DLA to PIP backdated? 20 February 2021 at 8:06PM edited 20 February 2021 at 8:14PM in Disability money matters 86 replies 1.7K views

RobinHill

Hello, Currently in receipt of DLA since 2000. Due to worsening health last October, with advice I elected to apply for PIP. Should this be successful at a higher rate would this be back dated to when I registered my claim for PIP? I ask as the call handler stated so when I made the claim, however there seems to be information to the contrary. Thank you. 

poppy12345

RobinHill said:

Hello, Currently in receipt of DLA since 2000. Due to worsening health last October, with advice I elected to apply for PIP. Should this be successful at a higher rate would this be back dated to when I registered my claim for PIP? I ask as the call handler stated so when I made the claim, however there seems to be information to the contrary. Thank you. 

No, it will not be backdated even if you receive a higher award. If successfully awarded your PIP will start about 7 weeks after the decision is made.

RobinHill

When we called to register the claim the call handler definitely stated that it would be backdated (my partner confirms this). If not it seems like a bit of a conflict of interest, especially as there are consequential effects. It seems all too financially convenient for the government to leave such claims as long as possible. Yet for new claims it seems that it is backdated. I understood that this is a new claim as I have not claimed PIP before. The online guidance even states "DLA claimants will be invited to make a new claim for PIP". If not it stinks a bit given how long the process is taking and seems somewhat wrong.

[Deleted User]

RobinHill said:

When we called to register the claim the call handler definitely stated that it would be backdated (my partner confirms this). If not it seems like a bit of a conflict of interest, especially as there are consequential effects. It seems all too financially convenient for the government to leave such claims as long as possible. Yet for new claims it seems that it is backdated. I understood that this is a new claim as I have not claimed PIP before. The online guidance even states "DLA claimants will be invited to make a new claim for PIP". If not it stinks a bit given how long the process is taking and seems somewhat wrong.

 You already claim DLA and will continue to do so until your PIP starts. You lose nothing by one starting immediately after one finishes. Nothing stinky about it. 

RobinHill

_shel: How'd do you draw that conclusion ie. I lose nothing? The difference is likely already into 4 figures. The longer the DWP draw this out then the more they save. Given that I am not alone then the policy stinks.

poppy12345

Shel is correct here, you already claim DLA so there's nothing to backdate. If your condition hade got worse then why didn't you claim PIP at an earlier date? There was nothing stopping you from doing this but you chose not to.

The reason why new PIP claims for those not already claiming DLA are backdated to the date they rang is because they're not receiving a disability benefit.

Any advice given by a DWP call centre person should always be taken with a big pinch of salt because they are not benefit advisors, they just purely read from a screen and mostly have very little benefit knowledge.

Unfortunately, that's the rules and there's nothing at all anyone can do.

nannytone_2

If your claim amount was reduced, would you be happy to repay any amount backdated to the date you first called?
You can't have it all Ways

RobinHill

poppy12345: What a statement; what the heck has claiming earlier got to do with? None. I claimed as soon as I was advised such. The reason why it is backdated is nothing to do with not already receiving a benefit, and everything to do with that is when the claim was made and that claimants should not be penalised for any inefficiencies and undue delays within the DWP.

poppy12345

It has everything to do with claiming earlier because if you are successfully awarded a higher amount then your payments would have started earlier. Nannytone makes a very good point too, if the worst happens and you're refused PIP your DLA ends but you wouldn't expect to have to pay that back. You can moan all you want but it's not going to help, rules are rules.

RobinHill

Nonsense poppy12345, claiming earlier has nothing at all to do with the point, the topic of backdating is common to both scenarios. However I do buy the complication of any reduction.

poppy12345

It's not nonsense, it's fact. Anyway, your question has been answered so i'm out. Good luck with the PIP