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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

PIP Assessment - ID documents for a 16 year old!

32 replies

cricketballs · 05/08/2015 22:20

DS2 (MLD and ASD) has been in receipt of DLA since he was 6; as he is now 16 he is being moved over to PIP and has his face to face assessment tomorrow.

I have been concerned about this and am concerned about what it will entail, but posters on the SEN board who have experience have slightly eased my fears.

So, appointment tomorrow (at home) and I have to provide 2 forms of ID or they "will be unable to continue with the consultation"; one from category A and one from Category B, if no photographic ID then 2 documents from category B.

Cat A
UK or Foreign passport
Foreign National ID Card
UK Photo Card Driving Licence
Passport
Northern Ireland Electoral Identify Card
Bio metric Residence Permit issued by UKBA
UK Travel Pass with photograph

Cat B
birth certificate, UK and Foreign
Marriage certificate, UK and Foreign
Decree Absolute, UK and Foreign
UK Driving Licence (old style, no photograph)
Naturalisation/UK citizenship certificate
UK Council/Housing Association rent agreement document
UK Council/Housing Association tenancy agreement document
UK Council Tax demand
UK Utility Bill
UK evidence of entitlement to State or local authority benefit

Luckily, my DS has a valid passport and I have his birth certificate, but what if he had no passport?

How many 16 year olds have 2 lots of Cat B documents, what happens to them?

Can the DWP really expect younger claimants to really have these documents? What happens to those who don't - tough luck?

OP posts:
AmIthatsummery · 05/08/2015 22:24

Good point

I've just put in DD's application and am dreading the consultation/interview

Luckily she has a passport from cat A, but we would be struggling in the cat B?

LostMySocks · 05/08/2015 22:28

If you've lost birth certificate you can get a copy. Costs about a tenner

DesertIslander · 05/08/2015 22:31

You could apply for a provisional driving licence at 16?
Is the meeting organised with enough time to get documents together? If the young people are going to be managing their own money it's a good start in taking some responsibility.

Original poster
cricketballs · 05/08/2015 22:31

AmI - I'll report back tomorrow re the consultation - I've been having nightmares that as I have stated he can not prepare meals they will take him into the kitchen and force him to use a sharp knife thus resulting in a sharp dash to A&E which I know is irrational

As I said in my op though - what about younger claimants without a passport; they will not have 2 documents from Cat B!

OP posts:
Original poster
cricketballs · 05/08/2015 22:36

Desert; the letter with the appointment date came through with a weeks notice and you are only allowed to re-arrange it 2 times as I had to re-arrange the original date I was only given a date 6 days further on as their computer system doesn't allow a further date. It also costs money for a provisional licence - what if you don't have that spare cash?

I am officially my DS's appointee as he has not got the capacity to handle his own cash (as the vast majority of MLD/ASD claimants) as will the vast majority of MLD/ASD claimants so how can not having the documents they will not have access to help them take responsibility?

OP posts:
Original poster
cricketballs · 05/08/2015 22:37

apologies for the repeating and lack of grammar!

OP posts:
SargeantAngua · 05/08/2015 22:42

Doesn't evidence of his current DLA count for B?

whois · 05/08/2015 22:43

Surprised not to see bank statement on the cat B list. That's plus a birth certificate is probably acievable for and under 16?

Original poster
cricketballs · 05/08/2015 22:47

His latest DLA letters are just about payments made, not about the award being made and they are addressed to me as he was then U16

I am deliberately being obtuse as there must be hundreds/thousands of families affected by this simple but very restrictive initial step

As I said in my op, my DS is fine as he has a valid passport and we have his birth certificate, we are lucky

OP posts:
starfishmummy · 05/08/2015 22:50

We were told a dwp letter would do. It was academic anyway as he wasnt called for assessment

mom2twoteens · 05/08/2015 22:54

My daughter and I went through a PIP assessment, it was okay really. I was worried as this was all new to me. She cannot be left with sharp knives and even found boiling water (in a kettle or pasta pan) a struggle, she also finds bus travel difficult. I thought the whole thing would be a nightmare, but the assessment was okay.

What I found strange was that when she was asked to leave her college course (she was in hospital after her first suicide attempt) I lost CHB, Tax Credits and her dad didn't have to pay maintenance. (He's a gem!!) Even though I had given up my main job and was paying nearly £20 a week to visit her in hospital.

She was awarded a fortune for a 17 year old. (Amazon sellers have been making lots of money) while I'm struggling as I didn't want to be profiting from her illness. Strange system.

But don't worry about the assessment. One thing I was advised was that they as about good days and bad days. I was told not to talk about good days, but better days. If you see what I mean, she doesn't have good days, just better days.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll be fine.

