PIP MR have you been abroad, in hospital, prison and are bank details up to date

LindseyAnn88

My sister is currently going through the mandatory reconsideration notice process for PIP. She had been in receipt of the benefit for 3 years until her review in December to which they ended her award in March.

A substantial amount of new evidence and supporting letters from my dad, sister, her CBT nurse and myself, was sent via post and fast tracked 7 weeks ago.

DWP have called her today (whilst I was present) and asked whether she has been abroad in the last 12 months, in hospital or prison and asked if her bank details are still correct. The answer was no to all apart from the bank details question as they are the same.

They told her a decision has been made, followed by the questions stated above. She was told she would have to wait up to 10 days for a decision letter to arrive through the post. I’ve seen a couple of posts on here similar to my sister’s circumstances, but with another question asking about a “lump sum of money” which she wasn’t asked about. Other similar posts have said they have checked their bank accounts and/or proof of benefits on the gov website and they have had updates about upcoming payments. We have checked both and there is nothing to suggest she has been rewarded back her benefit.

It just seems like a waste of time asking her these questions considering they have already made a decision just to be refused? Could anyone that has been through this provide a bit more clarity of what to expect next?

My sister’s mental health has declined rapidly over the last 8 months and made worse by the recent decision to end her claim. Not to make it about me, but the impact on us as a family has been awful too. I can honestly say, hand on heart, my sister has struggled with her mental health since childhood and has been diagnosed with multiple mental health conditions. I truly believe the review process was set up to make her fail and if there’s any advice I will give as a third party, please support your loved ones with the review process if you believe they are entitled to avoid this happening to you.

Rachel_Scope

Hi @LindseyAnn88 and welcome to the community. I'm so sorry that this whole process has been so stressful for your sister and family. It's such a stressful time and she's very lucky to have your support.

Asking those questions can be a positive sign that she has been awarded, however, I can't guarantee that. The first payment can take 3-5 working days and any backpay owed will be paid in 4-6 weeks. As she only received the phone call today, there may not have been time to update the Proof of Benefits yet. I'd wait a couple of days and then check again. Some of our members may have personal experience of this and can offer more insight.