Just approved my PIP and now I had a bombshell.

lostone87

I was told I had a 10% or so chance in having my Mandatory Reconsideration accepted but it did indeed get approved this week gone and it only took a month or two to be accepted. But I contacted the boss of my social worker and she said that that 2 of her users have to pay back there PIP back (Gradually, every week or so.  80 odd pounds a week so that's all PIP). She is appealing it but I have no hope in it being successful, she said i'm not under there raider at this point but I can see it coming and i'm screwed.

I don't fully understand it but she said they are putting it through.

I really relied on my benefits for bills and personal spending, without out I have nothing. I cant even spend it on clothes, nothing. I really been contemplating on it and just giving up and saying F it, just end it and save myself the hassle. I'm nothing anyway. I cant event say screw the benefits and just work, I can not even work, I have really bad anxiety and hardly step out of the door. I have tried a few times but failed. 

Really at loss

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

Sorry but i'm a little confused by your post. Why did your Social Worker tell you that 2 people have to repay their PIP back? Are you saying the people were accused of benefit fraud? Why did your Social Worker tell you this? Sorry but i'm confused.

What are they putting through? sorry but i'm confused about this too.

It's very very rare that someone has to pay back a PIP award.

lostone87

poppy123456 said:

HI and welcome,

Sorry but i'm a little confused by your post. Why did your Social Worker tell you that 2 people have to repay their PIP back? Are you saying the people were accused of benefit fraud? Why did your Social Worker tell you this? Sorry but i'm confused.

What are they putting through? sorry but i'm confused about this too.

It's very very rare that someone has to pay back a PIP award.

I am at loss myself, no one broke any rules so we are safe there.

She said dla and Pip are not for personal spending, is she right there?

I am going to phone her tomorrow and re ask her as this makes no sense to me, she said that they been planning this for a bit but just starting to put this in place.

I am sorry I can not explain this any better.

poppy123456

I have no idea where she got the idea from that DLA and PIP is not for personal spending. It's your money and you can spend it on exactly what you want to spend it on. There's definitely no rules in place that you can't spend it on anything you want to. No one's been planning anything about any rules regarding this.

I claim PIP for myself and my daughter also claiming PIP and i can tell you that i spend my money on the things i need and i certainly don't ask DWP if it's ok for me to do that. They don't check what you spend it on because it's your money.

I'm sorry you've been advised so badly regarding this.

It's great news that your MR decision changed, you should be very happy this has happened. Please try to relax and don't worry about this person trying to scare you this way because it's not going to happen.

I hope i've at least managed to make you feel little better and if you have any more questions please so ask.

lostone87

poppy123456 said:

I have no idea where she got the idea from that DLA and PIP is not for personal spending. It's your money and you can spend it on exactly what you want to spend it on. There's definitely no rules in place that you can't spend it on anything you want to. No one's been planning anything about any rules regarding this.

I claim PIP for myself and my daughter also claiming PIP and i can tell you that i spend my money on the things i need and i certainly don't ask DWP if it's ok for me to do that. They don't check what you spend it on because it's your money.

I'm sorry you've been advised so badly regarding this.

It's great news that your MR decision changed, you should be very happy this has happened. Please try to relax and don't worry about this person trying to scare you this way because it's not going to happen.

I hope i've at least managed to make you feel little better and if you have any more questions please so ask.

Thank you.

She said that they were planning this for a year or so but only putting it in place just recently. I have no idea what's she on about.

Misscleo

Can i ask what that persons title is and where she works.

Then you need to know if
that's really her by asking to speak to her manager.

We had a man at the solisitors who convinced people he was a solisitor when in fact he collected the rubbish from everyone's bins.
 By reading their rubbish he knew a lot. 
Checking who she is will put your mind in a better place

poppy123456

As a community champion here on scope please don't give the information of where this person works because we don't need to know that.

Who ever this person is, they are trying to scare you because the advice they are giving you is not correct. DWP haven't "planned" anything like this and i've no idea where this person got this idea from. As advised, it's your money and you can spend it on what you want to and DWP will have no interest in that.

thespiceman

Hello @lostone87    Pleased to meet you.

Thank you for your post.

I am one of the team of Community Champions also.

Please may I suggest look for other support if some one whom I regarded.

Is looking after me and makes insinuations, comments not relevant that is out of order.

Do I need to complain of course.

All staff working in Social Services, Mental health teams have a duty of responsibly, confidently and respect.

Do not offer and should be scaremongering, frightening you.

With views and opinions.

Not being reassured is a main cause of worry anxiety. I know this myself.

Have and do if not happy with any service make a complaint write it down.

One other have and do move on if not happy with any service offered.

Use these ones mental health charities.

https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

https://www.mind.org.uk.

https://www.rethink.org.

All offer floating support and advice guidance welfare benefit information.

The last charity is one would be interested in supporting you

They are an advocate charity.

Represents you on your behalf intervene  in situations like this.

Shocking to hear and feel for you, if some one told me that.

Need to be thinking do I need this.?  Look for  other support.

Please if I can help further please get in touch.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

skullcap

The only time that I have come across Social Services/the Council spitting what you are allowed to spend your PIP on is when they are looking at treating the PIP payment as income. I had similar to this when they wanted to recover some overpaid Council Tax benefit. I had to include all of the DLA, mobility and care and then identify exactly what I used the money for. Anything that did not relate entirely to extra expenses due to a disability then they used the rest to work out how much I should be paying it back. I remember it was very hard trying to prove what these expenses were. Two were the window cleaner and fuel for the car when used for social reasons which they would not allow. Maybe this is what Lostone87 is going on about?

poppy123456

Yes indeed, it could be that which i didn't think of, thank you for pointing that out.

Adrian_Scope

Sorry to hear this has been worrying you @lostone87. Hopefully some of the above has reassured you a bit.

In future if you're starting to have thoughts of giving up or ending it, please give Samaritans a call on 116 123. It's really important you speak to someone trained and able to help you with those sorts of feelings. In addition to the recommendations above, Mind also have some resources on tackling these feelings and if you'd like us to look for some support local to you, we would be willing to do so. If that's something that would interest you, please email us at community@scope.org.uk
In the meantime, if you feel like you might be in danger, please call 999 or go to your local hospital.

lostone87

poppy123456 said:

Yes indeed, it could be that which i didn't think of, thank you for pointing that out.

Can you appeal it and have a chance to win like the PIP. She says she will appeal it but she did not have much hope. She said I can't have much personal spending money (just £100 a month) from the PIP as I would have less to spend.

poppy123456

It’s very difficult to advise anything here because we are not exactly sure what your Social worker is talking about. We can only assume they are talking about paying towards any care/support you could be receiving. 

lostone87

poppy123456 said:

It’s very difficult to advise anything here because we are not exactly sure what your Social worker is talking about. We can only assume they are talking about paying towards any care/support you could be receiving. 

She was talking about that I need to contribute to my benefits, 80 pound a week. I will talk to her when I'm back from London as I needed to sort something out with my parents. I will get back here as soon as I know more.

poppy123456

I’m assuming you have a personal budget for support/care is that correct? And they are saying you need to contribute £80 per week? Are you sure? That’s rather a lot of money each week. Please find out exactly what’s happening and then come back once you know all the correct information and someone will try to advise you more.