DLA turning into PIP, advice please?

Aura · April 2019

I'm a bit worried at the moment as i've just recieved a letter saying my DLA benifit is stopping and being moved to PIP. I had a word with a friend of mine and they stopped hers and she had to go to court to appeal. I have Aspbergers and anxiety and know nothing about court appeals, other then they are leanghty and complicated. if I lose my Pip then I'll have to give a lot of things up which I don't want to do. can anyone advise me please?

I've rang up and they are going to send me a form, i have until April 20th, the clocks ticking.

Sam_Alumni · April 2019

Hi @Aura
I know it can be worrying, especially when you know people who it didnt go well for, but all you can do now is apply for the PIP and put in the best application form you can. There is a PIP self test you can do to see how you could score.

There is some great advice on the CAB website about filling in your PIP claim form here. It goes through question by question telling you more abotu what they are asking and how to fill it in.

It can help to understand what they are looking for, and to remember that it is not about your diagnosis but about how your impairment affects you on a day to day basis.

The daily living activities

To get the daily living component of PIP, you must have a physical or mental condition that limits your ability to carry out some or all of these activities:

preparing food
eating and drinking
managing your treatments
washing and bathing
managing toilet needs or incontinence
dressing and undressing
communicating verbally
reading and understanding written information
mixing with others
making decisions about money

The mobility activities

To get the mobility component of PIP, you must have a physical or mental condition that limits your ability to carry out some or all of these activities:

planning and following journeys
moving around

The descriptors

Your ability to carry out each activity is measured against a list of standard statements describing what you can or can’t do. These are known as the descriptors. The health professional will advise the DWP which descriptor applies to you for each activity.

For example, there are 6 descriptors for ‘Dressing and undressing’, ranging from ‘Can dress and undress unaided’ to ‘Cannot dress or undress at all’.

Each descriptor carries a points score ranging from 0 to 12.

Download: Table of activities, descriptors and points [ 69 kb]
Download: Guide to the language used in the activities and descriptors [ 43 kb]

When the assessor decides which descriptor applies to you, they must consider whether you can carry out the activity reliably. This means:

safely in a way that is unlikely to cause harm either to you or anyone else, either during the activity or afterwards
to an acceptable standard
repeatedly as often as is reasonably required
in a reasonable time period - should take you no more than twice as long someone without your condition

Aura · April 2019

Thanks for your reply. I suffer from stress and anxiety, I also have Scholiocis (curvature of the spine, or spin as my doctor called it once). I get confused with filling in forms due to my Aspbergers that's why I wouldn't understand court systems etc. I've tried the PIP test, but some of the questions are a bit dauntingly confusing, so I would have to get someone to go with me.

My friend who was refused was working an hour as a cleaner in a bank, as I don't work, but I am in support groups for my condition. still doesn't stop me worrying through.

Aura · October 2019

Just an update, the pip assessor came an interview with me. She was a very nice lady, but then they always are because they are nice on purpose deliberately to try and catch you out.

I've received a letter in the post yesterday saying that they have all the information they need about me now, I'm a bit worried because they never contacted my doctor and I couldn't afford to get a doctor's note. at my surgery I never see the same doctor twice, it's all different doctors and medical staff.

I'm worried about getting low points. I have a disabled bus pass, and I'll have to give that up if I got low points. I would have to give other things up as well which I don't want to do do.

if I do get low points, I have to appeal, I never been in the courtroom in my life. I've heard that they are notorious for postponing the appeals.

poppy123456 · October 2019

Not all HCP's are horrible, believe it or not there are some very nice ones out there. I've never had a bad one yet and i've had 6 face to face assessments in total for ESA and PIP.

The reason they never contacted your GP or any other medical professional is because they very rarely do this. It's the claimant responsibility to prove they qualify, not there's.

The letter you received is just a standard letter sent to everyone and a decision could be anything from 2-8 weeks. sometimes longer. You can ring DWP to request a copy of the assessment report to be sent to you, this will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be because they mostly go with the report. You will still have to wait for a decision though.

If you're not happy with the decision you have 1 month to request the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) if that fails then it's Tribunal but it's not a court, it's just a basic room with 1 table. They only adjourn an appeal if there's good reason to do so. Hopefully it won't come to this and you'll be successfully awarded. Your DLA will continue until a decision's been made on the PIP.

DLA turning into PIP, advice please?

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The daily living activities

The mobility activities

The descriptors

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