PIP called relative about back payment, is it legit?

[willywonkadme]

My relative receives PIP for both MH and physical disabilities.

She used to get high rate care and low mobility DLA, but when she transferred to PIP she got standard care (daily living?) and low (or no - she can't remember), mobility, so it was quite a lot less than DLA, but despite another relative offering to help her ask for a MR, she was scared to do anything in case it adversely affected her.

She had a review a few years ago and was awarded enhanced rate for both elements.

She had a review again last year and received the notice that she was again awarded the enhanced rate for both.

She received a call from them today, to say that they'd gone through some claims and she should have been given something different and they were going to pay her 3 years back pay.

She called her husband and he called me to go and see her, but she really can't say what the payment is for. She said it was something to do with b and c?

She's really worried as she said that as she's been receiving the enhanced rate for over three years, then she can't be owed money and she's going to be in trouble, and wanted me to ring them and cancel it.

She's being sent a letter apparently, so I've said that she should wait for that and see what it says, as I wonder if it's to do with her being paid the standard instead of enhanced.

Does anyone have any ideas? She's pretty paranoid about it right now and thinks that it was either a scammer or a trick, or she will get in trouble for taking money she shouldn't have, I've been trying to reassure her, so any ideas would be gratefully received.

You can always get on the blower to Universal Credit on Monday and check if it was a real call instead of waiting for a letter, although by then you may have heard from them. I would like to believe that they would step up to pay anything that should have been given previous.

Why doesn't she just phone the PIP enquiry line?

She's far too scared to talk to them, it freaked her out when they called.

Looking online I have found some others who had the same thing (didn't see it originally as it came up with back payments related to being awarded it, but when I put the text message she also received I found a few hits).

I will ring for her next week if she hasn't had a letter

As I said before (but omitted in the OP), she also received a text from DWP saying they were going to ring her about an underpayment, but she doesn't look at texts.

There was a recent high court case that ruled many on PIP had been wrongly denied enhanced mobility for psychological distress. DWP has had to go back and give back pay to anyone who was affected. It affected tens of thousands of claimants so has been taking a long time to do.

This could relate to the years she was on standard mobility when she first went from DLA to PIP.

I would wait for the letter, but this is probably it. The back pay would be the difference between what she was paid- standard mobility and what she should have been paid - enhanced mobility.

It wasn't UC, it was PIP but maybe same number? I will have to find her letters, or ask if her DH knows where they are, as if left to her they'd be lost.

We had a similar call, albeit for a new claim that was being backdated 6 months. The letter arrived the next day. I'd hang on and see what comes tomorrow / Monday.

Thank you, that's what I'd wondered, hopefully she'll get the letter soon. She doesn't appear to remember what was said, apart from she was a b and should have been a c and something to do with social something (she was very vague about what was said and didn't understand it at all).

DWP won’t talk to you about her PIP unless you are her designated representative.

You could ask Citizens Advice?

Ah! That helps a lot!. It is another case where people were wrongly given zero pts in regards to social support. In her case, the pts may have been difference between standard daily living and enhanced daily living. So the back pay will be the difference for however many years they gave her the lower rate.

https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/dwp-backdated-pip-payment-line-how-to-claim/

It could be related to something called the MM Judgement or the Leap Judgement. The direct number to phone is 0800 121 6579. They answer the call much quicker on this number and are very helpful. If your relative does not want to speak to them then you can make the call with your relative sat next to you and she will just have to speak to them to give authorisation for you to speak on her behalf. This number is only for queries relating to the judgement but they'll soon tell you if there is genuinely money owing to her.

My dd had this recently. We had a few phone calls from someone from a department, I can't remember which, I just know when I tried to phone back no one has any idea what I was talking about. Anyway, I managed to take the call when they phoned again and he was just clarifying a few things, namely that she has JIA, and said due to this she should have been getting enhanced rates for both so she would get the amount due in her account in a few days. She got enough to buy her super lightweight wheelchair!

@longtompot So glad your daughter got what she's entitled to. It's a separate department to the usual PIP one, it's been set up especially to deal with these claims relating to the court judgement. The ordinary PIP customer services department are not dealing with it.