PIP Benefit has been stopped out of the blue - Need Help!

Emmaaar22

Good Morning,
This morning my mother received a phonecall from DWP regarding her PIP. The lady on the other end said that her money was being stopped today, Which came out of the blue as we have received no emails or letters telling us this. My mother has been suffering from a undiagnosed respiratory condition for about 2 years now and lost her job because of it last December. We went round the houses with the hospital sending her back and forth, giving her mixed information as to what it could actually be - Lungs, throat and voicebox. 
We are able to appeal the decision, But from her previous 3 experiences we already know what the outcome is going to be. Only because she can walk 20 metres means most of the time she won`t win. However she gets out of breathe walking up the stairs and she can have a breathing attack come on just like that, When a breathing attack comes on her blood pressure rises and she has to sit down and relax, take deep breathes and this can take a while to pass and it can result in calling the paramedics as she needs a nebuliser., Her airways become tight and her breathing becomes shallow and is not able to talk properly. It`s also got to the point where she needs someone at home with her as she can drop down dead from this condition and she is unable to ring for an ambulance due to her throat closing up and tightening - Luckilly, I`m now self employed so can keep a eye on her. She is also now suffering from arthritus in the knee.
She`s stressed and visibly upset by this, Esp as it`s come out of the blue. We have a mortgage to pay along with a load of other things to pay for and theres only one other person in the house who is working a job. My job is making money, But it`s not enough to cover bills, food or anything else. We could loose the house over this as not enough money is coming in and if we lose the PIP money it`s game over.
The only other option she has is to get a job, But she`s limited. No employer is going to take someone on who is going to be a liability, She needs a sit down job ideally.
In the times we are in now she is vulnerable to covid too due to the condition.
Also I have tried to claim for carers allowance, But because she only gets income support I don`t qualify.
Any ideas as what we can do from here? We`re desperate to keep this house but with the way things are going..It`s unlikely.
Apologies if this is in the wrong forum.

50Twuncle

Unless someone has made a mistake - they cannot just stop your benefits out of the blue

DWP do not cancel benefits via a phone call

Are you sure that no letters have arrived and been lost ?

Carers allowance does not depend on any other benefit - so I don't know where you got the idea that you don't qualify - as long as you care for your mum for 35 hours per week AND EARN LESS THAN £128 per week after deductions - Which may preclude you - if you work and earn

Contact Citizens advice

poppy12345

Has she recently filled out a PIP review form and had an assessment for a review of her PIP award? When was it supposed to end? DWP don't usually ring you and tell you your benefits are stopping like this. They don't send emails either, contact is via letter, in paper form. If you can answer this question i'm sure someone can help further.

Regarding your mortgage and other household bills. I'm assuming you live with your mother? Does she live with a partner that works? You also say she's unable to work because of her health conditions, what other benefits besides PIP was/is she claiming?

Sorry for the questions but no one can help without more details.

Emmaaar22

She received a letter a few months ago saying that her benefits would be stopped at the end of the year, She was going to apply for a assessment in November but got the call today to say it would be stopped today.
100% we`ve received no letters from DWP since then.
Yes it`s my dad that works still. Other then PIP I believe there was also income support? I dunno if that was the PIP though. I`m unsure it`s hard to keep up with what she has and hasn`t got. In regards to the carers allowance, When I contacted CA I was told that unless she had one of the benefits on the list I couldn`t claim it and she only has PIP.
Smells fishy to me

Edit: She has a small business which she has just started up to no avail so far, Could it be this affecting her benefits?

poppy12345

They don't just stop a PIP award and it's not the end of the year yet. Was she awarded by DWP or a Tribunal? When was the exact date her PIP award was supposed to end?

The letter she received a few months ago, what exactly did it say? Did it ask her to reapply?

PIP awards have been extended for 6 months because of Covid19.

You can't just "apply" for another assessment. If awarded by DWP PIP review forms are sent for you to fill in and return and then an assessment is most likely once it's returned.

If awarded by a Tribunal then DWP usually contact you 14 weeks before the award is due to end and then you need to ring to reapply again and more forms are then sent.

She wouldn't be claiming Income Support because your dad works.

You say you contacted CA, which i can only assume is Carers allowance? A person can only claim carers allowance for some if they earn less than £128 per week after deductions and your mum must have been claiming daily living PIP.

Sorry for all the questions but some of what you're saying doesn't really make any sense.

Emmaaar22

Sorted, Turns out it was a scam afterall

[Deleted User]

Emmaaar22 said:

Sorted, Turns out it was a scam afterall

What exactly was the scam? What would they have achieved by telling someone their PIP was ending? 

Emmaaar22

MarkN88 said:

Emmaaar22 said:

Sorted, Turns out it was a scam afterall

What exactly was the scam? What would they have achieved by telling someone their PIP was ending? 

This could be what she was trying to do https://www.baronyha.org.uk/about-us/media/latest-news/warnings-over-fake-universal-credit-claim-scam#:~:text=Criminals, often pretending to be,false application for Universal Credit.&text=You may occasionally receive a,of information over the phone.
She spoke in a posh Welsh accent and asked security questions like DOB and postcode. She made out she had the assessors notes in front of her, As when my mum mentioned about her arthritus the lady said she had it all written down, when in actual fact the only person my mum has told is the doctor.
She also said not to do anything until the letter arrived, So my theory is they wanted her to write all of her information down including bank details so she could appeal the decision, Whilst actually they used that information and maybe do what they did above and access her bank account.

poppy12345

I was actually thinking it may have been a scam. I really hope no personal details like name, address, DOB and NI number weren't given. If they were then this person could actually make a claim for a benefit in your mums name.

[Deleted User]

50Twuncle said:

Unless someone has made a mistake - they cannot just stop your benefits out of the blue

DWP do not cancel benefits via a phone call

Are you sure that no letters have arrived and been lost ?

Carers allowance does not depend on any other benefit - so I don't know where you got the idea that you don't qualify - as long as you care for your mum for 35 hours per week AND EARN LESS THAN £128 per week after deductions - Which may preclude you - if you work and earn

Contact Citizens advice

Not quite right, the person you care for must receive either DLA mid rate care or PIP standard care or AA.

Emmaaar22

Update from this..
We received a letter today and went to the JC and they said it was genuine. However, I am still unconvinced it is as the letter is littered with mistakes and mispellings and as stated before they have pushed everything back to six months.
What the lady at JC said was that they see her deemed fit for for work, She`s put a appeal in and we see how it goes.