The DWP writing to me again

[JayKew]

Hi All

I get the full monty in Disability allowance

The high end of Mobility and the Living Allowance, it comes to 450 a month and really helps me to get by.

I struggle with emphesyma and in particular energy absorbing tasks like walking lol.

Ive just received a big brown envelope from the DWP about my PIP in their words " Making sure your award is right" or in other words " Can we disqualify you from receiving it "

You have to tick details on how it affects you in one of three boxes "Better, worse or the same"

And then describe how the illness has progressed and affected me, you have all probably filled in similar forms and are conscious that the slightest error or admission on your part soon leads to the absence of the monthly payment winging its way to your bank.

Well everybody knows that this illness has no cure, it is a progressive illness, so why on earth do they ask these follow up questions.

They probably know that I am now 70 and maybe they want to blame my illnesses in most part on my age.

Im thinking of maybe just ticking all the boxes "the same" with the reasoning that as Emphesyma cant get better and as Im already diagnosed by the DWP as qualified for high end support, they cant now take it away from me. Or can they change their minds now after years of getting it?

Answers on the back of a DWP brown envelope please.John

[mrsmummy]

Why not give the BLF helpline a ring and speak to their benefits advisor before you fill it in? 03000 030555 during office hours.

[JayKew in reply to mrsmummy]

TYVM mrsmummy, I will probably contact them early next week after hopefully I have received a few more opinions from here.

[newlands]

I am sure they have made a mistake with the form .ithought if you was over 70 you wouldn’t be asked to fill any. More forms in

Take care

Dorothy xx

[JayKew in reply to newlands]

Cant find any info about 70 being a cut off point for being pestered with forms newlands unfortunately so I will plod on lol

[Ergendl in reply to JayKew]

The cut off point is 65. Have a look at gov.uk/government/uploads/s...

[barbs47 in reply to JayKew]

Hi “if you were on DLA and were 65 or older on 8th April 2013 the change to PIP will not affect you” not sure if that helps at all. I was 65 during 2012. I already had a lifetime award and haven’t had any brown envelopes. Barbs.

[hypercat54 in reply to barbs47]

Yep that's right barbs. I said that earlier but not sure anyone is listening to us x

[barbs47 in reply to hypercat54]

I think your right ! x

[hypercat54 in reply to barbs47]

x

[Lillian12]

Your probably fit to work in their eyes why do they have to incessantly send out these large brown envelopes to ppl that are quite clearly suffering from conditions they probably know nothing about and the stress it clearly puts on some is ridiculous disgusting . Climb down off soap box I hope you get sorted with it all 😊

[JayKew]

God Lillian I wish I was fit for work. Yes maybe these envelope stuffers could be given a list of progressive illnesses which once cleared for benefits would not be contacted again, But where is the fun in that ?

[hypercat54 in reply to JayKew]

It's not the envelope stuffers who make the rules JayKew it's the Government. x

[Lyn1955]

i also thought when you got to 64 you had pip for rest of your life

[JayKew in reply to Lyn1955]

Sadly not true Lynn I wish it was

[Stumpy55 in reply to JayKew]

I tell you what else is rediculous, I've had to renew my bus pass to prove how far I can walk. So I sent them a photo of myself sitting in my wheelchair, showing them I have one leg saying " funny enough, I can't walk at all. Pick the bones out of that. The stupid thing is, I had my last bus pass the previous year and I sent in the form that shows I'm on high rate mobility. Still onwards and upwards I surpose . ✋️😊

[katieoxo60 in reply to Stumpy55]

That's strange, the rail pass is not like that . If you have high rate mobility you get it renewed by just showing the DWP letter with current date on, thought it was the same for bus pass too.? Is there a new comer in the office who does not know the rules I wonder

[Stumpy55 in reply to katieoxo60]

Well what happened was the previous year I received my bus pass which was valid for one year and that expires the end of march this year. I sent in passport photo's, proof of address and proof of benefit. They wrote back asking for proof that I cannot walk very far, proof that I receive high rate dissability or letter from hospital or letter from G.P. So I sent a photo of myself proving that I have one leg and proof that I receive high rate disability. My goodness I can't believe what has to be done to receive a bus pass. 🙄

[Offcut in reply to katieoxo60]

They saw all of that with me and still limited it to 2 years with the a reply when I questioned it of "I did not look ill enough?"

[katieoxo60 in reply to Offcut]

Typical

[Hidden in reply to JayKew]

There's no cut-off age. Also, even if you get an award for, say, 5 years, the DWP can, if it chooses, require that you be re-assessed at any time during that period, so you still can't relax. Basically they seem to make the lives of the chronically sick and disabled as difficult as possible, and I doubt things will improve under the newly-appointed Work & Pensions Secretary.

