PIP Problem
sassita
Posts: 7 Forumite
I received a letter today saying that my PIP2 form was late and had been disallowed. Knowing that I had an extension for the date due to 3/11 I had made sure I posted it 5 days before then. Unable to afford special or recorded delivery, i did get proof of posting.
I phoned in, and was told that the "return to us by" date, was not a date for receipt of the form, but rather a date by which it had to be opened and scanned onto the PIP system. To quote the man I spoke to "It may well have arrived by that date, but probably sat in a sack full of others for a while waiting to be opened". It was scanned in on 13/11.
Can I really be penalised for failures in their own processing system? I still have the proof of posting and have asked for a mandatory reconsideration of this decision, but am told that could take 10 weeks!
As this 10 weeks is only to reconsider whether or not to actually read the form, there is another up to 8 weeks following for an assessment to be deemed necessary/not and arranged, followed by another 6 weeks to get the decision..... my reclaim (My 3 year award ends in dec) may well take another 6 months to be decided, during which time i will receive nothing.
I pointed out on the phone that "Return by" does not suggest "return with enough time to let it sit around in a sack until we get to it". Given that the form was received 10 days after the date that was printed on it, I had in theory 18 days to get it back, take off the 10 days that it "may well have to wait to be scanned" that gives that short window of only 8 days for people to get the form done with whatever help and collecting as much evidence as needed.
The system seems designed to cause maximum distress and difficulty for anyone who dares to have a health condition.
Any advice appreciated
I phoned in, and was told that the "return to us by" date, was not a date for receipt of the form, but rather a date by which it had to be opened and scanned onto the PIP system. To quote the man I spoke to "It may well have arrived by that date, but probably sat in a sack full of others for a while waiting to be opened". It was scanned in on 13/11.
Can I really be penalised for failures in their own processing system? I still have the proof of posting and have asked for a mandatory reconsideration of this decision, but am told that could take 10 weeks!
As this 10 weeks is only to reconsider whether or not to actually read the form, there is another up to 8 weeks following for an assessment to be deemed necessary/not and arranged, followed by another 6 weeks to get the decision..... my reclaim (My 3 year award ends in dec) may well take another 6 months to be decided, during which time i will receive nothing.
I pointed out on the phone that "Return by" does not suggest "return with enough time to let it sit around in a sack until we get to it". Given that the form was received 10 days after the date that was printed on it, I had in theory 18 days to get it back, take off the 10 days that it "may well have to wait to be scanned" that gives that short window of only 8 days for people to get the form done with whatever help and collecting as much evidence as needed.
The system seems designed to cause maximum distress and difficulty for anyone who dares to have a health condition.
Any advice appreciated
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Comments
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What you were told that it's not classed as arriving until it's been scanned onto the computer is correct and that's always been the same. Post can take a while to go through the mail sorting process for DWP, however there is huge backlogs of mail and it's been like this for some weeks.
Even without the backlogs of post, 5 days really isn't enough for them to receive it, especially as 2 of those days would have been the weekend.
As your award was due to end in December it's very unlikely that you would have received a decision by then, even if the form had been received on time.
Other than requesting the MR for that late form arrival i'm unsure what else you can do, other than send the proof of posting if you haven't already done that.
I'm sure others will comment when they see this.0 -
I pointed out on the phone that "Return by" does not suggest "return with enough time to let it sit around in a sack until we get to it". Given that the form was received 10 days after the date that was printed on it, I had in theory 18 days to get it back, take off the 10 days that it "may well have to wait to be scanned" that gives that short window of only 8 days for people to get the form done with whatever help and collecting as much evidence as needed.
The system seems designed to cause maximum distress and difficulty for anyone who dares to have a health condition.
This confuses me too.
We've had other posters here worry that their form hasn't been received by the date, phone up and be told not to worry they've probably got it in the post and just haven't scanned it in, and then get the text message to say it's on their system no problem however many days later because of the delay. I can hardly believe that they know about the routine delay - to the point of automatically giving extensions, in some cases after the form has been posted - yet still choose to penalise you :huh::huh::huh: What a ludicrous system.
I have no advice or personal experience to offer, only basing what I've written on experiences I've read, but offering sympathy because it is completely unacceptable; and also curious to know whether there's anything you can do and how it turns out.0 -
Thanks for taking time to reply. I had no idea about the scanning-in time issue. Could I ask how you found that out? It was not clear in any of the paperwork and isn't mentioned in the PIP section of .gov.uk.
I'm not trying to be awkward..... just to understand where that information is and retrace my own steps to see how I missed it.0 -
Could I ask how you found that out? It was not clear in any of the paperwork and isn't mentioned in the PIP section of .gov.uk.
I'm not trying to be awkward..... just to understand where that information is and retrace my own steps to see how I missed it.
As spoonie turtle says, it’s from other posts on this forum. You haven’t missed anything, there is nothing official about the problem you are experiencing.Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.0 -
An extension was already given to the OP but the form still wasn't received by that date.Spoonie_Turtle wrote: »I can hardly believe that they know about the routine delay - to the point of automatically giving extensions,0 -
according to the guy on the phone, they don't know what day it arrived, just that it hadn't been put on till 13th. It's conceivable that it arrived on time and he confirmed that it was possible it had been there for a number of days before scanning.
I explained when I asked for the extension that I was unable to get help with filling in the form until 28/10, and was told it shouldnt' be a problem. I guess I don't know the "rules" well enough.
I have applied before, and never had this problem, albeit 3 years ago now, and I'm sure I gave the same amount of time for the posting. Confusing stuff.0 -
Your problem is nothing to do with rules - it is DWP incompetence managing their post internally. I have little doubt that a tribunal would find in your favour.. I guess I don't know the "rules" well enough. .
If you cannot get the DWP to shift it may be quicker to simply ring to make a new claim. If you have kept a copy of the completed form you have done all the work necessary to make a quick return on a new claim.Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.0 -
poppy12345 wrote: »An extension was already given to the OP but the form still wasn't received by that date.
Oops, missed that bit in the OP - but the whole point of extensions in the first place is to give time to fill in the form properly, not to give the envelope time to languish in the DWP's post room.Your problem is nothing to do with rules - it is DWP incompetence managing their post internally. I have little doubt that a tribunal would find in your favour.
If you cannot get the DWP to shift it may be quicker to simply ring to make a new claim. If you have kept a copy of the completed form you have done all the work necessary to make a quick return on a new claim.
Glad someone else thinks so, I thought I was going barmy for a bit there.0 -
Definitely MR it (enclosing a copy of proof of posting).
Calcotti's suggestion to reapply is sensible, as if it does go to tribunal you will have a long waiting period.
Also get your MP involved if the DWP haven't changed this ludicrous decision by 13th December.Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.0 -
This is all very worrying! How do the DWP get away with screwing people over on both sides of processing these forms?
I have to help a friend finish his pip renewal form this Saturday.
The form was printed on Nov 1th, not received until Nov 8th (so not posted anywhere near the date it was printed). The 8th was a Friday and the post didn't arrive until late afternoon.
He then had to make an appointment to see his GP (to get some info) on the Monday (11th) and that isn't until tomorrow (the 22nd). So the soonest the form is going to be going into the post back to the DWP will be next Monday (25th) and it has to be back by the 30th...
I doubt the GP will do a letter the same day, but some time the next week. So there looks no way to get it back if the DWP need a week to process it once they've had it through the pos, even though I was planning to post it 1st class, next day, sighed for...0
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