PIP renewal process following Tribunal award

bdmum1

I wasn't sure whether to post here or "Disability Money Matters" but thought I'd try here first.

I received enhanced rates of mobility and daily living following a Tribunal in January 2019. The award was backdated to Oct 2017 and expires Oct 2021.

I've had the letter advising me I need to make a new claim from October, I made the initial phone call to lodge the claim, and have now received the claim pack.

Can anyone advise whether I'm likely to have the new claim decided before the current award expires, and if so when the start date would be? ie if it's successful, does it  run continuously after my existing award?

Similarly, if it's processed quickly and it's unsuccessful, does that cancel the existing Tribunal award?

I have a motability vehicle, so I'm trying to prepare for the fact that it may have to go back before my award is decided, or if I have to go down the reconsideration and appeal route again.

Many thanks for any help

poppy12345

No one can tell you how long it will take for a decision to be made but there's huge backlogs. Any new decision made will overrule your current award, whether that's in your favour or not. So if you're not awarded then your current claim will end. Likewise, if you're successfully awarded your new award starts from when the decision's made.

rjmachin

I had my renewal letter through April 2021, sent it off and the decision came through 2 or 3 weeks later.

I was quite shocked that it was so quick, and it came in a white envelope, so wasn't expecting it to be what it was when I opened it (I expected a letter from the bank or similar)

Robbie64

^

The DWP have changed their "important information" envelope colour from brown to white. Apparently the DWP undertook an exercise last year which showed that people are more likely to open white envelopes than they are brown envelopes.

poppy12345

Robbie64 said:

^

The DWP have changed their "important information" envelope colour from brown to white. Apparently the DWP undertook an exercise last year which showed that people are more likely to open white envelopes than they are brown envelopes.

That’s odd. My daughter had her PIP review decision letter a few months ago and it was a brown envelope. I’m assuming this is a recent change?

calcotti

poppy12345 said: That’s odd. My daughter had her PIP review decision letter a few months ago and it was a brown envelope. I’m assuming this is a recent change?

It is recent.

Robbie64 said: The DWP have changed their "important information" envelope colour from brown to white. Apparently the DWP undertook an exercise last year which showed that people are more likely to open white envelopes than they are brown envelopes.

According to DWP it’s for practical reasons not claimant psychology.

From 5 April some DWP system-generated customer notifications will be sent in white rather than manila (brown) envelopes. This requirement is driven by a change in the way Royal Mail sorts bulk post. The new system requires a legible barcode to be printed onto the envelope. Testing has shown printing onto our manila envelopes regularly fails.

bdmum1

rjmachin said:

I had my renewal letter through April 2021, sent it off and the decision came through 2 or 3 weeks later.

I was quite shocked that it was so quick, and it came in a white envelope, so wasn't expecting it to be what it was when I opened it (I expected a letter from the bank or similar)

Thank you for this info, hope you got the decision you were hoping for. 

I don't think I'd registered that the award made by the Tribunal would effectively be replaced by the new decision.

 I'd (wrongly) assumed that, whatever the outcome of the new claim, it would only come into effect after the current award expires, so I'm glad I asked the question!

Just need to decide now whether to start looking for a replacement car, or sit tight and hope for a successful decision. 

Oh and both my invitation letter and claim pack came in manila envelopes, so who knows!

poppy12345

bdmum1 said:

rjmachin said:

I had my renewal letter through April 2021, sent it off and the decision came through 2 or 3 weeks later.

I was quite shocked that it was so quick, and it came in a white envelope, so wasn't expecting it to be what it was when I opened it (I expected a letter from the bank or similar)

I don't think I'd registered that the award made by the Tribunal would effectively be replaced by the new decision.

Any new decision made on any award, overrules a current award. Just to add to the timescales. I returned my daughters review form on about 27th January. Just over 1 week later i receive a letter (i'm her appointee) it was the decision letter and her award stayed the same (Enhanced for both parts) until 2027.  The decision was made on 2nd February, so extremely fast turn around.

If your current mobility vehicle lease ends before a decision's made on your new claim you can ring motability and they will extend your current lease.

bdmum1

rjmachin, could I just check, you mentioned getting your decision two weeks after submitting your renewal claim. Does that mean they did a paper based decision and you didn't have to have a phone assessment? Also, was your previous award following a tribunal decision?
Apologies for all the questions,  many thanks.