PIP APPEAL

mames01

hi

I submitted my appeal at the end of July. In my original assessment I scored 0 points and after MR I had scored 6 points in daily living. I got a letter from the appeals service to say they’d received my forms and they had scanned them to the DWP and that it wouldn’t progress until they had a written response from the DWP. I’m just wondering if anyone knows a time frame or how long this has been taking? Will the DWP reassess the whole case before writing to the appeals service? I’m in Northern Ireland if that makes any difference.

Thanks

poppy123456

DWP are usually given about 28 days to respond but they don't often respond in that time. They will review your claim before responding and sometimes (though rarely) they may make an offer at this stage.

Although they are often late responding, they usually do eventually.

mames01

I have been awarded LCWRA by universal credit with no assessment. Would this decision affect my PIP appeal? Should I sent the appeal service a copy of this letter awarding me this as evidence?

mames01

also, I applied for UC on the 4th of March 2024. On 21st of march I submitted the first fit note. I was referred to the medical department and filled in the work capability forms on 16th of May 2024. I got the message today saying I’ve been awarded lcwra but I didn’t need an assessment. This is positive. However I don’t understand as it says my award is effective from 21st of march which is when I submitted my first fit note but then goes on to say the first payment will be 4 months after a decision was made which was only today?

poppy123456

That's terrible advice you've had there on your journal, which isn't correct. Yes, the LCWRA is awarded from the date you provided your first fit note.

However, you then have to wait for the relevant period, which is known as the waiting period before the extra money is paid. This person actually starts from when you provided your first fit note and not from when the decision was made.

If you submitted your UC claim on 4th March then your waiting period will be as follows…

April/May, May/June, June/July.. LCWRA starts from assessment period 4th July to 3rd August and first payment will be 10th August. This means they owe you one months LCWRA element up to now.

Money owed is paid separately to your usual monthly money and can often take quite a few weeks to pay it.

You will need to check your next statement to make sure the element is include.

Please note my advice assumes you continued to provided fit notes without any gaps until a decision was made on your WCA.

PIP and the WCA are different benefits. Although there is some overlap with some of the descriptors. The decision letter itself in my opinion isn't helpful because it doesn't tell you why you were placed into that group. If you have a copy of the assessment report and it's relevant you can send that.

mames01

Yes the message in my journal is very confusing to me.
yes that’s correct I submitted fit notes with no breaks. Where do I get a copy of the assessment report?
thanks for your help

mames01

Hi just to update they said to disregard the message I uploaded earlier and that the award was effective from the 4/3/24 which is the date I first applied for UC. This was then followed by this letter explaining what I’m being paid

poppy123456

If you or a partner were receiving earnings since you started your claim and you didn't previously have the work allowance then the money owed will be for this. The work allowance will apply from the start of your claim.

Your first LCWRA payment will be 10th August 2024, due to the waiting period. If you had provided a fit note within 7 days of submitting your claim then the LCWRA element would have been paid 1 month earlier.

For a copy of the assessment report you can put a message on your journal to ask them to send It to you.

mames01

Hi

It’s been 28 days and I haven’t had any response from anyone so I emailed the tribunal service for some kind of update and this is what they have said. I’m assuming now that the 12 weeks is just a standard now because of back logs as opposed to the 28 days as wasnt notified of any extension and my confirmation of receiving my appeal didn’t state I’d have a response in 28 days

poppy123456

They will have extended that deadline, which happens a lot because DWP mostly do not respond by the first deadline. Your claim will be reviewed before they respond and sometimes they may offer an award at the stage. (or a higher award if you already have an award in place) If they don't offer anything they will respond eventually. Once they do you will receive the bundle in the post.

It's a long process and now you just need to wait. 9 months is just a guide but it could be up to 12 months.

mames01

hi just an update

The dwp had until the 17th to respond to my appeal. By the 18th I still had not heard anything so I phoned PIP. I was advised a response had been sent out on the 10th of October. I contacted the tribunal service to say I still hadn’t heard anything. Today I have received a letter from PIP with an offer to award me 16 points for daily living. I will accept this offer as I can’t be bothered with the hassle of a tribunal at this time and I’d be happy with the amount I’d be getting. How do they get it so wrong? How can I go from 0 points to 16? And how can they get away with it!?

Albus_Scope

I'm glad you've managed to come to a happy compromise @mames01 I fought all the way to tribunal twice. Yes it took a lot longer, but I knew I was getting the points I was meant to get. I went from 0-23 points! How're you feeling now? Relieved it's over?