Pip Award

Kurtish85

Hi all, 

I have recently had a PIP assessment and am awaiting a decision, they advised it could be up to 8 weeks which was about 10 days ago. I received a payment today though and I'm trying to work it out. I tried to call PIP but they wont discuss it with me and are saying I need to wait until up to the end of April for a letter.

My problem is i'm kind of homeless and I really want to use the money received to find somewhere to live but I still don't know how much I will be getting monthly to make a sustainable choice.. I therefore have a couple of questions I was hoping someone could answer.

I made my claim on 29th December which is exactly 14 weeks ago today, from what I can see the payment would be from that date not when I returned the form?

Does the payment I will have received include both the backdated payment AND a payment for the next 4 weeks or would I be able to expect another payment at some point?

The amount I received was £1672.45, if I have been awarded enhanced DL and standard Mobility this works out to £1635.90 based on the 14 weeks so is it possible the numbers are slightly off and this is what I can expect going forward? I just cannot make the numbers add up and I am usually very good at things like that. Even if I calculate it at 14 weeks and 2 days which would take me to this Sunday its still out by 21p, I just feel like DWP would be more precise.

If the payment does include a future payment would I literally just add 4 weeks and divide the amount by 18 this is £92.91 so I guess it could be that I have been awarded enhanced DL only @ £92.40 but its still not exact.

I know I should just wait for a letter but I really need to start trying to make some progress in my life and finding somewhere to live is a big part of that.

I really appreciate any help anyone can give.

Thankyou so much.

Albus_Scope

Hi @Kurtish85 and welcome to the community.  

I totally get the confusion, the radio silence often doesn't help!  Usually you'll get any back pay first, then the monthly payments begin. It sometimes takes a bit of time for them to crunch the numbers, so the wait isnt unusual at all.
   It's odd for them to say "wait for the letter at the end of April" though, I'm wondering if they've gotten confused, as letters sent out at the end of April usually mean the award increases we all get? 

Are you in contact with anyone or receiving any support regarding the homelessness? 

Kurtish85

HI,

Thankyou so much for the response.

No, I have realised there is no help for anything, I don't even seem to be able to get any help for my autism diagnosis. I was living in my car for a while recently and I spoke to Peabody but they were not very helpful, I have managed to get a job so I am working albeit on shaky ground so I think while I have the job I am not a priority to get any help.

Albus_Scope

I'm so sorry to hear that @Kurtish85 , I can at least empathise with the autism diagnosis. Have you received one yet, or are you still waiting?

It's probably things you've already looked into, but we have some advice on housing here if you wanted to take a look? I'm glad you've found work though, that's some good news.  

Kurtish85

HI, Yes I have received the diagnosis.

Thanks for the link, I will have a look although I think I just need to crack on by myself, this is kind of why I applied for PIP to try and get a little financial stability and security to be able to find a home. 

Thanks for the help, i'm glad I joined.

Albus_Scope

No worries @Kurtish85 how're you feeling about the diagnosis?
It's such a shame we just get given our diagnosis then sent on our merry way with no support! I oddly found Youtube to be the most help, 'Orion Kelly that autistic guy' was especially helpful.  

Kurtish85

apologies if this is duplicated I typed and posted it but its not there:

I was originally feeling positive about finally getting a diagnosis that made sense, I knew what the outcome of the assessment would be as soon as ASD was suggested and I had done some research, it was crazy instantly going from being someone different and weird to being basically textbook for a person with autism. More recently I have kind of spiralled a little though with the hopelessness of it all and the knowledge things are always going to be this hard but hey-ho I just need to try and change what I can, which isn't much but finding somewhere to live is a good start.

chiarieds

Hi @Kurtish85 - & welcome to the community from me also. If this is your first time claiming PIP, which it sounds like it is, then any back pay should be from the date you rang to start your claim, unless you did so postally instead.

