DLA to PIP

Spoonie_Turtle

lisawright85 said:

poppy12345 said:

RobinHill said:

lisawright85: Ye The DWP appear to process new claims for PIP over existing DLA claimants.

At the moment they are yes because backlogs are huge purely because of covid. DWP are currently predicting a 10 month timescale for new applications. This is what the timescale was back in 2013 when PIP was first introduced.

Personally, i don't see anything unfair about no backdated money when transferring from DLA to PIP because naturally, you can't claim both benefits at the same time.

I wasn't suggesting claiming both, merely the difference in the 2 awards. The DWP could take any amount of time they like to process these claims and delay paying the correct amount to claimants.

The delay in payment is incidental though.  Lots of people on low rate DLA don't qualify for PIP (especially mobility, they did deliberately raise the threshold for that) and they have no idea which way a claimant will go until they actually get to the case.  I have no love nor loyalty for the DWP and I am not defending them by any means - the delays are unhelpful at best, often worse, and their poor decisions are particularly inexcusable - but I just don't think it's helpful to see conspiracy where there is none.

poppy12345

lisawright85 said:

poppy12345 said:

RobinHill said:

lisawright85: Ye The DWP appear to process new claims for PIP over existing DLA claimants.

At the moment they are yes because backlogs are huge purely because of covid. DWP are currently predicting a 10 month timescale for new applications. This is what the timescale was back in 2013 when PIP was first introduced.

Personally, i don't see anything unfair about no backdated money when transferring from DLA to PIP because naturally, you can't claim both benefits at the same time.

I wasn't suggesting claiming both, merely the difference in the 2 awards. The DWP could take any amount of time they like to process these claims and delay paying the correct amount to claimants.

Well, in a way you are because when you're claiming DLA and transfer to PIP there's no backdated money because you were previously claiming DLA.

To state that DWP delay the process so they don't have to pay anything extra is wrong. I'm not sticking up for anyone at DWP but at the end of the day they are also only human.

People have spent the past 18 months working from home, with children all around them because of the schools being closed. Doing assessments by phone, self isolating and losing loved ones. Trying to work under the most extreme pressure.

I'm sorry but people can moan all they want, as spoonie has already stated, we can't do anything about this here. If you feel this strongly about the rules then contact your local MP. https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/

oystercatcher

When my husband transitioned from DLA to PIP he ended up with slightly less money each month so delays don't always save DWP money and they didn't try and claim payments back. They have to make a set of rules and stick to them. Be thankful you got an increased award.

RobinHill

Yeah, sounds like your hubby should be grateful too in that he's obviously less disabled otherwise he'd have received a higher award.

Spoonie_Turtle

RobinHill said:

Yeah, sounds like your hubby should be grateful too in that he's obviously less disabled otherwise he'd have received a higher award.

Think you're rather missing the point.  Someone whose level of disability presumably remained the same got less under one set of criteria than under the previous criteria.  Many people have found that, unsurprisingly as PIP itself was designed to help reduce the welfare bill.

RobinHill

Spoonie_Turtle: I think that you are missing my point. PIP has assessed him as being less disabled, surely he should be "thankful" for that. In exactly the same way that I should be "thankful" for being disabled enough to receive an increased award.

poppy12345

RobinHill said:

Spoonie_Turtle: I think that you are missing my point. PIP has assessed him as being less disabled ... he should be "thankful" for that surely, in exactly the same way that I should be "thankful" for being disabled to the extent of receiving an increased award.

No, i don't think Spoonie is missing the point here, more to the point you are. PIP and DLA are 2 completely different benefits with totally different criteria. A person claiming DLA at a certain level certainly doesn't mean they would be entitled to the equivalent for PIP.

Some people claiming DLA will not be entitled to any PIP,  some people will be entitled to a higher award for and others a lower award.

When a person is still claiming DLA there's nothning stopping them reporting a change of circumstances if their condition has got worse and they think they will be entitled to a higher PIP award, this will then prompt a move across.

RobinHill

No, you are definitely missing my point.

poppy12345

This thread is going the same way another thread went to about the backdated PIP when moving from DLA.... no where.

Spoonie_Turtle

RobinHill said:

Spoonie_Turtle: I think that you are missing my point. PIP has assessed him as being less disabled, surely he should be "thankful" for that. In exactly the same way that I should be "thankful" for being disabled enough to receive an increased award.

Absolutely not.  Just because someone doesn't meet the criteria of a new benefit does not mean they're magically better than when they were entitled to more money on the previous benefit!  Very disappointing, I had hoped disabled people would know better than to view arbitrary benefit assessments as the ultimate authority on disability.  

Edit for clarity: the point about being thankful in the first place was to be thankful that the disability fell under the rules in such a way as to get more money with PIP than the rules for DLA allowed.  Other people's disabilities are less well accounted for with PIP than they were for DLA.  Doesn't actually mean their disability is any better or worse than it was when they were claiming DLA, just that the two benefits work differently - which poppy has already stated, and many times in previous threads too.

Anyway, this thread has served its purpose to confirm what the current rules are and I have nothing useful to add.  I shouldn't have got drawn in in the first place *facepalm*