Recieved my letter to transfer from DLA to PIP. Really worried

daydreamer15

HI

I get DLA (high rate care and low mobility)
It is due to end in feb. Yesterday I got the letter I was dreading. I have to switch to PIP.

I am worried as my illness is playing up and I'm waiting for more surgery (last surgery august) It has cost me £40 in transport to get to the hospital in the last 2 weeks.

What is the timespan for switching? I don't have any of the letters I sent to DLA as they got destroyed in a fire. When I applied for DLA I sent the form off and 2 weeks later got a decision I got it.

I have some paperwork but not saying how my illness causes the disability and what I can and cant do. I do have one letter saying what my vision is and the surgeries I have had to correct it.

This is also causing my anxiety to get worse as I know I wont be able to afford to get to the hospital (nearly 2hours away) if I don't get PIP which would mean I would lose my full vision and live in extreme pain.

I havent slept through worry (Which is causing my feel worse ) and dreading it even more as it most likely happen over the xmas period where they stop my DLA

BlueEyedGirl

Switching to PIP you are more than likely going to have to go through a medical assessment, although this can be done at home if you have a supporting letter from someone like a GP to state it would be difficult to reach one of their centres for the assessment (they can ask you to travel up to a 90 minutes distance one way!)

Someone on this forum will be around to offer more advice soon, but in the mean time you need to get some evidence of your disabilities, hospital letters, GP reports etc., the more information you send the easier it will be to back up your claim.

I would also advise you to get some proper advice on completing the form from somewhere like the CAB or your local Welfare Rights.

rogerblack

daydreamer15 wrote: »

HI

I get DLA (high rate care and low mobility)
It is due to end in feb. Yesterday I got the letter I was dreading. I have to switch to PIP.

You have four weeks to phone PIP from the initial claim, and then another four weeks to complete the claim pack.
Your DLA will continue on at the same rate until then.

You could request a complete copy of your DLA file.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/personal-information-charter . This is free, and should be easily completed within the eight weeks.

If you elaborate on your disability, and why you got DLA, suggestions could be made as to plausible PIP entitlement.
PIP is computed in a very different way to DLA.

pmlindyloo

Do you qualify for help with your travel costs to hospital?

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/Travelcosts.aspx

jak

Ask your gp to write a letter that explains your difficulties. If they need more information they will write to your gp or consultants. Also start writing a diary to send off with your form. For example if you can't cook a ssimple meal etc. Have a look at the descriptors online and see what you can and can't do so you get an idea of the kind of info They want. I've just put in my first pip claim and have a face to face with a healthcare professional next week. You can only be honest and say exactly how you are. Put about your anxiety and explain how the process is effecting you mentally. Hope that helps a bit x

rogerblack

To add - if you have to struggle to do a thing but can, you may not be able to according to the PIP rules.

In order to be able to do a thing, you need to be able to do it as often as you would normally if you were not disabled, reliably, safely, and in under twice the time it would normally take you.
If you cannot do one of the tasks for PIP on more than 50% of days, then you meet that descriptor.

HB58

jak wrote: »

If they need more information they will write to your gp or consultants. x

I'm afraid that DWP/ATOS/Capita are under no obligation to contact the claimant's GP/consultant and rarely do so. It is best to submit whatever you can yourself, then you know that it has been done!