PIP Needs Have Changed But Haven't Informed Them Anything

Chris777

Hi, I have been recieving pip since 2013 and last March received an award letter saying they have done a review and automatically will be awarded pip until 2026. 

the a  few weeks back I received a text message from the DWP thanking me for informing them that my needs have changed regarding my PIP. I phoned them up saying I did not inform them on about anytyand my award was done last year until 2026. The guy on the phone asked if I phoned the previous day and I said no. He then put me on hold and came back and said it just a review and they randomly pick people and I will need to fill in the pip assessment form when I receive it.

This didn't sit right with me because i found it strange that he said I phoned the previous day. So fast forward till yesterday and I received the Award Review forms to fill in and it stated.

"We are reviewing your PIP because you told us that your needs have changed. It is important that you tell us about the changes in the attached Award Review form"

I then phoned again asking what information I have said has changed. I also told them that I'm having ongoing problems with a person who is ringing pizzas to my house, signing me up to company's etc and has previously reported me to the DWP and I had an investigation into my claim etc. They person on the phone said it did seem strange that I have received this and wanted to pass it on to her manager. 5 minutes on hold and she came back and said that it's a new government thing and that's why I need to re apply for pip. Basically was fobbed off and told nobody phoned them the day before but still couldn't tell me what "My Needs Have Changed" was.

Has anyone else had this before. It's looking like to me that that "person" who I'm having problems with somehow has reported a change of circumstances pretending to be me. But the DWP have sort of brushed it under the carpet because of possible privacy breach.

chiarieds

I don't think this has come up on the community before. It's difficult when you ring about PIP as you're just put through to call handlers, who sometimes try to incorrectly advise. It's disconcerting that a manager (but was it a case manager/decision maker?) came back with such a disconcerting reply.

Whilst you can be reassessed for PIP at any time, as you appreciate, reporting a 'Change of circumstances' is something completely different. As far as I'm aware this is not a new Government 'thing...' neither one thing or the other.

I'm sort of the mind that it's your privacy that has rather been breached as you suspect. I'd stick to your guns, & try ringing again hoping you get somebody more understanding. Until then, I wouldn't be completing any 'Change of circumstances' form as you didn't report such a change.

If you get no satisfaction then try involving your MP.

WhatThe

Personally, I would just staple a copy of the award letter dated March 2022 to the front of the form, return in the envelope provided and wait to hear from them again.
 
I hope this is resolved quickly for you as it sounds like a simple error.

Jimm_Alumni

I would consider raising a complaint asap @Chris777. I have worked in call centres, it's the same as any other job. You get the diligent people, and you get the not-so-diligent. It can be quite easy to socially engineer/manipulate someone who is not being diligent. It doesn't even require an identity breach/theft necessarily.

Complaints cannot be raised in regard to a benefits decision, such as starting a PIP review. However, the complaint here is that they (the DWP) have allowed someone to access and add to your account with them. I'm shocked that they did nothing after you mentioned not calling the day before. When I worked in a call centre that would be ringing alarm bells in my head.

Do not fill in the form, complain and if they double down I would recommend contacting your MP has chiarieds mentioned.

If you feel up to it, please keep us up to date.

BrettW

I'd be very wary of returning any change of circumstances form that i hadn't requested as I presume as soon as its entered onto the system then it would trigger the assessment process

Do as was previously suggested and stick to your guns. If you don't get any satisfaction from the people you speak to then you demand to speak to their superior no matter how high up the chain it goes because that sounds like someone is deliberately falsifying information on your claim to me