Any benefits advisors about? Need help so confused

[BenefitsTimingHelp]

I posted before re pip review I also have a move to UC to manage which actually needs done before that

I keep trying to get advice and help from places like cab but every advisor I speak to even within the same organisations and even the same office or branch is giving me conflicting advice and I have no idea what to do and time is running out as I have to report changes let dwp know stuff etc within a certain time period

Before boring the whole of mn with too much detail I will just give a brief outline and hopefully someone with suitable knowledge can help

I am on ESA support group at the moment when I started looking into everything for this move to UC I discovered I was eligible for but hadn’t been receiving severe disability premium. So applied for that and I’m now officially got that on record although not actually received a payment yet.

Need to start a claim for UC as just moved house (apparently this is classed as my choice even though it really wasn’t cos of it was due to landlord issues)

I don’t know how claiming UC works and I can’t get anyone to really tell me other than that it’s done online. I want to be prepared properly for making the claim and I don’t know what I will need to hand.

I also (great timing! Not!) have a pip review form to do with deadline fast approaching and I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing with that either never done one before as I was on DLA before.

A couple of people from thread on that were in touch and gave advice but I still feel muddled and confused and out of my depth on that one too. I get enhanced for both at the moment and I’m terrified I’m going to lose what I’m getting as my health situation has changed slightly to what was going on when I first claimed in some ways I’m doing a little better but in others worse.

I have tried looking at guidance online but again different sites seem to give conflicting advice so I don’t know what’s right

Can anyone help? I hope so feel like I am drowning here!

Well I took the plunge and did the online application for UC as time was pressing on and I knew I had a deadline to stay within certain rules which was fast approaching.

Think I’ve done it correctly. Received a text for an appointment this morning though and for in person which is very difficult for me due to the health issues I have. Called the number and spoke to someone about this. They’re saying I need a fit note in order to get a telephone appointment approved? I’ve never had to get one of these and I don’t know how it works?

Can anyone tell me please? Very very nervous about all of this and worried I’m going to get stuck with no income and not able to pay my bills. Stressing loads about it all

Any reassurance, others good experiences would be good to hear please

To get a fit note you'll just need to make an appointment with your GP.

To keep on top of UC and PIP I highly recommend the guides from www.benefitsandwork.com. It's £20 a year but worth it.

Thank you for your reply.

Do Drs charge for fit notes? That’s something else I have been worrying about.

I’ll take a loon at that site thank you I think you may be right their annual fee may be worth getting the support and reassurance.

A fit notes free, you can ask for it to be backdated too which can be useful. Most doctors complete them digitally now and send you a link to the fit note so you can download and print it. I've been through the transitions from ESA to UC and DLA to PIP. If you have any questions feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to help.

Thank you so much for that reply I feel way out of my depth!

Managed to get appointment sorted I hope

Still have pip review to sort out tried joining the benefits and work site but I can’t use their payment options

Am I still ok to pm you? I didn’t before as I was hoping I’d be able to sort things myself but I am still struggling!

A 'fit' note is what used to be called a 'sick note' if that helps you.
They renamed it so it could be adapted to say fit/unfit or fit for this but not fit that.

I appreciate the reply I don’t think I’m being asked for one at this point now. The appointment thing seems to be sorted out.

It’s more the pip review thing now

Your ESA support group status should be honoured without the need for assessment, so you will get the LCWRA element from the off. You won't need to provide fit notes for this or to be given a telephone interview (you say you have the interview sorted now anyway).

If you were in receipt of the SDP when you applied for UC you will get the transitional protection element; this will be £120 a month for you.

I'm not sure what you mean by this: Need to start a claim for UC as just moved house (apparently this is classed as my choice even though it really wasn’t cos of it was due to landlord issues). The move being your choice wouldn't have prompted a change from HB to UC, only a move to another local authority area. But if you haven't moved area and so have been misinformed about this, it is probably too late to go back now you've started the UC claim. So hopefully this isn't the case (but not to worry if it is).

Treat the PIP review as if it were a new claim, giving a full picture of how things are for you on most days. Give examples of what happens when you attempt the activities, showing that you can't reliably do them unaided/unsupervised/unprompted. Do not just write "no change" and nothing further for any of them, even if this is the case. I don't know how good the Benefits and Work guides are because I've never joined, but I read the forum and the advice you get there is no better (in fact, it seems a lot more limited) than on other forums. Scope have a PIP forum and MSE have a benefits forum and a general disability one and the people who post on those seem to know more. Again, I've never joined them, just read other people's threads, and they've helped me a lot. PIP info is a good site for information about the benefit, though not personal advice.

If both parents stop work and claim uc as both are carers will they make us go in person or would that qualify for a phone appt

As above you should not need to hand in fit notes to UC, you just need to make sure that UC know you have an ESA award and are in the support group. Under Uc regulation transitional regulation 19, you should be awarded the LCWRA element of Uc due to being in the support group of ESA.
If any part of your ESA award is contributions based ESA, then this will continue to be paid separately to Uc but then deducted pound for pound from your monthly Uc award.

So on your first UC statement which will be issued any time after the last day of your assessment period, you need to check that the following elements are listed . Standard single element, LCWRA element ( it will say something like ' extra money because you are unable to work ' ), rent element ( the amount is based on the local housing allowance for your area for the number of bedrooms you are entitled to claim for) and sdp amount- I'm not sure whether this is listed as a seperate element or added to one of the other elements.