Bear in mind that PIP is normally paid every 4 weeks in arrears. From what I can see it looks exactly like enhanced rate of daily living, & standard for mobility, as you thought, so currently £128.65 a week & multiply that by 13 & you get £1672.45, which is what you've received. Going forwards this will be £514.60 every 4 weeks, & your letter will tell you when this will start, as this is separate from any backpay. The amount is due to go up shortly.

Kurtish85

Thanks for that, I will have a look for sure.

At first I was really pleased to finally get a diagnosis and understand why I find things so hard that others find so easy, to be honest I knew what the outcome was going to be as soon as it was suggested and I did some research, it was amazing how I went form being different and weird in so many ways to actually being basically textbook for someone with Autism. Recently though I am really struggling with it, the realisation that its not likely to get any better, but i'm cracking on the best I can thankyou :-).

Albus_Scope

I fully understand that sudden feeling of "Oh, this is it then?" but I've found the more I learn about myself, the better things feel. I definitely had that "Oh that's me!" when I started looking into ASD more before my assessment.   
 There's always a period of almost mourning for a while, there's a lot to process and a tonne of introspection to be done.  If you've not checked out our neurodiversity section, I'd have a look. I'm trying to write regular articles there now which may be of some use. 

Kurtish85

chiarieds said:

Hi @Kurtish85 - & welcome to the community from me also. If this is your first time claiming PIP, which it sounds like it is, then any back pay should be from the date you rang to start your claim, unless you did so postally instead.

Bear in mind that PIP is normally paid every 4 weeks in arrears. From what I can see it looks exactly like enhanced rate of daily living, & standard for mobility, as you thought, so currently £128.65 a week & multiply that by 13 & you get £1672.45, which is what you've received. Going forwards this will be £514.60 every 4 weeks, & your letter will tell you when this will start, as this is separate from any backpay. The amount is due to go up shortly.

Hi Chiarieds,

Thankyou so much for the information, that is so helpful - So I am clear is the £128.65 the new rate or the old as I thought £128.65 was the rate from April 24 and the backpay would be calculated on the 2023 figures of 92.40/24.45.

chiarieds

The new rates for 2024-20225 will be £108.55 for enhanced daily living, & £28.70 for standard mobility as you can see here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-and-pension-rates-2024-to-2025/benefit-and-pension-rates-2024-to-2025#personal-independence-payment
So it will increase to £137.25 per week, £549 every 4 weeks.

Kurtish85

Albus_Scope said:

I fully understand that sudden feeling of "Oh, this is it then?" but I've found the more I learn about myself, the better things feel. I definitely had that "Oh that's me!" when I started looking into ASD more before my assessment.   
 There's always a period of almost mourning for a while, there's a lot to process and a tonne of introspection to be done.  If you've not checked out our neurodiversity section, I'd have a look. I'm trying to write regular articles there now which may be of some use. 

Thanks, I will have a look at the section, I will kind of take any help I can get at the moment. 

poppy123456

Kurtish85 said:

chiarieds said:

Hi @Kurtish85 - & welcome to the community from me also. If this is your first time claiming PIP, which it sounds like it is, then any back pay should be from the date you rang to start your claim, unless you did so postally instead.

Bear in mind that PIP is normally paid every 4 weeks in arrears. From what I can see it looks exactly like enhanced rate of daily living, & standard for mobility, as you thought, so currently £128.65 a week & multiply that by 13 & you get £1672.45, which is what you've received. Going forwards this will be £514.60 every 4 weeks, & your letter will tell you when this will start, as this is separate from any backpay. The amount is due to go up shortly.

Hi Chiarieds,

Thankyou so much for the information, that is so helpful - So I am clear is the £128.65 the new rate or the old as I thought £128.65 was the rate from April 24 and the backpay would be calculated on the 2023 figures of 92.40/24.45.

The increase doesn't start until 8th April. The money owed to you will be the current rates for 2023/24.