - the DWP just issued a flat - not entitled letter.

    Which bit of "any positive stories" did you not understand?

    I see a lot of PIP applicants and many of those are changing from DLA. And a big majority do just fine. TELLIT01's post is spot on and is much more in the real world (and representative of a group of applicants) as opposed to rockingbilly's self centred post which please take little heed of

    There are, indeed, bad experiences but loads of folks do just fine

    Good luck!
  • Thanks W06, that's useful. They did ask if he'd like text updates, but he thought it would be too stressful. If they could have sent them to me, I would have said yes, but never mind.
    Yes, that's what I thought, you only hear the negative stories so I knew not everyone could have a bad experience.
    It's when you read things like an MP saying that the benefits aren't for people with anxiety that sit at home taking pills or whatever he said that it makes you worry. If he'd like to step into my husband's shoes for a few days then he'd soon change his mind!
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,921
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    edited 16 March 2017 at 4:34PM
    This info may help to understand the process, and to complete the PIP form.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/if-you-get-dla/

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-pip-claim/fill-in-form/

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-pip-claim/your-supporting-evidence/

    http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip

    If you can I would suggest getting help from your local CAB / advice agency to complete the PIP 2 form (oh, and I would suggest you ignore any comments from rockiingbilly).
    If you can't get help, do consider subscribing to the B & W site (c. £20 pa)- they have a very useful guide on claiming PIP on mental health grounds.

    Look for "prompting" on the DL activities. Also reliability is key (see quote below).

    Give full answers on the form, you need to explain fully why your partner can't do the relevant activities/descriptors reliably for the majority of the time.

    Reliably - nicked from Benefits & Work
    "It’s vital that, before you complete your form, you understand that just because you can carry out an
    activity, that doesn’t mean you are prevented from scoring points for being unable to do it.
    Guidance issued by the DWP states that you need to be able to complete an activity ‘reliably’ in order for it to apply. According to the guidance, ‘reliably’ means whether you can do so:
    • Safely – in a fashion that is unlikely to cause harm to themselves or to another person.
    To a necessary and acceptable standard – given the nature of the activity.
    • Repeatedly – as often as is reasonably required.
    In a timely manner – in a reasonable time period.
    Initially, the government refused to put this guidance into the regulations themselves. But after
    considerable pressure it has been incorporated, although the word ‘reliably’ itself has not been
    included. (See: ‘General definitions you need to know’ for the regulations on this).
    The DWP guidance also states that ‘pain, fatigue, breathlessness, nausea and motivation’ will all be
    ‘key factors’ in deciding whether an activity can be done reliably.
    So, for example, if you can ‘wash and bathe unaided’ you will not score any points for that activity.
    But if it takes you hours to do so or it would be dangerous to leave you alone to bathe – for
    example, because you might have a seizure - then you may score points.
    Or if you could walk 20 metres once, but afterwards you would be so exhausted that you could not do so again for hours or you would be unable to carry out other everyday activities after walking 20 metres, then you may count as not being able to do so.
    Decisions about issues such as what is safe, what is a reasonable time and a good enough
    standard are subjective ones. All you can do is give as much detailed evidence as you can and, if you are not happy with the decision, consider an appeal."

    Good luck
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,366
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    Unfortunately I don't like giving out personal contact details on government forms - you never know where the info ends up. So everything goes via the post.
    Additionally I don't even give government departments consent for them to get info about me or passing info onto others for the same reason.

    Your choice entirely, but if they can only contact you by letter it will slow down the process considerably. It won't bother DWP, just don't whinge about how long everything takes.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,366
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    The MP who made the comment about people sitting at home taking pills either expressed himself very badly (which he later claimed to be the case) or is a total idiot. Regarding text updates, they are pre-defined messages just to state that forms have been received, or something sent to you. DWP are not allowed to send text messages with bad news.
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