Moving from DLA to PIP…Issues ?!!

Dunn2621
Dunn2621 Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
in PIP, DLA, ADP and AA
Hi all I’m looking for some guidance please.
My wife was on DLA and received a letter telling her that her DLA was ending and to apply for PIP if she wanted to by a certain date(February)
She rang up and got the forms sent and at the same time informed them she had a change of circumstances (illness got worse)They told her that her DLA would stop and the PIP if decided in her favour would be backdated to February.
She filled in the forms by February and they took until September to come to a decision which awarded her an upgraded PIP allowance due to her increased issues with her health.
The odd thing was her DLA wasn’t stopped in the meantime despite them telling her this would happen.
When her PIP started in September her DLA ended but there was no backdated difference of her increased payment from when the PIP claim was originally started back in February.

Should she be getting the backdated difference of payment from February as PIP have told her this is not the case.

Thanks for your help in advance !!

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    I’m afraid the person from the call centre was incorrect. DLA doesn’t stop when you ring to start a PIP claim, it continues until a decision is made on the PIP.

    When transferring from DLA to PIP the PIP starts about 7 weeks after the decision was made. 

    There’s no money owed if the PIP award is higher than the DLA. It’s been this way since 2013 when PIP was introduced. 
  • Dunn2621
    Dunn2621 Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    Hi and thank you for your speedy reply to my question.
    It’s typical she was incorrectly advised,I wonder how many other people have been advised like my wife ?!!
    It sounds so unfair as by agreeing you have had a change of circumstance months before they confirm their decision you don’t receive the correct benefit entitlement from that date !
    at least I now know for sure.

    Many thanks.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    No problem. The issue is that when ringing any DWP department, you're speaking to someone from a call centre, who very often have very little knowledge. They sit there reading from a screen and often tell you what you want to hear. Even telling you that the DLA would stop was wrong.

    Even though she had a change of circumstances, it makes no difference because there's never any money owed when transferring from DLA and this applies to everyone.

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