PIP application

[radmum81]

Hi, DD turned 16 really and needed to transfer from dla to pip. We did the initial phonecall and was told the process shpuld take around 8 weeks start to finish! I sent the form off 7 weeks ago and have heard nothing except acknowledgement it had been received.

I'm just wondering are we likely to get called for a face to face consultation within the 8 weeks? Or after 8 weeks?

There may or may not be a face to face assessment. Not everyone has an F2F assessment. Some have a virtual assessment, some via telephone, and some a paper-based assessment.

You are unlikely to have a decision within 8 weeks. For those who have an F2F, virtual or telephone assessment, lots don’t even hear about an assessment within 8 weeks.

Hi, we completed and sent back the PIP form at the end of August, due to grandchild reaching the age of 16.

Still receiving DLA until PIP claim decision.

Prior to this daughter became an appointee for child so everything was in place so she could complete the form and manage benefits.

Daughter had an appointment from the assessment centre for a telephone call yesterday.

There was a delay because the needed to ID child, so they requested further information. This wasn't required in the end as child was transferring from DLA.

I would give PIP a call just to check they have everything they need and could they give you an indication on how much longer it will be.

Sorry to hijack. I was going to start a thread about this but thought it might be useful to join this one as we're in the same boat.

I'm waiting to hear about PIP too. My DS has just turned 16. I submitted the form last week and two days later I received a text from the Health Assessment Advisory Service to say they had the form and would be in touch. I was surprised it was so quick but I imagine it's just an acknowledgement.

I am my DS's appointee and I wondered - if they want to do a phone appointment will he have to be there? I'm reading different things online when I try and look it up. He won't speak to them and he's still at school so I don't want him to have a day off, especially in his GCSE year. I'm assuming if he's called in for a face to face then he'll have to attend?

Has anyone had any experience of this? Thanks.

Hi, wow that was very quick response!

As you are the appointee for your son, they will speak to you.

As an appointee you are responsible for his benefit claim. Link below:
https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

The assessment depends on what information they have with the claim and what has been explained/completed on the form.

We only had a telephone call and they aaked some questions about going out etc: They spoke to his mum, as son was at college.

Everyone is different though.

@Toomanyminifigs if DS has a telephone appointment, as appointee, you can speak for him, he doesn’t need to be there. Some assessors will try to tell you otherwise, but you can stand your ground. If DS has an F2F assessment, he will need to attend. At F2F assessments, they will often try to speak directly to DS, but you can answer any questions and again you can stand your ground.

@2x4greenbrick Thank you so much. I was hoping you would see my post! You are so generous with your time.

and thank you @HeartyGuide for sharing your experience.

It's such an anxious time isn't it?

I believe if you have a paper-based assessment, you can still get a call from them to 'clarify' things. If this happens then I've read they don't actually book in an appointment, they can literally call at any time.

@radmum81 I've read it's around 20 weeks for a new claim to be processed but obviously that's an average. As others have said, your DC will still get DLA while the PIP claim is being assessed.

@Toomanyminifigs

Yes, if you have a paper based assessment there is no need for an assessment (f2f or telephone), as they can make a decision based on information provided in the claim form and evidence.

They can ring out of the blue just to clarify something on the claim.

My daughter got a phone call to ask if she would be available for a telephone call at a certain time as she had put on the form she was unavailable during a certain time(due to work).

When they called it was about 30 minutes and they asked questions about one part of the application only, that was it.

We have requested a copy of the report. You can do this 48 hours after the assessment/phone call, as the DWP should have received the report within that time frame.

The report will show what points have been given for each activity and how long the award will be for.

It also means you can check for any inconsistencies if a full assessment has been done or as in our case what was said on the phone is correct.

Plus it gives you time to prepare for an MR if you do not agree with what has been awarded.

Obviously you need to wait for the actual decision from the DWP, before you can ask for an MR.

It is a very anxious time for my daughter as she suffers with anxiety, but I worked in benefits for 20 years plus, so that helps a bit.

@Toomanyminifigs you are welcome. Yes, even if it is a paper-based assessment, you may still get a call asking a question/some questions. It just isn’t a full assessment like with a telephone assessment.

Clearance times for DLA to PIP for rising 16s aren’t always the same as clearance times for new claims.

Be aware HCPs’ reports are a recommendation; they are often followed, but it does not guarantee DWP will follow it exactly. They don’t 100% of the time.

Do clearance times tend to be quicker for rising 16s?

@radmum81 sometimes the average clearance time is slightly quicker for rising 16s transferring from DLA than it is for new claims and sometimes it is a bit longer. The most recent official statistics showed for normal rules claims it was slightly longer for transferring from DLA to PIP than it was for new claims. Based on cases I have done more recently, I would say on average the wait time for both is slightly longer now than when those statistics are based on, but the DLA transfers are coming back slightly quicker. Although that may just be the cases I have supported rather than what is happening on average overall.