PIP and moving

Caz0964

Hi.

I've been awarded PIP Today! Yay. I've been awarded Enhanced Daily living rate and Standard Mobility.

I plan to go to university in September, and as far as I'm aware, I don't have to inform DWP of this, just like if I was returning to work.

Here is my issue;
I live around 30 mins public transport away from Newcastle City Centre, and I would be very unable to do that commute every day in my MH circumstances, so my MH team and my family have discussed living in a Studio apartment in Newcastle, provided they check in every day, in person, I've signed up to Uni Disability support etc, and also a friend also on the same course living close by is going to spend a lot of his personal time with me ensuring I'm looking after myself, eating, hygiene, and also the commute to and from university each day. There's also things in place for e.g. I can miss a lot of lectures etc if I'm unable to attend due to my health, but there will be an online blackboard where I can complete most work from home. The course in computer science so there will still be minimal interacting with other people, which is where I scored on my PIP assessment as this is a very big problem for me.

I would be moving into this accomodation for a set tenancy length of 44-weeks, then I'd be back at home, and if I'm struggling, and not doing so well, I'll also stay at home.

Do I have to inform the DWP of this change? I'm very confused as to whether this is a change of address as it's temporary and a lot of my time will still be sent at home, my banks, GP, letters etc will all stay at my current home address. My main issue is they'll see me living alone as "independant and able to look after himself" which isn't the case, I see my psychologist once a week, my CPN weekly, weekly group therapy, family will check in every day, friend will help me with day to day tasks around hygiene/eating etc.

As I've been awarded it today I've very anxious to report this as I'm almost certain it will trigger a re-assessment and also will end up losing my benefit altogether.

Can you please advise me on what I should do in my situation, staying at home would disable me from attending a lot of university and ultimately being removed from the course, yet moving into the city, a short walk from the university could render me losing my PIP entitlement alltogether.

calcotti

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/changes-that-affect-pip/ includes

!!Examples of a change of circumstances you must report include:
you change your name, address or bank account details for payment!!

However in this case you are temporarily absent and your permanent/ correspondence address remains unchanged. I do not think you need to report this as long as you are happy for your parents to check your post for you. Be interested to see if anyone has a different take. This requirement is, I believe, primarily about DWP being able to communicate with you.

A change of address in itself should not trigger a reassessment anyway but I understand your nervousness.

Alice_Holt

This is a helpful resource:
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/helplines/disabled-students-helpline

You may also wish to ask them about the possibility of ESA and Housing Benefit (or more problematically UC).

Caz0964

Thank you for your replies.

My worry is that If I don't inform them and end up being fined or having my benefits stopped due to not updating a change of circumstance, although from what I have read I would understand my residence is my parents house and this is temporary accommodation,

Alice_Holt

Caz0964 wrote: »

My worry is that If I don't inform them and end up being fined or having my benefits stopped due to not updating a change of circumstance, although from what I have read I would understand my residence is my parents house and this is temporary accommodation,

If it is of any use, the housing benefit legislation around the bedroom tax provides that -
"The following household members can also count as occupying their bedroom if they are only away temporarily:
- students who are returning regularly, for example during holidays"
So that backs up your thoughts that your primary residence remains your parents house.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/housing_benefit/bedroom_tax_are_you_affected

Try not to be too worried, you won't be fined or have your PIP stopped.
Claimants whose condition improves to the extent that their PIP award is no longer warranted should certainly need to notify the DWP.
In your case, although your circumstances are changing, your condition and the need for care and support remains unchanged from your very recent assessment.

Caz0964

Hi Alice.

So working from this would it be right in saying that I don't need to update anything to PIP at all? From what I've read you don't report starting work, so I'd assume the same would apply for University.

So I'm fine to just leave everything as is now?

w06

If it's likely to cause angst, and worryign in the small hours, as it sounds as though it might, you'd be best to give the PIP folk at DWP a call. Explain that you're starting uni, your home address will not change - but you'll be staying nearer uni most of term time and there'll be a lot of support in place because of your health problems.

It shouldn't cause any problem at all, but will stop you worrying that you haven't informed them.

naturaljazz

My son was at Uni for 3 years and it is not his permanent home, he did not have to tell DWP that he was at Uni or staying in temporary accommodation. He has Aspergers and gets PIP. We checked and was told this. You can ask your Uni disability support if you wish, I would not bother telling DWP as it is not a permanent address change.
You can get taxi money allowances as part of your Disabled Student Allowance did you know? You can get a laptop so you can work at home, you now have to pay the first £200 of the laptop, but they are good ones. You can get a Dictaphone to record lectures, useful if your mind is wandering a lot. My daughter has Bipolar and she used to record (its common practice in Uni) as her concentration would go. You can have specialist study skills and mentoring too. It is all part of the assessment and my daughter found it really useful for anxiety. Also make contact with your student union disability rep (my daughter undertook on this role in her 3rd year undergrad) they can be really helpful too. Hope this helps.

naturaljazz

PS Alice... my daughter did a year of Uni on enhanced daily living no mobility, and decided to stop her PIP as she felt so much better, her choice of course. The point is you can get lots of support and be ok as long as you make the most of the support on offer. Here is the link to your Unis support ...
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/disability-support/

Caz0964

Can I just ask...

I've been seeing things about people who have PIP having fraud investigations done on them etc and I'm really scaring myself.

One thing that's on my mind is that I was advised by medical team to answer every question as if it's my 'worst' days. So I told them that unless I'm having a really good day, I wouldn't go out on public transport by myself, like for example if its 9am and there was a bus full of people I wouldn't get on it, I'd work myself up and end up returning home.

Although as I'm moving for university, does this change? I'll be living literally a 3-5 minute walk on the same street as the uni, that's probably the only journey I will actually make at all to be honest, but sometimes I will be making this journey by myself, and other times my friend living close by will walk with me (It depends on the day). Although I expect a lot of the content I will miss due to ill health but obviously the university team know of this and I can access a lot of it online.

Does anyone have any advice? I feel like I should tell them I'm moving to uni, living alone, 5 mins from the uni etc, but also I feel like that would instantly just stop my claim.

Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? The last thing I want is to have a fraud meeting I really wouldn't cope, I wouldn't be able to endure that. Would I be in the wrong? I'm so anxious thinking about it, but I tend to look at everything in a bad light to be honest.

My main scores were that I need prompting to shower/eat/look after myself and then obviously i was awarded mobility for being accompanied to places etc. Can I call up and say I don't think I need the mobility side or should i? i just dunno what to do


My points were awarded as follows -
Daily Living-
Preparing food - 4
Eating and drinking - 0
Managing treatments - 0
Washing and bathing - 2
Managing toilet needs - 0
Dressing and undressing - 2
Communicating - 0
Mixing with other people - 2
Making budgeting decisions - 2

Mobility
Planning and following a journey - 10 (You can't undertake any journey because it would cause you significant mental distress



EDIT: I've thought about this some more and I think I should ring PIP to advise that I'll be moving during term times. Everything still should stay the same for the most part, i.e. I do/will need help with basic living most of the time, and I'm having a DSA assessment next week so hopefully they can help out with that, as well as my family members checking in regularly etc. I expect that my Mobility will change as for some reason it says 'You can't undertake ANY journey' but i will be able to make the journey to uni? God this is SO confusing it's such a nightmare I wish I never bloody applied for it in the first place

Caz0964

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