Lost my DLA just get basic PIP

romanymoon

I had to go for a PIP assessment nearly a year ago, having been on the higher rate of DLA for care and mobility for many years due to osteo arthritis in all my joints.  I had the letter confirming I would be on it 'indefinitely' and was able to lead a reasonably normal lifestyle because of this.  The bombshell hit me when I had a letter from PIP telling me I could only now get the basic rate of PIP, and nothing for mobility!  It's laughable.  I appealed, but got the same response back.  I don't want to go into every little detail, but the PIP assessor didn't report my interview properly, in fact I thought she had put in someone else's report instead of mine.  All this made no difference.  I ended up £300 per month worse off. I can no longer pay my bills, or run a car. I used to be able to pay someone to help me in the garden, but that has had to go too. It has all left me very depressed and upset. How can they tell you one minute that you will get something 'indefinitely' and then take it away the next.  I live in a housing association bungalow, and I love it.  I have lots of friends and neighbours who have been very helpful, but now I must consider a move to somewhere with a smaller property and garden as I don't have the strength or energy, or money to pay someone to help with this one. I can't go out as we only have one bus a day, and I struggle to get on and off buses.  When I had DLA I could afford to get a taxi now and again just to get out.  I was on the verge of getting another Motability car before the PIP assessment, but now I am not eligible. I had hope to get a week's holiday, but that's no longer possible either.  It's all so wrong.  I am 68 nearly 69, and this is a huge shock to me.  I think the situation could have been handled better by the powers that be.  I worked hard all my working life and paid into the system, and it is very upsetting when they tell you the benefit you're getting is indefinite, and the next minute they take £300 per month away.  I'm barely surviving now, and feel I'm a burden to the state. Rapidly losing the will to live.

steve51

Hi @romanymoon

Welcome to the online community/website.

I'm very sorry to about your current situation but you are not on your own 

I will pass you over to our "Benefits Team" they are the experts in this field.

 Please please let me know if I can help you further ???

 Hi @BenefitsTrainingCo

Sorry to be a pest but I have got another "PIP" query.

Many thanks.

CockneyRebel

Hi and welcome
Have you been through the full appeal process all the way to tribunal or just MR ?

CR

BenefitsTrainingCo

@romanymoon,

As CR says, have you been to an appeal tribunal (whether on a 'paper' hearing, or attending a hearing), or have you just had your decision looked at again by the DWP (called a mandatory reconsideration).

Can you let us know what stage you are at, and what was the date of the most recent decision on your case?

Have you complained about the assessment and the report? I know it was a long time ago, but it may be worth doing, especially if you are going to appeal the decision. 

If you can let us know what stage you got to in challenging the decision, one of us can hopefully help you with the next stage. Thanks!

Will

tees

Hi I have just lost my mobility car 
I was born with arthritis its in all my joints  my big toes and thumbs  do not bend I have difficulties doing every day things and walking can't cook can't wash ECT 
I'm just about to do a mandatory but don't know how to do it and could do with some help

I did get DLA  for life I went through a  physical medical to get this and yet this pip all they did was ask me a few questions as me to walk no more than 2 metrs in my own home that is adapted for me 
There decision was I had full power in my arms but little in my legs my answer is to this it not power I have a problem with its my joints that are damaged and are disintegrating making doing every day normal things out of my reach 

Can anybody please help me 

poppy123456

tees said:

Hi I have just lost my mobility car 
I was born with arthritis its in all my joints  my big toes and thumbs  do not bend I have difficulties doing every day things and walking can't cook can't wash ECT 
I'm just about to do a mandatory but don't know how to do it and could do with some help

I did get DLA  for life I went through a  physical medical to get this and yet this pip all they did was ask me a few questions as me to walk no more than 2 metrs in my own home that is adapted for me 
There decision was I had full power in my arms but little in my legs my answer is to this it not power I have a problem with its my joints that are damaged and are disintegrating making doing every day normal things out of my reach 

Can anybody please help me 

Hi,

PIP and DLA are different and they have different criteria. PIP isn't about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect you're ability to carry out daily activities based on the PIP descriptors.

You have 1 month from the date of the decision to request the MR. Do be aware that they will look at the whole decision again and not just part of it. Whilst most MR decisions remain the same, you do risk losing everything you already have, it could also be increased too.

