PIP

[newaccountwhodis]

Hi. New to the forum and PIP and am hoping some of the forum members can help me understand the claim process a little better, I applied for PIP in early December 2022. DWP told me that Capita had received my forms on December 9th. But i have not had a phone assessment scheduled yet. So i called Capita just to make sure everything was fine with my claim. They told me this morning that my claim "is in initial review" and that they "are requesting info from my medical contacts so they can do a Paper assessment". Is this a good/bad sign that my claim will be successful?

There's a problem for people who are uprated, though, who aren't being fully backdated.

This is from the Benefits and Work website (which I find very good):
........................................................................................................................................
"PIP REVIEW DELAY CLAIMANTS MISSING OUT ON £24 MILLION A MONTH
Disabled claimants are missing out on £24 million a month because of delays to PIP reviews, a Citizen’s Advice report published last month has claimed.
A shortage of staff, particularly health assessors, initially led to delays of six months in assessing new PIP claims.
However, the backlog of new claims has now been reduced, but only by failing to process reviews in a reasonable time.
This means that claimants are having to wait many months for a higher payment, because their request for a review due to a change of circumstances is yet to be looked at.
Claimants who are waiting for a planned review whose needs have increased are facing a lottery in decision making, Citizens Advice claim. Sometimes the DWP backdate any higher award to the date on which the review form was returned, but in other cases it is only backdated to the date of the decision." (My emphasis.)

Does anyone know if you get standard but go to MR because think it should be higher do you get paid for standard whilst waiting

Yes.
If your award is increased, it will be backdated to the date of your claim.

Hi @TheShellBeach
So if I have been awarded standard daily but no mobility, mobility I agree with but daily should be higher, its a new claim, is there any way I can appeal or will the standard paymenrs stop.

Thanks

I think you still get your payments whilst doing the appeal. I'm waiting for my pip tribunal and got my esa tribunal tomorrow 🙈sooo anxious 😟

@Elisha12345 good luck tomorrow. What's the difference between tribunal and mandatory consideration

Thank you 🤞 the mandatory reconsideration is the thing u do before appealing basically asking them to change their decision before tribunal sometimes they do but alot of the times they don't. Tribunal is where u have to go infront of the judge and u get your chance to tell them how your conditions effect you ect. You can do a paper base hearing but to my understanding the chances of winning by that is less u have a better chance going face to face 🤞 I've just read so many horror stories about how horrible tribunal is so in a right state but just trying to stay positive

is there a number you can call to find out when payments will be

@JimnJoyce I've just had a call to say I've been awarded. I wasn't expecting it so didn't ask any questions. Wish I'd asked what I'd been awarded. How long after did you receive payment and was it backdated.

I got text confirmation I had been awarded on Monday morning - backdated payment hit my account today 🤗

Award text 4th Sept, backpay 7th Sept.
I went for a MR as much of the report was inaccurate (eg got no points for following journeys because I have degrees from 17 years before I became ill ).
Got enough points for a blue badge, which took 2 days from filling in the form online to them posting out the badge.

DH has been awarded lower for both parts - really chuffed with that. This is my timeline (I know everyone loves a timeline)...

Initial phone call 8.6.23
Form posted to pip 6.7.23
Phone appointment 1.9.23
Text saying he has been awarded 13.9.23
Backpay received 16.9.23

He hasn't had his award letter yet, but the figures all work out to lower for both parts. He has a physical disability and we did send lots of evidence, ie hospital letters. The one thing I was worried about was that he naturally downplays his abilities. So when they asked if he can walk to a local shops, he would say yes. I had to chip in that he can't do it consistently, reliably or in a timely way - I practically have to drag him!

I have had a text this morning to say I have been awarded PIP. I do not know what levels yet. My telephone assessment was 8th September. There is no payment in my bank account either.

I chased pip again today as its been 6 weeks since my assessment and still no closer to a decision. I asked for the report and was told I couldn't have it - but the gentleman said "I don't understand why as its info we hold on you". I threw back some garbage that citizens advice said I could have the report and low and behold he backed down and it's apparently being posted today. We'll see if it ever appears on the doormat. They have apparently received the same report 4 times from Capita but still no decision has been made - it is with a case manager although I don't believe a single word the dwp say anymore! Atleast I got lucky and only had to hold for 33 minutes- a world record!!!

i asked for my report on wednesday and on the mat friday super quick

that was the report from the assessor and he has said 12 points and to run 5yrs for both was a change of circumstances and paper based but cant help feeling that it will get downgraded by the decision maker

good luck with the report x

Hi, how soon after the assessment can we request the report please and who fo we ask? I have my telephone call today and am really nervous.

You can request the report as soon as you get the text that DWP have it, usually a day or two after the assessment. They take a good week to post it though.

Thank you

Why did you all request your report? Was it because you didn't get what you were hoping for? Or felt that it was unfair or misleading?

Mine was stressful because it was new to me but my assessor (on phone) was lovely. I was awarded high rate for both straight off (my medical evidence was pretty obvious) but I'm wondering if I should request my report for future reference. I sometimes wonder if my good experience has given me a positive bias and I will get a shock if my renewal assessor is awful.

I keep seeing stories in the news recently about PIP and I'm worried that this benefit will be targeted 😕 It makes a big difference to me - progressive, incurable, neurological condition. It basically pays for a cleaner once a week and physiotherapy. That's it.It's not riches. I'm basically trying to stay out of a wheelchair as long as possible having been in one at different points. It feels like the public don't see the reality of why people need PIP. I have to get a renewed driving license every 3 years now. At some point it will fund a mobility scooter.

All of this helps me continue working so it actually helps keep me living independently, parenting, paying taxes. It's a no brainer.

I requested my report because my working memory is terrible and I actually can't remember what I said very well and wanted something to base from when I need to review in a few years.
I also recorded the call on DH's phone for reference.
Good job I had the report because a lot of what I said was total bollocks by the end as my fatigue kicked in.
There were a few inaccuracies which I had time to read through slowly and make notes on, so when I did a Mandatory Reconsideration I could state my reasoning clearly without getting confused again.
Cognitive problems make accessing PIP tricky. If you don't say what problems you have, they assume you have no problems, but if you can state your problems they assume you are lying about them. There's no allowance for preparation, notes and resting before assessment making the claimant more coherent than they would be on the majority of days.
My assessor framed cognitive difficulties as learning difficulties then said I can't have them as I completed schooling and have qualifications.
My degree is not much help when I forget I've left the taps on, or have to check which day of the week it is, or forget to eat.

Gosh, that was awful. I was on the phone for one hour 20 mins. I don't go out much because of the pain but felt like he told me off because I couldn't give real life out of the home examples. I thought I'd prepared myself but clearly not.

I requested the report as I felt the assessor didn't really listen to what I was saying during the assessment. She didn't really seem all that interested in the answers I was giving her. I'm also quite a negative thinker and I'm not 100% sure I'm going to get what I deserve for my renewal due to considerable change in circumstances - that being said I wanted to ensure that I had the report and could prepare for a MR if needed so that things weren't so rushed etc :)

FFS where has the edit function gone?!

I wrote my PIP was riches when it's obviously meant to say It's not riches 🤦‍♀️

That's so weird. The edit option is available on last post but not the one earlier.

I think you can only edit for a certain period of time after posting.