So it turns out DWP Debt Management DOESN'T necessarily seize your backdated PIP pay....

ThankGod

I posted a question yesterday asking whether DWP will use my backdated pay on my new PIP Award to clear an alleged Income Support overpayment from the 1990s.  I’ve just been told by PIP today that they’ve issued my arrears straight to my bank account already and it’ll be there by Friday.

Interesting that they didn’t seize this payment isn’t it?!

thatsmyname

ThankGod i had the same happen.i allegedly owe 10,000 pounds tax credit overpayments from ten years ago! I know that i couldnt possibly owe that but cant prove it so they have been taking 77 oound a month of uc.i got 2 backdated pip payments totalling over a 1000 each in my bank last year 

ThankGod

thatsmyname said:

ThankGod i had the same happen.i allegedly owe 10,000 pounds tax credit overpayments from ten years ago! I know that i couldnt possibly owe that but cant prove it so they have been taking 77 oound a month of uc.i got 2 backdated pip payments totalling over a 1000 each in my bank last year 

Sorry to hear that they are hounding you for money you don't even owe.  But I'm very pleased to hear that you still got your backdated PIP through just fine!!!! Nice one

thatsmyname

ThankGod im hoping that the 3000 pound packdated lcwra they hopefully owe me goes same way! And thankyou.

ThankGod

@thatsmyname
What was your PIP assessment experience like by the way? 
DWP only received the assessment report last Wednesday and they'd already made their decision and awarded me PIP as of yesterday.  That's very quick!

thatsmyname

ThankGod my experience was just as straight forward really.i was awarded daily living standard rate.the money went in really quick it was in before i got my letter! I had to do mandatory reconsideration over the phone for mobility and i was then awarded that too so got that backdated too.i have just lodged appeal as i should have scored more points for enhanced so will see how it goes i guess 

mikehughescq

So, what I said then

ThankGod

mikehughescq said:

So, what I said then

Yes.  And I am very relieved.  But I wonder why *some* people actually DO seem to get their PIP arrears taken off them?

thatsmyname

I suppose it could depend on if the claimant has history of not repaying maybe? Or if they dont generally claim for long meaning they cant recover it by taking deductions.but they are just guesses on my part.

mikehughescq

DWP will periodically get away with stuff if unchallenged.

thatsmyname

Indeed rules are made up to suit them.i desperately hope i get my lcwra backdate though.i need to move home for the sake of my sanity!

ThankGod

I hope you get your backdated LCWRA @thatsmyname
I'm gonna go for SDP now.  My PIP award is backdated to July 2020, so technically I was on PIP back when I was on ESA which means they owe me SDP for that period.  I then had to transition from ESA to UC LCWRA due to a change of circumstances.  This means I should be getting the transitional top-up payment added to my UC. 

thatsmyname

ThankGod i hope you get what you are owed also.... fingers crossed we both get what we are owed.better in our pockets than theirs! 

thatsmyname

ThankGod i had a note on my journal today saying im owed £3,495 but as i apparently owe 10,000 pounds tax credit overpayments from ten years ago its gone to debt management team for them to make a decision on wether it will be deducted from the debt or paid to me...i am currently already making the monthly repayments on this.i rung them obviously in a right state...and explained that basically i cant move to a safer home without the money! A note has been put on system stating this and that i was highly distressed.the lady on phone was lovely and she agreed they may be able to give me it ive to ring next week to speak to a decision maker so i hope to God they decide in my favour.ive seen the most perfect house in the perfect place...i just want a garden with a fence around so i feel more protected and private.i am not getting it here and this street is dangerous.i fear for my life daily i hate it here.

lisalocket43

Hi I’m new here, I’m waiting for my MR decision on pip, I scored 6 points dl and 4 mobility but because I work, my mental health part they are saying that basically if I can work a standard till in a postsge stamped sized papershop couple hrs a week, I’m ok, I keep my job because it really helps to push me to interact more, yes it does challenge my anxiety very much, I wonder if anyone knows what are my chances of being awarded? I’m so low and worried sick over things I feel I’m being discriminated for trying to work. Tia xx

mikehughescq

We’d need to know which specific points you were going for in order to begin to give you an answer. 

Would also be useful to know what your hours are. Not directly relevant to PIP as there’s no hours rule but there is a general principle around what’s called de minim0s activity i.e. if you do so something so little it can’t reasonably even count as work. Good example of this would be where someone works an hour at lunch time in a sandwich shop. Aside from working a till, if they were at home they’d essentially be doing the same thing for lunch.

ThankGod

lisalocket43 said:

Hi I’m new here, I’m waiting for my MR decision on pip, I scored 6 points dl and 4 mobility but because I work, my mental health part they are saying that basically if I can work a standard till in a postsge stamped sized papershop couple hrs a week, I’m ok, I keep my job because it really helps to push me to interact more, yes it does challenge my anxiety very much, I wonder if anyone knows what are my chances of being awarded? I’m so low and worried sick over things I feel I’m being discriminated for trying to work. Tia xx

I'm thinking it would make more sense to start your own thread about this as it's not connected to the question I have raised in this post at all.

