DLA

grace68

my 29 year old daughter is still on DLA, have been waiting for years for call over to PIP and it still hasn't arrived. She is on low rate care and low mobility. I really think she should be entitled to a higher rate, at least for care, but never appealed when awarded as was so relieved.  The problem with still being on low rate care/DLA is she doesn't automatically qualify for stuff like bus pass/carer addition, and because there is no time frame, bus pass is only awarded for 12 months, which by time we get it is about 8 months.
So my question, is anyone else still on DLA?  any idea what the time table to change to PIP is? how would i go about initiating a change to PIP. does her DLA continue until a decision is made as when you are called to change or would it stop and we be waiting for PIP to be processed? Low rate PIP would be more helpful than low rate DLA, not just from a financial view but from form of acceptance for stuff like bus pass.
thanks Grace x

Spoonie_Turtle

grace68 said:

my 29 year old daughter is still on DLA, have been waiting for years for call over to PIP and it still hasn't arrived. She is on low rate care and low mobility. I really think she should be entitled to a higher rate, at least for care, but never appealed when awarded as was so relieved.  The problem with still being on low rate care/DLA is she doesn't automatically qualify for stuff like bus pass/carer addition, and because there is no time frame, bus pass is only awarded for 12 months, which by time we get it is about 8 months.

So my question, is anyone else still on DLA?  any idea what the time table to change to PIP is? how would i go about initiating a change to PIP. does her DLA continue until a decision is made as when you are called to change or would it stop and we be waiting for PIP to be processed? Low rate PIP would be more helpful than low rate DLA, not just from a financial view but from form of acceptance for stuff like bus pass.
thanks Grace x

To start a PIP claim you would phone up, and press the relevant option for people currently claiming DLA.  https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim
DLA would continue until the date a decision is made about PIP.

However, you should be aware before doing anything that PIP has different criteria from DLA.  Here's a good overview from the CAB 
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-decisions-are-made/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form/
And this is the official guidance for assessment
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

If there's anything you're not sure on, https://pipinfo.net/ may have relevant case law, or it may be simpler to come back and ask here

poppy12345

Your daughter isn't the only person still waiting to be invited to claim PIP.

Alice_Holt

Are you the DWP appointee for your daughter ?

As Spoonie says PIP is very different from DLA. 
It is based on activities, descriptors, and points. 
It is much more prescriptive than DLA, you need to fit the health conditions to the PIP descriptors.
And your daughter will be subject to an assessment by an ATOS / Capita / etc employee.

Start by gathering medical (and other) evidence which will support a PIP claim.

What activities / descriptors / points do you think your daughter should be awarded?

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test

grace68

No not appointee, its one thing I know i have to do, i have done PIP claims in past, both son and daughter are autistic, son already transferred to PIP so know about evidence etc just was unsure about process if you set it off yourself. Thank you for all your advice.

RobinHill

grace68: I'd been on low care and high mobility DLA for 20 years and got fed up of waiting and following comments from my physio and OT decided to jump to PIP on the basis that I'm most likely going to have to do so at some point so might as well do it in my own time rather than being pushed and time constrained. I have a neurological disorder causing problems with MSK and muscle wastage. Bar the 10 month end to end time span from application to award I found the PIP process to be quite well suited to the effects of my condition. In the event I was award enhanced on both with no requirement for review. As good as it gets I guess. Closely work through the PIP descriptors and see what points you are able to claim. We sought assistance from Citizen's Advice and they drew our attention to a few areas that we hadn't thought about. Then work through completing the PIP2 form together with pursuing any supporting medical documentation. Once done make the application. One further tip is that this can all by typed and printed on separate sheets with each PIP2 form section simply referencing an associated appendix. No issues with space and makes it much easier to edit and make changes etc. Hope this helps.

sheeps68

Hi. I'm still on DLA with a indefinite award. I'm sitting quietly as I really do not need the stress of regular assessments if I can avoid it. I may be fractionally better off with PIP but sitting quietly for now.

RobinHill

sheeps68: Understand the stress bit. It may be worth perhaps prepping the PIP2 form in your own time ready for when (if??) you are pushed rather than the one month or whatever they give you, especially if you need to gather supporting documents. Obviously I don't know about the details of your claim but to be fair, bar the 9 month wait I found the PIP process to be fairly good. I had been on indefinite low care and high mobility since 2000, and was awarded enhanced on both and "ongoing with no requirement for review".

Spoonie_Turtle

RobinHill said:

sheeps68: Understand the stress bit. It may be worth perhaps prepping the PIP2 form in your own time ready for when (if??) you are pushed rather than the one month or whatever they give you, especially if you need to gather supporting documents. Obviously I don't know about the details of your claim but to be fair, bar the 9 month wait I found the PIP process to be fairly good. I had been on indefinite low care and high mobility since 2000, and was awarded enhanced on both and "ongoing with no requirement for review".

This is very good advice, particularly as the DLA and PIP criteria are different and claimants stand the best chance if they understand how PIP is assessed.

Moneyconfusion

RobinHill said:

sheeps68: Understand the stress bit. It may be worth perhaps prepping the PIP2 form in your own time ready for when (if??) you are pushed rather than the one month or whatever they give you, especially if you need to gather supporting documents. Obviously I don't know about the details of your claim but to be fair, bar the 9 month wait I found the PIP process to be fairly good. I had been on indefinite low care and high mobility since 2000, and was awarded enhanced on both and "ongoing with no requirement for review".

Indeed that is good advice. I got the dreaded brown envelope in 2019 having been on high rate mobility DLA for a long while. If only I'd been in an area dragging its feet in the conversion process! I completed the PIP forms and also requested the additional month to do that. I couldn't face going through with the process though in the end so phoned to say that I'd not be claiming. Motability really is "trouble free motoring" and, as they say, you never realise what you have until it's gone. You go from low cost and people who can't do enough for you to high cost and people who will just do the basics if you're lucky. Enough of my personal gripe though.

PIP is different in that it's more about what you can or can't do rather than condition itself so it's worth getting in that mindset and familiarising yourself with the descriptors you need to score points against. If you can get appropriate historical evidence together then that's a good idea although I did read reports of people who didn't have evidence but met the descriptors so were fine.

I have my original DLA forms and when I compared them to PIP I was surprised how much similarity there was between the two in places. It's just the way that they are looked at now to give a different outcome.

I too can understand the stress part and personally I'd also sit tight, as I did, but with hindsight would have educated myself more during that waiting period.

The Benefits and Work website has helpful guides although you have to, or did, subscribe for the best.

urbansense

I was looking for advice for a change to PIP and the above comments are useful, thanks.