[hypercat54 in reply to Lyn1955]

If you were 65 in April 2013 then you would stay on DLA and wouldn't be changed to PIP. After that date it's only PIP and you get re-tested for that regularly. x

[Magpuss]

Coincidentally, this afternoon I've had a welfare benefits officer here to help fill in an application for pip, for my son. He has cerebral palsy - (another uncurable condition) and I've been filling in forms for him for forty five years when the attendance allowance was first introduced, but they were never as daunting as they are now. Last summer the DWP did a review of his allowances, we received a 47 page booklet of questions with a request for details of all his allowances, savings and bank details etc, these were to be taken to the job centre to be scanned through to the DWP, 'as they might get lost if posted'. They made an appointment for me at the wrong job centre to start with but fortunately a lady there phoned through to the one I should have been sent to and they were able to fit me in. Hugh sigh of relief from me at that point for no longer having it hanging over me, - four days later a letter arrives asking why I hadn't returned the form (questionnaire) or sent the information requested, also stating that if I didn't comply my sons allowances may be suspended. I phoned to give them the details of the job centre I'd gone to, the name of the lady who had dealt with it all and the time that I'd been there, the person on the phone had only the info on her screen and didn't seem to know how to deal with anything that didn't appear there so she made a note of what I'd told her saying 'we'll just send you another one to fill in then you can make another appointment at the job centre and get everything scanned over to us' . At that point I gave up and enlisted the help of the welfare benefits officer - and evermore shall do so. She was brilliant - told the person she was phoning to 'please take your eyes from the screen and listen to what I'm saying to you, and to what I'm asking you to do' she repeated this request more than once but finally - she had it all sorted out without the need for anymore trips to the job centre. Different benefits officer today but I'm hoping for the same satisfactory result........fingers crossed.

[Stumpy55 in reply to Magpuss]

Hello Magnus, that's disgusting how you've been treated, so unfair, I wish you well and fingers crossed for you. ✋️😊

[Magpuss in reply to Stumpy55]

Thank you Stumpy. It's annoying but I think it's probably a common occurrence. Technology rules, so no one has to take responsibility anymore - unfortunately.

[Stumpy55 in reply to Magpuss]

Your absolutely right ✋️😊

[katieoxo60]

Hi John , beware at your time of life. You do not need the stress of DWP queries. Seek advice before filling in any forms. Disability Benefits for over 65s have not changed to my knowledge however Attendance Allowance is cheaper for the government than DLA or PIP. They have the right to check if you are still as disabled or better at anytime. If you are on the highest rate then you would not be seeking an increase or to reapply. It is complex but do not just ignore the letter or you could be worse off.

[hypercat54 in reply to katieoxo60]

Yes they have Katie quite a bit. If you were 65 before 8th April 2013 then you would stay on DLA and not have to change to PIP.

If under that age then you would either been changed over to PIP or claimed PIP if a new claim and be subject to reviews. x

[katieoxo60 in reply to hypercat54]

But those changes took place quite some time ago in stages, the rule about reveiws of your health have been around for a long time. They have just been made more specific in the case of PIP claims under the new rules. Infact I thought they could reveiw you every two years health wise if receiving PIP. But maybe I am wrong. If they have reason to beleive you are better than you were DLA can be stopped and you can't get it bacK. How can you get better if you have a long term chronic progressive illness was the point being made. Enjoy your day x

[undine]

Be careful. When I first applied for PIPS I was given high living and high mobility. About 18 months later I received a letter as you saying was I worse, the same better etc. Naturally I said the same. They then sent me the longer form to refill out agaIn - which I did. They then promptly lowered my livIng allowance as they said I failed on point as my mind had improved. This was because the initial form had been filled out for me by a friend - mentally I was at that time in a dreadful state - but the second time I filled it our myself - so for them evidence my mind was better - I did not at the time appeal as I thought well yes my mind was better (I had got over my Mum's death a bit better by then and was coming to terms with the reality of my position so mentally was in a better place, but could not face the stress of appealing. Anyway about 2 years later I got another letter was I worse, same, better this time I said worse because physically I was - now paying carers privately 3 times a day - and this time after filling new long form again got back to the higher living level. Am now on palliative care and have the award until 2022 will probably be dead by then but of course they can at any time decide to review me again - an absolute nonsense barring a b***dy miracle this is a degenerative illness and should be accepted as such.