I just think it's a shame they didn't pay less in support and actually put the money into better mental health services.

Groovee · 05/08/2015 22:56

I've had a pip assement. The? just talked through what I can and cannot do, they examined my mobility and strength.

They won't be forcing him to do anything like using a sharp knife.

benignhaze · 05/08/2015 22:57

DS is 16 and on DLA and we had to show ID when we had his appointee interview at home (we're one of the last PIP transfer areas so not transferred yet). I showed his passport and DLA letter (proof of DWP benefit). He has a free bus pass as well so he could have shown that. I'm surprised bank statements aren't on the list, I thought they were but I don't have my DWP letter to hand.

Any under 16s would still be claiming DLA not PIP which I think doesn't have the ID requirement, so no problems there. I know a lot of people don't have passports or driving licences but it's definitely worth getting them for ID - in this case it would make sense even if it's hard to afford it as the cost of a passport is less than a week's DLA benefit (and a provisional driving licence is even cheaper). Even if DS can't cope with his own finances, he needs to be 'in the system' especially for benefits (he'll probably go on ESA when too old for tax credits), and I've opened several bank accounts for him as I know he'll need them for ID in future.

Original poster
cricketballs · 05/08/2015 23:01

do any of the support agencies/charities give that advice benign as that would be very useful for others to know?

OP posts:
benignhaze · 05/08/2015 23:03

mom2twoteens has your DD applied for ESA? If you can no longer get child benefit/tax credits for her, she can apply for ESA in her own right when she is 16, and she can get it on top of PIP. She'd have to go through a different assessment though, which can be stressful, but it sounds like she has high needs.

Agree it seems like a huge amount of money when you count the DLA, extra tax credits premiums and carers allowance if you get it, but it's not really a lot when you consider the drop in income we have to put up with in order to care for our disabled dc, and the cost of having to meet their extra needs. I'm quite lucky in that DS is quite immature for his age and is happy to let me look after most of his benefits to pay towards practical items, and just get a bit of pocket money from it.

cheapskatemum · 05/08/2015 23:03

DS2 gets PIP - thankfully he didn't have to have the face to face assessment. He's non-verbal, so it would have been a waste of time. Grin at applying for a provisional driving licence for him! He has absolutely no road sense while walking Shock at the thought of him in a motorised vehicle!

benignhaze · 05/08/2015 23:05

cricketballs Contact a Family has a great helpline/website for benefits etc (and they've been campaigning a lot about DLA being withdrawn when a child goes into hospital so they really support the cause). Also I've used the NAS which is helpful for dcs with autism.

Samcro · 05/08/2015 23:06

out of interest would a citizenshipcard count as ID?

MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday · 05/08/2015 23:08

We got DS2 (18) a provisional license... he won't ever drive (ASD/MLD) purely to use as ID for things like this. We awaiting the switch to PIP here too... sigh

I need to renew his passport for ID too, but it's so expensive to do when we can't afford to go on holiday!

Original poster
cricketballs · 05/08/2015 23:08

that's good to know Benign - is it published to families that are in need?

OP posts:
mom2twoteens · 05/08/2015 23:09

Benign, SHE gets ESA and PIP. NOT me. I'm still skint and she's got more money than she needs. In fact she gets nearly as much as I earn, but I'm paying all the bills. She pays me 'rent' but it's not much. I don't want to ask her to give me more as I feel I would be benefiting from her illness.

It seems bizarre to give so much money to a young person with a mental illness.

herethereandeverywhere · 05/08/2015 23:28

but mom2 isn't the idea that her benefits buy her support - so help with day to day living - if you are assisting that day to day living should you not be being remunerated for it? That is not benefitting any more than a parent takes 'keep' from grown up kids living at home.

benignhaze · 05/08/2015 23:30

Yes, I understand that the ESA and PIP is in her name mom2twoteens. My DS will be in that position himself when we can't get CTC for him. But if he is still living at home then (which I expect he will be, I can't see him independent enough to move out until he is 30+) then I'd expect him to be paying a decent amount of rent/board out of those benefits. I wouldn't see it as benefiting from his illness as he'd effectively be an adult in the eyes of the DWP so he needs to be taking adult responsibilities, at least financially. ESA is designed for living costs and if she was living alone/in a flat share she'd have to be paying rent top ups, gas bills, food etc just out of that.

mom2twoteens · 05/08/2015 23:38

If she was earning, I would have no qualms about setting a rent. I just can't get my head round taking her benefits that she gets because she's ill.

But I really came on here for CBalls. - Don't worry abut the PIP assessment. It'll be okay.

Let us know how it goes.

x

Original poster
cricketballs · 06/08/2015 00:03

Thanks mom - I will update after the assessment!

OP posts:
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