Time scales anyone?

cantcope

I'm thinking maybe just one person might have an educated/experienced answer?
Got letter to say my award was extended to November 2021 due to covid delays... picked up my new motability car 3 weeks ago.... got review form in the post a week later!! i've completed and sent back. Does anyone know how long it should take for them to acknowledge receipt?
Having lost my enhanced mobility a few years ago (while on the stroke ward!) and losing tribunal only for it to be reinstated 6 months later i'd put off getting a new car so now really nervous i could be giving it back again within a few months! Just want it sorted out asap so i know whether to sell "my" car or not.

CosmoChic

In my, admittedly limited, experience receipt text usually arrives within a few days of posting.  However, there are currently long delays with Royal Mail being reported all over the media.  If you sent it via Signed For I'd wait a few days after they've received it and if no text, I'd call them.  That said, at this time of year - skeleton staff etc. dealing only with emergencies, things may be taking a little longer for correspondence to be processed.

I sent a MR and hadn't heard anything for 10 days after they'd received it (verified via Signed For service).  I called and was advised my MR had been received but had been placed in the "wrong" allocation queue.  Whilst I waited, the DWP operator moved the MR to the "correct" queue and I received the text while I was still chatting with him.

poppy12345

Timescales, this is probably the most asked question on any forum. The answer, how long is a piece of string? There's no timescales, it arrives when it arrives. With the Christmas and New year closing days, it could be a few weeks, maybe more before you receive a text.

poppy12345

CosmoChic said:

I sent a MR and hadn't heard anything for 10 days after they'd received it (verified via Signed For service).

Just so that you know, signed for delivery means nothing at all for DWP purposes because it still goes through a mail sorting process the same as all post going to DWP. Signed for means it was signed by someone from Royal Mail and is somewhere in the building. It's not classed as arriving with DWP until it's been added to the computer. Signed for delivery is a waste of money in this case. Proof of posting is all that's needed, which is free from the post office.

Spoonie_Turtle

I didn't get a text about my MR until a few days before they actually started looking at it. It arrived in plenty of time though (I also used Signed For, literally just for peace of mind that it reached them on time - how long they take to deal with it after that is entirely their responsibility.)

That said, my original claim form was acknowledged the day after it arrived back with them so I don't know whether the point at which an acknowledgement is sent is the same for both processes or not. 

cantcope

Thanks for the replies. As much as I know nobody can give a definitive answer it is helpful to know that a week after posting and no text this doesn’t seem like something to be overly concerned about 

cantcope

Just a quick update as may be useful to some. I called today as still not heard whether they received my forms or not and due by Wednesday. They have received them on 21st December. Just didnt text to tell me.

They also said that because my award had been extended until November 2021 that although they've asked for the review forms back now they might not look at it until then. So in 11 months time.

My situation could have changed by then?!? seems absolutely ridiculous to me. Why ask for forms back 11 months before they might even be looked at. I'll never understand the DWP where PIP reviews are concerned.

poppy12345

You file will be sent to the health assessment providers at some point. The chances are that it will most likely be looked at before the next 11 months. If it isn't and a decision isn't made by then, your award could end, unless of course this situation with Covid continues and they extend awards further.

If an assessment is needed and your condition has changed then you'll need to make sure you tell them during the assessment.

cantcope

jsut thought i'd update for anyone else wondering about extensions and reviews.
I received a letter today saying my pip has been looked at again (after i sent my review forms in) and they have awarded me the same as before for a longer period of time... until November!!! which is when it had been extended to from January anyway.
What a bloody waste of time on everyone's part. so now i'll expect another load of forms in the summer to fill in. 

Spoonie_Turtle

cantcope said:

jsut thought i'd update for anyone else wondering about extensions and reviews.
I received a letter today saying my pip has been looked at again (after i sent my review forms in) and they have awarded me the same as before for a longer period of time... until November!!! which is when it had been extended to from January anyway.
What a bloody waste of time on everyone's part. so now i'll expect another load of forms in the summer to fill in. 

That's utterly ridiculous.  I would be inclined to phone them and ask if there's been a mistake, and if not consider requesting and MR for the length of award (depending on what points and whether it would risk your award).  

How long was your previous award at the same rates (and any before that)?

poppy12345

cantcope said:

jsut thought i'd update for anyone else wondering about extensions and reviews.
I received a letter today saying my pip has been looked at again (after i sent my review forms in) and they have awarded me the same as before for a longer period of time... until November!!! which is when it had been extended to from January anyway.
What a bloody waste of time on everyone's part. so now i'll expect another load of forms in the summer to fill in. 

It's possible that this is  an error and they have the dates wrong.   I remember my daughters last review for PIP and when the decision letter came it made no sense because it said awarded until X date, which would have only been a few months. I rang DWP to speak to a decision maker and it was indeed an error and the year was incorrect.

OR they have looked at your claim again because of one of the high court rulings such as following and planning a journey changes that took place quite sometime ago. They are looking at all claims awarded from a specific date and once they've done this they will contact you and tell you. My daughter had exactly the same letter and so did i, it made no sense at the time but a simple phone call soon put my mind at rest. See link regarding those changes.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-changes/overwhelming-psychological-distress-and-journeys-changes-to-pip-law-from-28-november-2016

My advice is to ring them tomorrow when they open and ask exactly what the letter is related to because you may just find that it's nothing at all to do with your current review.