ThankGod

thatsmyname said:

ThankGod i had a note on my journal today saying im owed £3,495 but as i apparently owe 10,000 pounds tax credit overpayments from ten years ago its gone to debt management team for them to make a decision on wether it will be deducted from the debt or paid to me...i am currently already making the monthly repayments on this.i rung them obviously in a right state...and explained that basically i cant move to a safer home without the money! A note has been put on system stating this and that i was highly distressed.the lady on phone was lovely and she agreed they may be able to give me it ive to ring next week to speak to a decision maker so i hope to God they decide in my favour.ive seen the most perfect house in the perfect place...i just want a garden with a fence around so i feel more protected and private.i am not getting it here and this street is dangerous.i fear for my life daily i hate it here.

I'm sorry to hear that and it is so weird considering that they let you receive your other backdated pay just fine!  I wonder why they let you have the PIP backdated payment but are playing games when it comes to what you're owed for ESA?

thatsmyname

ThankGod the lady at dwp debt management said this is because pip isnt treat the same as universal credit 

thatsmyname

lisalocket43 my mother works reduced hours in an eldery care home.she has limited mobility and suffers with multiple muscular skeletal issues and severe depression but she was awarded pip daily living and also pip mobility.this was after a mandatory reconsideration.she does reduced hours and amended duties but shes still doing lots of physical work there.shes stubborn and wont leave her job 

ThankGod

thatsmyname said:

ThankGod the lady at dwp debt management said this is because pip isnt treat the same as universal credit 

Oh I see!  So they make an exception for PIP because it's a disability benefit?
But when you think about it the LCWRA is also like a disability benefit in that it is only awarded to people deemed very seriously unwell 

thatsmyname

ThankGod i did think that myself! Lcwra is awarded for same reasons so dont know why its treat differently 

lisalocket43

thatsmyname Thankyou for your reply it does make me more optimistic I feel while we can work a little bit can help with the depression, I was wondering did your mum achieve any points previous to the MR? Tia xx

ThankGod

thatsmyname said:

ThankGod i did think that myself! Lcwra is awarded for same reasons so dont know why its treat differently 

Hopefully they will see reason and let you have your LCWRA backpayment

lisalocket43

Thankgod I’m sorry I’m new and not sure how things work here, sorry I hope people answer what you want! And not me.. Thankyou for advice il have a look again sorry

thatsmyname

lisalocket43 no she was refused on both so mandatory reconsideration can change things drastically. Hope you get your award.and dont worry about been on wrong thread too much i did same thing and someone told me and they did the new thread for me lol.hopefully you got the answers u needed anyway

lisalocket43

thatsmyname Thankyou so much and Thankyou for being kind xx

lisalocket43

lisalocket43 said:

thatsmyname Thankyou for your reply it does make me more optimistic I feel while we can work a little bit can help with the depression, I was wondering did your mum achieve any points previous to the MR? Tia xx

ThankGod

My PIP backdated payment has arrived in my bank account now.  So relieved!

jsmith8899

thatsmyname said:

I suppose it could depend on if the claimant has history of not repaying maybe? Or if they dont generally claim for long meaning they cant recover it by taking deductions.but they are just guesses on my part.

I dont think really they're allowed legally to take debt from another benefit you're receiving, you'd need to repay it yourself but weird though considering if its credit or some other form of debt at a bank they'll take monies from another account to repay it

thatsmyname

jsmith8899 they shouldnt be allowed but unfortunately they do..im waiting on an answer as to wether my 3,495 is gonna be taken by dwp or not.im gonna ring today and beg again.i really need to move home 

jsmith8899

@thatsmyname is that due to new benefits then like new ESA or UC then or is just as they decide it then?

thatsmyname

jsmith8899 mines a backpay of lcwra that im owed.a years worth because it took so long for my wca.but ive rung dept management again today and the gentleman said that if a claimant is due a packpay and the claimant has any dwp debts it automatically gets sent to them then they decide wether or not to offset it...he stated that if it goes unchallenged it would be offset against any debts owed.but if it is challenged it would be looked at again and depending on individuals circumstances they could choose to pay it to the claimant.

thatsmyname

jsmith8899 they havent actually recieved mine yet so ive got in there early im waiting on another call back now as hes added more notes saying that its making me anxious not knowing.we shall see but my stomach is churning and my anxiety is sky high.hope its today 

jsmith8899

Ah so its any kind of benefit then that yeah would make a lot of sense I suppose

Yeah I am with you on the anxiety thing but was for an entirely sort of different reason,wasn't paid my ESA like normal a few months ago had no idea what was going on, turned out that they have this payment system list and if too many things get inputted onto it at once a whole section of it just crashes and stops all payments on that.

Think is they'd arranged to pay it manually as an emergency payment, was fine got my money but then was paid twice for the next one two weeks later, the person who'd done the manual one or which ever hadn't reported back saying it'd been done so was again paid out apparently, (being was the old ESA) they wrote it off as an official error. But waiting to hear back was hugely stressful so with you all the way on that hope you get it resolved as I know how horrible that feeling can be 

thatsmyname

jsmith8899 im just stood in one corner of my kitchen where i get phone signal lol.i darent move from here in case they ring.i do hope it is today or ill be here all week! And strangely though my two sets of pip backpay were not taken but apparently they treat pip differently when i asked debt management.as its a disability benefit.but lcwra is also a top up for disability so i dont know how they've worked that one out.

PrincessRuby

This post gives me some hope! I had my PIP assessment yesterday, she was really nice, but I know from past ESA assessments I can’t base anything on that. 

I currently have a payment plan in place with debt management team for an overpayment (which I’ll be challenging after advice on here), but was panicking that it was an open and shut case of the back pay (if I’m awarded what entitled to) would go straight to them. 

Glad you got your backpay! X