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What are people's experiences of switching from DLA to PIP?

gingermusic

Hi I am Ruth 66 years old and live in Hertfordshire. I have 3 adult children am a grand mother to 10 and a great grand mother to 2. I have suffered with COPD and emphysema since I was around 40 years of age which has limited most things in my life. Been in receipt of DLA for the past 14 years and now dreading being switched to PIP and maybe having to lose part if not all of my disability money. Have others had to go through this process and was it ok for them?

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WaterLily

Hi, I went from high rate mobility (no daily living) on DLA to standard rate on both daily living and mobility, on PIP. I now recieve more money than before and my husband could now claim carers allowance, but I have to return my motability car. I had been in receipt of DLA for 15 years and had been with motability for all that time. I scored 10 out of 12 for the mobility part.
I am going to appeal.

maggie54

Hi my husband was on high rate DLA for care and mobility since he went on pip he gets enhanced mobility and standard care we asked them to look at it again and we had a letter on Friday saying there decision stands we are hopping to appeal but they say he could lose what he already gets his disability is worse now than it was before he is never going to get any better but the people at pip don't care

Matilda

I went from DLA high rate mobility and highest rate care to PIP standard rate for both elements. Mandatory reconsideration didn't change DWP's decision (par for the course). I am now appealing. I understand that if a tribunal is minded to remove any PIP already awarded, they have to warn you at the start of the hearing. You can then withdraw your appeal and keep the PIP you've already got. Over 60% of appeals are successful.

gingermusic

Thank you for your information I feel very daunted

Matilda

Just take it one stage at a time.

Squigg

Meh so not looking forward to my assetment at the min I'm in pain at all times I know and feel that my cp has worsen and it had affects on my moods..... My balance had gotten worst.... I already filled the form out and they now want to asset me I even added a supportive letter from gp even went to hops today ongoing knee/ back and ankle issues all related to cp as I've now found out ....

Zec Richardson

I felt sick when I recieved the letter saying I was making the transfer from DLA to PiP!
We asked for a home visit as I had them for ESA assessments but I was turned down, the problem is that my pain levels are super high and sitting there in an assessment is ridiculously painful.
I cancelled the first appointment as my pain was too high but on the second appointment I was having a flare up, not wanting to risk losing the benefits I said to my wife we would still go!
Needless to say they weren't running on time, I had taking extra Oramorph and even some extra meds I shouldn't just to try and get through it, I tried laying on some seats but that was even worse and so I just sat in my wheelchair.
I was 48 then, I'm 6' 4" I have a grade one hair cut and a beard and so I hate what happened next. My pain became so bad that I ended up in tears, I hate people seeing me like that but see me they did. This is when my wife became angry and spoke with the receptionist and strangely we went straight in, it turns out my assessor was having a tea break!
I laid on the examination bed thing throughout and when she came to examine me, she looked at me and said "no I don't think I will", I told her it was okay if it helped my case but she declined!
I kept my award, middle care and high mobility but where I had an indefinite award with DLA, I only recieved 5 years for PiP. It was a relief to get the award but surely they could have given me a home visit?

gingermusic

I really think the way we are all being treated over this is utterly disgusting I really do. The decisions on this should be taken purely from the details of our illness given by our GP's and consultants never from non medical people interviewing us. I do realise there are some people maybe conning the system but they should be sorted out in the right manner and not by the rest of us who had correct claims being made to suffer.

Matilda

People could complain to their MPs about how the DWP and assessment companies are treating them - but I'm not sure it would make much difference. Would depend on the MP concerned. I, along with numerous other constituents, complained to my, Labour, MP. She wrote an all-purpose letter to the Minister for Employment, covering PIP and ESA, who sent an all-purpose reply saying, in effect, no change, we're going to carry on cutting benefits to the bone - because we don't think that taxpayers should have to pay for lifestyles that they themselves couldn't afford! Evidently, the Minister thinks that disabled people enjoy lives of luxury on benefits! And the Minister conveniently forgot that PIP and ESA claimants are also taxpayers, even if they only pay indirect taxes. My MP sent constituents who'd complained a copy of the Minister's letter with a covering letter saying, in effect, she'd tried, but she was sorry, there was nothing more she could do.

It appears that my MP has accepted the Minister's fob off.

Zec Richardson

I heard somewhere that these assessments are based on an American insurance companies test that tries to catch out people making a false claim!
So rather than finding out what the problems are that we face, they are trying to constantly find fault and that is despicable.
The questions often make no sense at all, yes I can use my arms and lift a litre of milk or whatever but the fact that I'm often in too much pain to get out of bed or off the settee means that it doesn't really matter!
Also Orthopaedics and pain management have said they can't help me any further and so they wanted to discharge me, I had to ask them not to because if I can't show that I'm being seen by a consultant, then the benefits system reads this as I'm not that bad!
What I find hard is that many of us have had to battle doctors because they don't give us the care we need or often we are disbelieved, I was told I was imagining it in the beginning and we fought to be believed and so these assessments are quite hard mentally, why should we have to fight to prove we are disabled and or chronically unwell?

Squigg

Know the feeling, dreading my assessment.... I got refered to another hosp ans also am under one hospital already sent letters and Dr's letter and still they want to.see me to believe that I'm disabled.....long term illness is never gonna get better I know in myself that I'm suffering and not able to sleep well....

gingermusic

I honestly don't think they really care

WaterLily

Why do claimants have to provide evidence anyway? Why can't the DWP/ATOS just take a look at your Drs notes? That will tell them all they need to know,surely?
If they want evidence of how your disability affects your day to day living, then it is unlikely that your consultant or doctor would know it? I know from my own experience that whenever I visit the Dr or hospital I never go into details about 'the pain I was in the other day after I'd got down the stairs',etc,etc. I see my Dr for painkillers or antibiotics, say, and then I leave. I don't have in depth conversations with Drs about my day to day life and even if I did, I doubt it would be on my notes anyway.
There are many disabilities that people have and just have to come to terms with and get on with it.

Squigg

Have any of you has assessment thru atos to dla transfer to PIP and got pip?? i did have dla for life

WaterLily

I was given a lifetime award for the mobility component of DLA 15 years ago.
And even though my disability has worsened, I have been awarded standard rate mobility on PIP and therefore my car has to be returned.

Zec Richardson

WaterLily said:

I was given a lifetime award for the mobility component of DLA 15 years ago.
And even though my disability has worsened, I have been awarded standard rate mobility on PIP and therefore my car has to be returned.

This really angers me, so many people have lost their cars and their independence!

Squigg

Water lilly, I hope you appealed and so on?

WaterLily

Squigg said:

Water lilly, I hope you appealed and so on?

I have sent a Mandatory Reconsideration letter back to the DWP in the hope that they will give me the 2 extra points I need to be able to keep the motability car.
If they don't, (and I have heard not many people are successful at this point) then I will go to appeal.
Its just a waiting game, now.

nanof6

yes i was on lifetime DLA had to apply for pip,i got top points for both, that was from april last year, then i got my first PIP payment the end of september.all the best with yours, gingermusic, let us no how you get on.

Squigg

Hey got a decision thankfully I was awarded to pip standard and echoard for ongoing period as same as indefinetly.... I'm happy as I really did think I was gonna fail on it