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Telephone Hearing

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  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    edited April 2020
    Hmm, that's very misleading on the .gov site then.  That's the only page about claiming disability premiums, if you look at the previous page it shows the eligibility for DP, SDP & EDP.  

    https://www.gov.uk/disability-premiums/eligibility

    It doesn't say anywhere how to claim SDP or EDP specifically or that the process would be different from DP.  How would anyone know to do it without a checking somewhere like this forum? 

    Thanks for the clarification on backpay.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    It isn't particularly clear, I agree @OverlyAnxious
    Unfortunately as @Username_removed said, when it comes to reliable information particularly with regards to benefits, Gov isn't the best source. 

    Have you managed to give ESA a call? 
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Fair enough, I always assumed the Gov site was the best one to trust as it's direct from the source lol!  Will know now for future reference. :) 

    I haven't phoned them, no.  After the tribunal call I was really quite ill for a few days and don't want to repeat that.  I've read a few posts saying people were sent letters/forms in the post after the ESA system had been updated so I'll just hope & wait for that.  I have also read that I can post them a change of circumstances so may have to do that if not, I did buy a few stamps before lockdown and there's plenty of postboxes around here.  I know most people take phones for granted and it seems daft that I can't use them - but equally in the internet age I don't really see why anything can't just be updated online now.

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    I'm sorry to read how ill you were after the tribunal call @OverlyAnxious. It doesn't seem daft at all that you have difficulties with phone calls. I know a lot of people who are similar and if I'm honest, it's an area that causes me a great deal of anxiety too. I'll always look for any other option before making a call and I've missed out on plenty of things over the years because a phone call was listed as the only option.
    I agree entirely - there should be a wider range of ways to apply or report changes and offering the option of doing things online seems a logical next step where possible.
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • MangyWolf
    MangyWolf Posts: 40 Connected
    The problem with everything to do with benefits is that the government / DWP as the source are never trust worthy, and even lass so are capita or Atos.

    I will never be agreeing to a face to face assessment again until they are video recorded. If it's not recorded or you don't take a witness, you are screwed no matter what you say.
  • MangyWolf
    MangyWolf Posts: 40 Connected
    Also on this note of telephone anxiety, I personally haven't ever been able to speak to anyone for non essential things on the phone. I've never phoned a family member or friends, and never accept social or casual calls. I've also never phoned for a taximand always ask for email or text communication. However even if someday this became a benefits descriptor, they would probably still say 'you can have telephone appointments for doctors / benefits so zero points'. 
  • MangyWolf
    MangyWolf Posts: 40 Connected
    edited April 2020
    The point of a video recording isn't for evidence of medical conditions, it's to stop the HCPs making everything up. If they haven't been recorded giving you a physical assessment, then they can't claim to have given you one and make up perfect results all the time. It doesn't need to be mandatory for all assessments, but available for those that feel the need to have it during their assessment, or simply let the claimants record using whatever they want!

    If I can't even video record my assessment on my phone, then there's no point to me going for one again.
  • MangyWolf
    MangyWolf Posts: 40 Connected
    edited April 2020
    While it might not help or need to help for the appeal, it would help if you are also wanting to complain through ICE and potentially press further for a case of clinical negligence, something which I still want to do. It would also help when submitting an initial complaint to the health assessment company as the main thing they will dismiss complaints on is not having any evidence.
  • MangyWolf
    MangyWolf Posts: 40 Connected
    edited April 2020
    I guess I'm just still naive and think there's something more that can be done with such evidence. Personally I won't even attend another assessment if I cannot record it with consent.

    Maybe clinical negligence isn't a thing that applies for this but deprivation of capital would be.
  • MangyWolf
    MangyWolf Posts: 40 Connected
    I’m sorry but there’s no deprivation of capital here. PIP is a 4 weekly payment i.e. an income. Being turned down for PIP is not grounds for multiple legal fronts to be opened other than in the most extraordinary circumstances and this is not that. 
    My case was deprivation of capital - I had it and they lied to stop it. If I had an actual recording I would be able to get compensation for damages for both my gardens dying due to losing the money I should have had, and also loans repaid.
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    I'm not sure gardens dying is a priority of the DWP when some people can't afford to eat or heat...but let's bring this back on topic... :D  

    For anyone in a similar position and wondering about timescales, I've received my PIP backpay already (just 2 weeks after tribunal!) and first PIP payment will be the end of May.  Probably different across the country but it might be helpful as a guide.  SDP & LHA lifting is the next step now...

    I've just checked the local council site to see if I can make the change of circumstances for LHA on there.  I've done rent increases on there before without issue.  I couldn't find a specific tickbox for SDP or LHA, but was surprised to see that they know I'm in receipt of PIP already!  I thought it'd take a while for all the systems to update.  So given that DWP systems must all have updated, how likely is it that they'll send me the 'offer' of SDP via post now?  I've seen several other posts mention it but none particularly recently and none that say how long it took between the award and the SDP letter.  Has anyone recently received a letter regarding SDP?  I know most people phone up immediately so I appreciate it's not likely to be many.
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    You have to claim SDP. There’s nothing automatic about it at all.
    You have to claim SDP. There’s nothing automatic about it at all.

    I'm not disputing that, but some people seem to have been sent the claim forms after a PIP win instead of having to phone for them.  Generally people that didn't even know they were entitled to SDP.

    Annoyingly I can't find the most informative post I saw again now, sods law, but this one certainly seems to mention it - 

    https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum/10-dla-esa-queries-results/105779-received-letter-about-severe-disability-premium
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Got the letter offering me SDP this morning.  Patience is a virtue haha!



    So, hopefully the last question on this for a while...does housing benefit automatically update to the next tier of LHA when SDP is in place or is there another process to go through for that?  If they need to be notified, what exactly do I ask for?

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