You should put your request in writing stating where you think you should have scored those points and your reasons why. Adding a couple of real life examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you.

Avoid mentioning any lies/contradictions they may have been told in the report be DWP/Tribunal won't be interested in any of those.

PIP Enhanced mobility criteria is different to what DLA was. For DLA it was 50 metres but for PIP it's 20 metres.

Having some understanding of the PIP descriptors and what they mean will help. This link is long but i'd advise you to have a read.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

romanymoonlight

This is all very well, but when you're an older person as I am (70) you lose the will to live when assessors talk to you as if you're lying about everything you say. When I had my assessment, it was more like an interrogation. I recently tried to claim again for the mobility part, and asked for a home assessment which was refused.  I know that to put myself through all that again would kill me.  It's too much!  So I'm now a virtual recluse as I can't get out. I live in a village with very few buses, which I can't access anyway as they are older buses and too difficult to get on and off. I still believe that when the government tell you that you have DLA 'indefinitely', that they should honour that. We don't get it for nothing. I told myself I wouldn't let this upset me again, but it still does.  I can't allow myself to get stressed over it, as I've already had a TIA with the worry of it all.  Good luck to all those who have the strength to take on the PIP assessors.

poppy123456

@romanymoonlight i agree that the assessment process feels like an interrogation but unfortunately, they have to ask those questions because they need to know how your conditions affect you.

DLA and PIP are different benefits with different criteria. PIP is about how your conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activity based on the PIP descriptors.

Unfortunately because you're now over state pension age, if you don't already have a mobility award then you won't be able to claim it in the future. If you have standard mobility then you'll be able to keep that for as long as you remain entitled to it but you won't be able to claim for Enhanced mobility.

What you should have done when the decision was made was request the Mandatory reconsideration then Tribunal if that failed. If you had been awarded it at either of those stages then you would have kept it for as long as you remain entitled to it.

If you don't have a PIP award at all then because of your age you will need to claim Attendance Allowance but there's no mobility part to this.

romanymoonlight

I wasn't aware at the time of a Mandatory reconsideration thing.  I was awarded the daily living component of PIP, but not mobility (even though I can hardly walk due to global osteoarthritis, confirmed by my doctor) as well as other issues.  So now I can't claim anything more. I still believe the government broke our contract when they gave me indefinite DLA at full rate, and then took it away.  Notwithstanding the PIP arrival, I still believe the government acted inappropriately, and possibly unlawfully by giving me the impression I had it for life.  I bought things to help my mobility problems on the back of that, and now I'm in debt because I can't keep up with the payments.  All this adds to the ongoing anxiety issues which I don't want. I even stopped taking my medications in the hope that nature would take its course, but that didn't work either. It appears now, from what you say about not being able to claim the mobility part of PIP or Attendance Allowance that us older folk are being left to fade away.  Sorry for the depressing post, but it's just so wrong.

poppy123456

Indefinite awards of DLA no longer existed when PIP started in April 2013, as you were below the required age when it first began, it meant you were one of those that needed to apply. They didn't act unlawfully because the criteria is different.

As PIP is totally different to DLA was then your DLA award wouldn't have made any difference. The criteria for walking for high rate DLA was 50 metres, it's 20 metres for PIP.

There's very little point claiming attendance allowance because you're claiming daily living PIP and you can't claim them both. As AA has no mobility part then again there's no point changing.

pollyanna1052

romanymoonlight said:

I wasn't aware at the time of a Mandatory reconsideration thing.  I was awarded the daily living component of PIP, but not mobility (even though I can hardly walk due to global osteoarthritis, confirmed by my doctor) as well as other issues.  So now I can't claim anything more. I still believe the government broke our contract when they gave me indefinite DLA at full rate, and then took it away.  Notwithstanding the PIP arrival, I still believe the government acted inappropriately, and possibly unlawfully by giving me the impression I had it for life.  I bought things to help my mobility problems on the back of that, and now I'm in debt because I can't keep up with the payments.  All this adds to the ongoing anxiety issues which I don't want. I even stopped taking my medications in the hope that nature would take its course, but that didn't work either. It appears now, from what you say about not being able to claim the mobility part of PIP or Attendance Allowance that us older folk are being left to fade away.  Sorry for the depressing post, but it's just so wrong.

I feel your anger...I really do. xxx