Social Security Scotland - ADP (Scheduled) Review

IndigoBlue88

Hello everyone

I am due to have a (scheduled) Review of my Adult Disability Payment (ADP) this month (after 2 years).

I am trying to work out whether I should tick "no changes" or fill in a Change of Circumstances (CoC) form.

I am seeing really conflicting advice on this. Some say the safest thing is to click "no change" while others say that is too risky.

Some of my symptoms have changed, but my needs have not changed and the award is I think at the right level.

I am getting help from the charity VoiceAbility and they seem to be pushing for me to do a CoC form. However I can't tell if this is because Social Security Scotland have asked them to do this (they fund them), or whether it is definitely the wisest choice. They aren't telling me either, because they say they "can't advise me".

Has anyone ticked "no change" and had any issues?

Thanks!

anisty

I have known others tick no change - this has resulted in a phone call just to confirm info and the award has been successfully renewed.

What i did (for my son) was to phone them - i explained his confidence has really improved on his familiar journeys, he definitely does not suffer OPD on familiar journeys and manages well on his own.

The advisor told me to select "no change" but to put an accompanying note in to explain that he is now confident on familiar journeys.

I put an asterisk next to my signature on 'no change' directing them to 2 pages i had written, outlining what he can and cannot do.

For good measure (since it was his first ADP review and i didn't know exactly what info they had from DWP) I enclosed copies of his autism assessment, his cognitive assessment and his guardianship order which had 2 independent reports from clinical psychiatrists.

8 weeks later (and no phone call) he got a 5 year double enhanced award.

I think you are limited with what you can write with if you do online, which is why i chose to return everything by post (i used signed for delivery)

I think the reason i was not called is as i had sent all those reports.

If i were you, i'd select no change as they will contact you and then you can give them the updated info - or do what i did and maybe avoid a phone call!

Selecting no change will no prejudice your application and might even fast track it a bit.

IndigoBlue88

Thank you very much for your response, much appreciated!

I have heard a couple of scary from people who had their award reduced / taken away after ticking 'no change', so trying to work out what is best to do!

OverlyAnxious

Is the ADP review form different to the PIP review form for England?

I have seen quite a few awards get reduced at a PIP review. Although that is both from people putting 'no change' and also those who put some new information. I wouldn't recommend that anyone puts 'no change' on a PIP review, but don't know whether ADP is different in that respect.

IndigoBlue88

Thanks very much OverlyAnxious and apologies - I don't know if there is a way of replying directly to your post.

That is useful to know about PIP. There are quite a lot of people on various forums who say "I ticked 'no change and sent in no info and it was fine'. They even say that supplying info will open a can of worms and lead to a review which will make you lose points / your award.

The more I look into it though, the more risky this seems. ADP guidance says that with 'no change' assessors should assume that applicants are telling the truth, however they seem to be totally overworked and I suspect they want to cut down the number of awards granted.

Thanks for your insight - will look for info available re: the PIP Review process.

anisty

Glad my reply was helpful @IndigoBlue88 .

Yes, @OverlyAnxious - the forms are quite different in the no change regard. Although pip and adp use the same descriptors, they send a sheet of paper with the review form specifically saying "tick this box if no change"

I don't work at Social Security Scotland, nor do I know anyone who does but, from things i have come across online, the department dealing with claims is snowed under and the no change ones are dealt with much quicker as they just involve a phone call to the claimant to run through a few details.

I do know people who have had these confirmation calls and all have been awarded no problem.

Having said that, all the people I know who have been awarded fast like this have had autism which is a life long condition.

I expect they know what conditions are likely to remain the same and where improvement might be expected.

Adding info in with the form is always a good idea i think as security - but there really is no need to go through every descriptor as if it's a new claim as you do with pip.

In fact - doing that i think could cause them just to send out a full claim form to start again.

Select no change and do a summary write up of your current presentation. I really think that should suffice.

anisty

Ps @IndigoBlue88 - just thinking - if you do go the way of selecting 'no change' and posting info to them, be sure to put something like "see enclosed info" right by your signature.

That should keep you in the clear if,at any future point, you are accused of not reporting a change on time. Whereas if you simply sign and then put info in the envelope, that could get seperated or conveniently "lost" and they could then turn to you with the signed page only and say that's all they got from you.

Just a belt and braces! Keep copies of what you send and put your NI number (claim number) on every sheet of paper sent.

IndigoBlue88

I absolutely agree with you! Having looked through more information, it seems to me that the crucial thing is whether SSS expect a condition to change.

I think if that's not established then it would be safer to supply more information / do a CoC form.

Thanks for your thoughts on this!