@ZebraInaTeapot

If both parents stop work and claim uc as both are carers will they make us go in person or would that qualify for a phone appt

Some people are able to verify ID online and do not need to go to the job centre.

Oh is it just in person to verify ID? Hopefully that won’t be an issue then if can do it online

I thought it was to do the actual
Claim was panicking a bit

@flourella thank you. Yes I have the support group thing acknowledged I think should I check this at ID appointment ?

I have sdp I know that much.

Yes it was a move to a different local authority as there was nowhere suitable available in the old one.

You say treat the pip review like a new claim - that is the complete opposite to the advice I have been given which I was worried was not correct anyway.

“No change” is exactly what I have been advised to do for most sections

I went through the cab guidance for the questions but that does base it on a new claim not a review which I have not been able to find any guidance on online

@babyroobs thank you too for your replies no part of esa is contribution based it’s all income based as far as I know

I'm not a benefits advisor, only a claimant, and I'm not on UC yet, but if I were you I'd tell them that I had LCWRA at every opportunity until I'd seen that it is in payment. I've definitely read threads during my many hours(!) on internet forums where people are asking what to do because their LCWRA hasn't been added, so there can be delays in admin that you may as well try to head off. Telling them again is not going to hurt, anyway.

Regarding PIP reviews, all online advice I've seen says to answer the questions as if it's a new claim. I had a review about 18 months ago and to be honest just saying no change wouldn't have felt right to me anyway (and not to you either, it seems?). I know that filling in the form can be an arduous task, but it seems to me that you have a chance to describe how things are for you now and you should take it if possible. Again, it's not going to hurt (your case at least; as I say, I know the process of getting it done can be a struggle)

Hi OP, I posted on your previous thread and have only just seen this one - I'm glad to see you've had lots of helpful advice.

I agree that you should fill out the PIP review form as if it's a new claim, don't assume that they will have or consider any information you've given them before - give them all the relevant information this time around. Include recent medical evidence too. You can ask the receptionist at your GP surgery to print out a "Patient Summary Record" which is free (ask for two copies so you can keep one!). Also try and get other medical evidence if you can.

There are quite a few free resources out there with detailed advice about how to complete a PIP form so maybe try those first before paying for the Benefits and work one (which I'm sure is good too). I like the Hertfordshire council guides which are very comprehensive - depends if you find it reassuring or overwhelming to have lots of information. Anyway there is an overview on this page with links to the more detailed guides as well: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/money/personal-independence-payments-pip.aspx

Good luck with it! (And well done for biting the bullet and claiming UC!)

I’m a CAB adviser and also claim disability benefits myself. I always do a PIP review form as though it’s a new claim. I work on the view of making it as easy as possible for the DWP to make an award. So giving them info rather than relying on them to go look on previous forms etc.

I am so confused.

The 2 advisors I spoke with today one of which was also cab were adamant to put “no change” in most sections.

It doesn’t feel right but they were saying it’s because things haven’t really changed for me on a daily basis - which they haven’t. Most days I’m the same as before but it feels weird and potentially could cause me problems to not say so on the forms but I really struggle with being too honest and giving too much information on these things it’s messed me up before so I am not wanting to put myself in that position again. The issues were resolved but it took ages

The dwp themselves not giving clear guidance on how to complete the forms is absolutely infuriating. I think it doesn’t stop the fraudulent claimants anyway - cos they know what to say! And just makes it much harder than it needs to be for genuine claimants!

Thanks to everyone for replying I just wish there was a clear quote ‘this is what info we are looking for’ it’s all so bloody vague!!

It’s so majorly stressful!

Last time you did the PIP form, was it a new claim? Was it successful straight away or did you have to request a Mandatory Reconsideration (and if that was unsuccessful then go to appeal)? Did anyone help you with the forms? If you have a copy of the paperwork, you can refer to that when doing your review form, and if you don't have a copy but got help with it, the organisation that helped you might still have the paperwork in their records. It could be worth asking them.

Is anyone who can actually help you with the form this time around?

I take it you've seen this, OP?
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/pip-changes-and-reviews/help-with-your-pip-review-form/
It says that if nothing has changed you should say this but should also give information about how things are.

"You should explain in detail what has stayed the same and how you’re finding each task. You should also include an up to date review of your treatment, therapy and medication."
www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/pip-mental-health-guide/help-with-your-pip-claim/pip-review-process/

Last time was moving from DLA to pip - not at my request

Claim was successful no MR or anything needed

I had some help with the forms but mostly did it myself and wrote a LOT

I've got a copy not of the final draft the one before that one (no idea why I don't have the final draft I should! But I can't find it)

The person helping this time started helping me last time but was then taken seriously ill and went into hospital and someone else had to take over, that person is no longer with the organisation unfortunately she was great!

I've not seen that link I don't think I'll have a look now

And that was with specifically searching "pip review" on cab why didn't it come up in search?

No idea I find it very annoying what does and doesn't come up on internet searches

Thanks I'll take a look at links now

"And that was with specifically searching "pip review" on cab why didn't it come up in search?"
Because our search function is crap, sorry!