Confused over reinstatement of carers allowance

Rubie123

I'm still waiting for my Mr decision letter for my MR. However, my husband's carers allowance has been backdated to 10th of June. After ringing carers allowance and PIP enquiry lines to find out why the back payment was made neither of them seem to know. We have informed UC and asked if they know , as they sent a message to us on the journal saying, according to their records we are in receipt of carers allowance. UC won't answer anything else on the journal. Anyone got any idea how we can find out what's going on?

Rosie_Scope

Hi @Rubie123, I'm not too sure on this one I'm afraid! The only thing I can think of would be to keep ringing until someone is able to clarify for you, or perhaps even wait to see if you receive a letter in the post explaining things. Does the 10th June have any relevance to your claim at all?

Hopefully some of our members will have been through similar things and can advise what happened to them.

Rubie123

Hi Rosie.

The 10th of June is a week after my daily living award ended, which I think is right for carers allowance. My award ended on 3rd June. Since the back payment of carers allowance there has been a back payment of carers element on UC. It all points towards my daily living award being reinstated but still nobody has confirmed this to me. They are all still saying they don't know.

Rubie123

Hi everyone

I lost my MR.

My current review is also in the queue but I don't know when it's being looked at. They did say I might have to have an assessment though. That won't be happening. Cut out the middle man I say. No point in going through all that stress for them to turn down the claim down. Good luck to all of you out their with your claims.

Adrian_Scope

I'm sorry to read your MR was rejected @Rubie123. Unfortunately the majority of MRs are unsuccessful, but many people go on to tribunal and are successful there.

Have you thought about continuing the appeal?

Rubie123

Hi Adrian.

I did consider it but DWP are stronger than me. We all know they are trying to get us all off of PIP and I dont even have the backing of my gp. All she wrote on the factual report was that I had psoriasis. When I challenged this I was basically told unless she she's seen me with the daily struggles she can only put in a letter for me that its's what I report to her and not that it's of her opinion. I didn't bother sending the letter.I dont have a neurologist anymore as I moved. My previous Neurologist aske my new gp to refer me on but she didn't, that was 3 years ago. When I asked again recently gp told me it was up to my previous Neurologist to refer me on not her.

The amount of seizures I've had since all this started in June is unbelievable. It's so stressfull getting all the info together for DWP. It's not so much the missing money, well I am noticing it a bit now, but for many years they accepted my condition affects me how I say now they say there is no proof of Epilepsy. I sent them a shed load but there is no evidence of how it affects me and that is what they've jumped on. I just feel they will win the appeal so there's no point in more stress and more seizures, 32 to date.

Rosie_Scope

Sorry you're in this position @Rubie123, that's really tough. It's totally up to you what you do next, but as Adrian mentioned many people do have better results at tribunal level. If you change your mind, lots of members have been through it so I'm sure you'd get some good advice if you had any questions about it.

I can understand why you might not want to fight it though, the stress can really take its toll and it sounds like it's already been a difficult time.

I'm not a medical professional, but it sounds a little unreasonable to me that your GP won't refer you on to a new neurologist considering you're still having seizures. Could you perhaps get in touch with your old neurologist to see if there's anything they can do to help get you referred on?

I hope you can get things sorted soon.

Rubie123

Hi Rosie.

If some of you think it's worth me appealing I'll give it a go. My husband said he'd help me like he did with the MR. I just feel all the stuff we wrote and got together has been ignored and I suppose I think they will do the same at a tribunal. I had evidence of my Encephalitis that caused my Epilepsy, hospital letters that confirmed diagnosis, letters that were to various people, i.e, council stating I cant drive due to Epilepsy in support of getting a blue badge, many more letters stating I cant do certain things because of the Epilepsy and five family members wrote letters saying what it's like when I have a seizure and how I'm affecred afterwards and for how long I'm affected for. DWP have been awarding me PIP for many many years now, it was DLA when I started claiming, and now they think some fairy waved a magic wand and I'm cured. I wish! I'm 60 now and with other health problems, which DWP also knoow about, coping wth my Epilepsy isn't getting any easier. I really don't know what else I can get for an appeal to be sucessfull. If anyone out there wouldn't mind giving me some advice I would really appreciate it.

Jimm_Scope

Hey @Rubie123, it can be difficult to keep going through the appeals process. Though, a tribunal is the first time the decision is taken out of the DWP's hands. An MR is still done by a decision maker from the DWP. A tribunal is overseen by a judge and a health professional or two will be on the panel as well. They will take evidence directly from you, they will listen to what you have to say and weigh it against what the DWP says.

But when it comes to your experience the tribunal usually recognises that the person who best knows the experience of living with these conditions… is the person living through them. Not a decision maker in an office somewhere. There is a reason tribunals have a fairly high success rate. People who know they are more affected than the DWP is accepting, and are confident enough or have help with it, go through with it and more often than not get the award.

Rubie123

Hi Jimm.

Thank you. I have taken a screenshot of what you have written so when I feel like throwing the towel in I'll read it again. I'm so angry at the DWP not beleiving my daily struggles.

They even said, and this includes all who have seizures, that there is no danger of a person choking while having a seizure. I don't for one minuet think we all choke when eating and always have a seizure when eating but the danger is there waiting to happen so supervision is needed. They make me so cross ,they dont live our lives they know nothing.

So I will take my case to tribunal because I need to get my point across to people that will listen, like all of you on here. Thank you for the encouragement it's really appreciated. I'll keep you updated.

Rubie123

Hi everyone!

I'm a happy bunny today!

PIP rang me today and told me they've taken another look at my claim. I did log an appeal but it didn't get that far.

They have reinstated my award, raised it to enhanced for both elements and extended it for a further three years.

I'm seeing a real doctor soon(rather than an ANP) about another health issue so I'm hoping I can also get him to refer me to a Neurologist, hopefully so I dont have all this agro again. Still this is DWP we're talking about so there probably will be more agro in the future but at least I'll have professional support.

Thank you all for your support. For those of you starting the fight against DWP and those still fighting good luck and keep going.xx

Albus_Scope

Oh that is fantastic news @Rubie123 I'm so happy for you! ❤️