DWP sent a letter saying they didn't receive PIP form, so are stopping my payments. What can I do?

newburyrat

Hi I have just had a letter from DWP saying they didn’t receive my PIP form, and so they are stopping my benefit. I phoned them, and I was told they will send me another form, and when I get it they may restart my benefit. I am in shock. I sent the form off in plenty of time, and now they are saying  my benefit is stopped. What am I to do? This means my tax credit stops as well. I cannot claim UC, and I just feel they are saying I am a liar. 

poppy123456

Hi,
There are huge postal delays with Royal Mail sorting office linked to DWP and this maybe the reason why they didn’t receive your form. 

Did you keep a copy of the form you sent or at least take pictures of it? It’s always advised to do this for this very reason. 

Why would your tax credits completely stop because of your PIP? 

chiarieds

Hi @newburyrat - & welcome to the community. These postal delays are certainly causing problems for yourself & others, as the knock on effect is it taking weeks for claims to be scanned onto the DWP's system. I hope you have kept a copy of your form as Poppy mentions, 'just in case.' Likely by the time you send another form back the PIP form you've already sent will be scanned onto their system.

Please don't worry about your tax credits, as they are nothing to do with the DWP & benefits, rather HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC); they won't stop.

newburyrat

Hi yes I took a copy of my review form but this doesn’t prove I posted it. My PIP has been stopped because they say I didn’t return the form. They might restart it when I receive the new form and send it back. Might not will. This affects my tax credit because once my PIP stops they no longer consider I have a disability, so I don’t get the disability premium on tax credit, so my income from part time work will be above the threshold I think. I don’t get much tax credit, but it is still vital. Getting tax credit means also I get my NI paid. As I am in my 50s and have had erratic earning due to my disabilities I am really worried about my pension.realistically I cannot carry on working indefinitely. Also, I have tried to work longer hours and each time I end up seriously Ill.
also, this is really stressing me because it is so unfair. I know I returned the form. It is probably in the post system, but they have immediately stopped my PIP, I have my issues, as well as physical disability and this is completely destabilising me.

poppy123456

Good thing you kept a copy, you can copy the one you have and return that to them, this will hopefully be received. Make sure you keep a copy of that.  In the meantime they may also receive the one you previously posted back.
Just so that you’re aware claiming tax credits doesn’t pay your NI credits.  I can’t advise whether tax credits will stop but others may know. 

chiarieds

Others will be better able than I to comment on the disability element of working tax credits, tho there's some info here:  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1018412/TC956_disability_helpsheet_2021.pdf   In future with any important info you send off please ensure to get a free 'Certificate of posting' from your Post Office. Please don't worry about what you've been told by the 'DWP.'  On the other end of the phone are out sourced call handlers (not the DWP); try speaking to 3, & you could get 3 different answers. It might be worth ringing the PIP enquiry line: 0800 121 4433 in a week or so to see if they've received your form.

newburyrat

Hi Poppy just double checked and I do get NI credit because I am on working tax credit with disability premium. The problem is this is a legacy benefit so if it stops I am completely stuck. Anyway, as you say at least I can copy the information from my copy onto the new form. 

poppy123456

My apologies, they do indeed pay NI credits. When you return the next form make sure you ask the post office for proof of posting as suggested by chiareds above.

newburyrat

thanks chiarieds I will try phoning the enquiry line next week. But as it stands, without PIP I am completely messed up. No PIP no tax credit, no NI credit…

newburyrat

Oh, and didn’t use the post office, put it in the post box, as there’s always at least 20 minute queue in the post office. But useful info about certificate of posting, never heard of this before.
just a thought, wouldn’t it make life easier if you could do benefit forms online?

chiarieds

Reading again through the link above, it does say, 'You currently get, or have been getting, a qualifying sickness or disability benefit.' This under 'Condition 3.' So I'm hopeful all may be well after all.

chiarieds

The DWP are actually currently trialling online applications.

newburyrat

thanks. Tomorrow after work when I’m feeling a bit less stressed by this I will look at the link

newburyrat

online a online would be wonderful, especially for people like me who cannot handle phones!

poppy123456

chiarieds said:

Reading again through the link above, it does say, 'You currently get, or have been getting, a qualifying sickness or disability benefit.' This under 'Condition 3.' So I'm hopeful all may be well after all.

The link is very misleading and not easy to understand so i looked for a different one here. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/qualifying-benefit-test  having read through this if a disability benefit such as PIP/DLA stops then the disabled element stops.

Unless at any time in the 26 weeks before you claimed WTC you were getting higher rate of short term incapacity benefit (IB), long-term incapacity benefit (IB), severe disablement allowance (SDA) or employment and support allowance (ESA: providing you have been entitled to it for at least 28 weeks – including linked periods and periods on statutory sick pay (SSP)).

I've highlighted the area above because it maybe relevant to the OP in the weeks before they originally claimed WTC.

Hopefully, everything will work out just fine and DWP will receive the form within the coming week.

chiarieds

Thank you Poppy, I also looked at the entitledto website's info prior to commenting, but not the link you gave above, which, as you correctly say, may be relevant to the OP.

newburyrat

thanks thanks to you both for your supportive comments and suggestions. Going to bed now, but plan of action is call the PIP helpline on Monday, look at the links you’ve provided as well, and take it from there. The crucial point is still getting them to restart my claim, hopefully my form will turn up and they will see sense and restart!