PIP Offer prior to Tribunal

Hatti_e

Hello, I have recently appealed my PIP decision and gone down the tribunal route now, however, I have been told that the DWP may contact me and make me an offer?  Does anyone have any experience of this?  Might this happen? TIA

poppy12345

Hatti_e said:

Hello, I have recently appealed my PIP decision and gone down the tribunal route now, however, I have been told that the DWP may contact me and make me an offer?  Does anyone have any experience of this?  Might this happen? TIA

Sometimes they do but not always. You should expect to have to attend your hearing. If they do offer an award, you can accept that and wait for the award to be put into payment. Your appeal will lapse but you can request the Tribunal again if you still think you're entitled to a higher award.

Hatti_e

poppy12345 said:

Sometimes they do but not always. You should expect to have to attend your hearing. If they do offer an award, you can accept that and wait for the award to be put into payment. Your appeal will lapse but you can request the Tribunal again if you still think you're entitled to a higher award.

Oh right, thanks for letting me know, it is all very daunting and time consuming  

Alice_Holt

Yes the DWP decision maker preparing the appeal bundle sometimes do make an 'offer'.

It's often when they can see that:
- a tribunal will award PIP, and
- when they are running out of time to prepare the bundle / are busy

Unfortunately the offer was usually lower than the award a tribunal is likely to give.

https://askcpag.org.uk/content/207372/latest-offers-pip-appeals

At one stage they were incorrectly telling claimants that if the offer was accepted there was no further right of appeal, and causing the claimant to feel pressured into accepting a lower offer.  'Offers' seem less common now, after the policy changes noted above.

If it does happen, my general advice would be ask the DWP employee to make the revision they have offered, but then proceed to tribunal if that offer is lower than the award you are seeking. You may wish to get advice:

  https://www.advicenow.org.uk/know-hows/have-you-been-called-dwp-and-made-offer-after-you-had-asked-appeal

Hatti_e

Thank you Alice_Holt.  So any information or submission I gave when I applied for the appeal to tribunal does the DWP see that information also or do they just review what they already hold?

Alice_Holt

Hatti_e said:

Thank you Alice_Holt.  So any information or submission I gave when I applied for the appeal to tribunal does the DWP see that information also or do they just review what they already hold?

         Yes, that information is passed to the DWP by HMCTS.  Equally, you get a copy of any paperwork the DWP submit to HMCTS. All parties to the appeal should receive all the appeal paperwork.