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How many times will DWP call me?

coldupnorth

Applied for PIP before Christmas. Got a call out of the blue last week to answer a few more questions which I did. Then received a text saying it has been sent to a decision maker and to expect a wait of around 3 weeks for a decision... Today I received a missed call, a voicemail and then a text saying they will try again to call me this coming Monday. Now I have the whole weekend to stress and be anxious over what Monday's call will be about. Not what I needed. The voice.sil.said she 2as calling from DWP in regards to my pip claim and that she will call back Monday. I thought after my call last week the next I would hear would be the decision.
What could today's second call have been about?

Thanks

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Comments

coldupnorth

Apologies for typos.

janer1967

The decision maker can sometimes contact you to ask a few questions in order to make the decision

poppy123456

We can only guess what the call was regarding today. Unfortunately you will need to wait for Monday. Try to focus on something else in the meantime, I appreciate that’s difficult though.

coldupnorth

Hi Poppy,

So the lady phoned back on Monday and told me I had received an award (I didn't question which rates etc) and that I would receive a letter confirming dates and rates etc etc.

I've been awarded higher rate daily living and lower rate mobility which I won't be appealing.

I also receive IB ESA due to my condition (old style 2014) and I'm placed in the support group. I read somewhere I may be eligible for an enhanced premium to my ESA now I also receive PIP? Would this also trigger a move to the new style ESA?

Would appreciate any insight!

Thanks

poppy123456

If you're claiming Income Related ESA and you're in the Support Group then your ESA will already include the Enhanced disability Premium.

Do you live alone or with other adults? If you live alone and no one claims either carers allowance or carers element of UC for looking after you then you'll be entitled to the Severe disability Premium (£****.40/week) extra in your ESA.

If you live with other adults they must also be claiming a qualifying disability benefit such as PIP daily living, DLA mid/high rate care or AA or be registered blind.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/severe-disability-premium

It will not prompt a move to UC.

coldupnorth

Thanks for the information. I live with only my elderly father who receives AA (higher rate).

poppy123456

Then you should be entitled to SDP. You will need to ring ESA to claim this and ask to fill out the IS10 form over the phone. It can be paid from the start of your PIP award, providing you were entitled to it at that time.

Does anyone claim either carers allowance or carers element of UC for looking after your dad? If not then depending on his financial circumstances then he maybe entitled to pension credit, if he doesn’t already claim it. This can include the SDP in the calculation. Whether he’s entitled will depend on his circumstances.

coldupnorth

Thank you kindly again for your informative reply. My father receives a state pension and also a private pension so I'm quite sure he wouldn't be eligible for pension credit? He receives AA (higher), Private Pension (not sure on amount) and state pension. There is only me at home and I nor anybody else claims any kind of careers allowance for looking after him.

poppy123456

It will depend on the amounts of both pensions.

coldupnorth

poppy123456 said:

It will depend on the amounts of both pensions.

I will run a calculator over the weekend. Is there any benefits calculator you recommend over another or are they all similar?

poppy123456

I always find this one quite accurate. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=1f4e42d4-b341-43ef-8c12-5a329e4f57de

coldupnorth

I'll report back once I've spoken to ESA next week.

Just to clarify... None of this will trigger a forced move to UC right?

poppy123456

coldupnorth said:

Just to clarify... None of this will trigger a forced move to UC right?

No. No one can be forced to claim UC.

ShirleyW

I have found the Age Concern benefits calculator to be a good one. I always try to use two different calculators to see if they come to the same figure.

https://benefitscheck.ageuk.org.uk/Home/Start/

Because you are now receiving a disability benefit which will qualify you for a Severe Disability Premium then your Father may qualify as well. As Poppy above says it will depend on his total income and savings/capital. The house you live in does not count as capital.

The Income Threshold for Guarantee Pension Credit is £182.60 per week plus the SDP of £****.40 per week. So if your Father's income is less than £252 per week he could qualify. Even a small amount would mean no Council Tax and other benefits such as the Cost of Living Grants, so it's well worth checking.

If your Father has savings/capital of over £10,000 then the Pension Credit is reduced by £1 per week for every £500 or part £500 over the £10,000.

The rates are going up in April so even if he doesn't qualify now he may do when they increase, even thought his State Pension will increase as well.

coldupnorth

I'm about to phone ESA and try to fill an IS10 out over the phone...

Side note... Do I need to tell ESA a out a new bank account I opened? My payment will still go on to the original but I now have a new current account with a different bank which I tend to send my payments over to as the perks are better

Thanks as always!

poppy123456

No, you don’t need to tell them you’ve opened a new bank account. you can have as many bank accounts as you want provided your savings are less than £6,000.

coldupnorth

Thank you again Poppy. Got through after 1 hour or hold and filled the form in and was told it will take about two weeks to process.

L_Volunteer

Good luck @coldupnorth! Glad you managed to get through. How are you feeling about everything at the moment?

Please feel free to let us know how it goes and if we can do anything else to support you. We are all here for you and listening to you. Hopefully, the two weeks will come quickly

coldupnorth

L_Volunteer said:

Good luck @coldupnorth! Glad you managed to get through. How are you feeling about everything at the moment?

Please feel free to let us know how it goes and if we can do anything else to support you. We are all here for you and listening to you. Hopefully, the two weeks will come quickly

Thanks! Not heard anything yet, hopefully this week.

coldupnorth

A little update... I had some SDP backdated (about 10 weeks) from when my PIP claim started and everything should be normal now... ESA SG with SDP because of PIP.... I have a few worries though....

I've spent the best part of the last 10 years of my condition on only ESA from around 2015 onwards, I've been fortunate I've had the support and family around me where I've been able to give about 300 of my monthly 540 ESA to my parents and get by on the remaining 240 for personal things. I don't buy expensive material items or have dependants or a lavish lifestyle. Now I will be receiving more than double what I've adjusted to get by on. I don't have much of a social life because of my conditions so I'm not out spending money each weekend.

I think I once read that 6k is the maximum account I can have to my name? Do I need to phone the DWP once I hit 6k then miss out the rest of my benefits? That 6k is going to happen rather quickly. My living situation right now is not desperate but there will come a time I have to move and live alone and the money would help me much more then in establishing myself living alone. Rent-Bills-Appliances the usual everyday stuff that will cost me considerably more than it does now.

Do the DWP have access to my accounts and will they see me saving and just assume I don't need financial help?

I receive ESA-IR(SG) with the SDP & PIP Enhanced Daily Living and Standard Mobility.