Worried about swapping from DLA to PIP

anthonyp

Hello I am Anthony 
I am new to this website. I am 69 years old(70 in November) I have  been claiming Disability Living Allowance since 2009.I have been chronically arthritic for many years and had to finally accept I will not get better.Despite having two hip replacements.One is a different size to the other so I dont walk properly either and a knee replacement that is leaving me with numbness and foot drop. I have arthritic hands and if I didnt have my wife as carer I couldnt even make a cup of tea for myself without dropping the kettle This is apart from suffering with other health issues diabetes,diverticulitis and heart disease to name a few 
.I have been sent a letter about changing from DLA to PIP I will make a claim for PIP but I have been having sleepless nights about losing this money. I am very distressed as I have heard people in my position  are being refused the new benefit. Do anyone have any experience of this new Benefit? What do have to expect?Everything I said here can be proved by my doctor and surgeon whose care I am currently under,I am due another knee replacement but the surgeon says since I have had three operations in two years he will not do another operation in the near  future

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

DLA and PIP are different benefits with different criteria. PIP isn't awarded based on a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activity based on the PIP descriptors.

Lots of people successfully claim PIP without any problems at all and this includes those that were previously claiming DLA. The only problem is, is that we don't often here the good stories only the bad ones. If someone's had a decision they are happy with they have no questions to ask so we don't hear their story.

When you ring DWP to start your PIP claim off you can request for your DLA file to be used as evidence for the PIP claim. When you receive the forms you should fill them in with as much information as possible and then add a couple of real life examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you. If you need extra time to return the form then you can ring to ask for an extra 14 days.

Send relevant evidence with the form because they rarely contact anyone for this. The evidence should state how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

Expect a face to face assessment because most people have them. Your DLA will continue until a decision's been made on the PIP providing the forms are received back with DWP within the timescale.

Good luck.

Frankie91

Hi @anthonyp, 
Sorry to hear about the stress this has been causing you and all the health problems you are having.
 I do not have any personal experience around applying for PIP but I know people who have. If you are worried about the forms and what information to include I would suggest making an appointment with your nearest citizens advice centre or looking at their online guides as they can support you with this process. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/if-you-get-dla/
 It is also worth having letters or reports from your Doctor and Surgeon explaining the impact your condition has on you. 
Given the complexity of your health challenges, it may also be worth requesting a home visit from an Occupational Therapist if one hasn't already been offered. They will be able to advise on any equipment, home adjustments, or strategies that may make life a little easier for you. They would also be able to write a report to assist with your PIP claim and any equipment needs are taken into consideration in the application. If this is something you are interested in then you can request one via your local authority website under health and social care, elderly care, occupational therapy. 
Hope this helps a little and that the process goes OK for you. Best of luck and please don't hesitate to use this forum if you have any further queries or concerns. 

chiarieds

Hi @anthonyp - Welcome to the community, & thank you for joining. I'd just like to share that I migrated from an indefinite award of DLA to PIP not that long ago. Please be advised by Poppy, & all should go well.

Altho in the PIP form you list your diagnoses & the approx. start date, as Poppy says, the emphasis is on how your disabilities affect you in your daily living & mobility. If you have any questions, at any point in your PIP process, there's usually someone here that can help/advise.

anthonyp

thank you its nice to hear such positive things, i was quite worried  Thanks again, your concern is much appreciated 

Chloe_Alumni

Welcome to the community @anthonyp, I'm glad other members have been able to help. Please do let us know how you get on and if there is anything else we can do to help.

DuffersMum

Not sure what your DLA award is currently but have you considered applying for Attendance Allowance instead of PIP? Whilst the amount is possibly less than what you get with DLA there is no assessment for Attendance Allowance..just something for you to consider...I am younger than you and went from DLA to PIP last year, it was not a particularly good experience as my assessor wrote a complete load of rubbish! However my husband who has just had his third assessment had a much better experience...it appears to be down to who you get doing the assessment.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do,

poppy123456

Attendance Allowance doesn't have a mobility part and the criteria for this is not the same as it was for DLA.

DuffersMum

poppy123456 said:

Attendance Allowance doesn't have a mobility part and the criteria for this is not the same as it was for DLA.

I’m well aware of that, it’s just another avenue to explore if someone doesn’t want to go through a PIP assessment.  My mum got attendance allowance for mobility issues, as does my elderly neighbour and others I know, just because it doesn’t have a mobility “element” doesn’t mean somebody with mobility issues can’t apply and be successful in their claim.  The PIP route is not for everyone, it goes on for weeks, months or even years in some cases and is stressful, add to that some of the incompetent assessors who write a load of fabricated nonsense some people might not wish to put themselves through the experience.  

poppy123456

Attendance Allowance is awarded based on the help  or supervision you need during the day and sometimes at night (you don't have to be receiving that help to qualifying.)  See link. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/attendance-allowance/before-you-claim-attendance-allowance/check-if-entitled-to-attendance-allowance/