PIP success
“Hi, can't begin to explain my relief at receiving a DWP phone call this pm telling me I've been awarded both enhanced rate care and mobility until 2019…Thank you to B&W for all your support and invaluable guides”
ESA success
“My daughter received her decision today she has been awarded support group Esa without a medical…Thanks to you all for the advice given and the fantastic guides.”
Don’t miss our last 20% discount offer until at least mid-January
DWP Aims To Slash Number Of PIP Awards by 35% - People Who Rely On Aids Main Target - Vouchers May Replace Cash
Dear Reader,
Welcome to our final, brief newsletter before Christmas. We’ll be back again on Wednesday 13 January.
In this edition we reveal that the DWP is planning to make it much harder for claimants who need aids and adaptations to get an award of PIP. As many as 35% of claimants who currently get an award of the daily living component could miss out in the future.
The move by the DWP is partly due to the fact that claimants are winning a shocking 6 out of 10 PIP appeals, the latest figures show.
Also in this edition, we have news that ESA reassessments have begun again after a break of almost two years.
PIP AWARDS TO BE SLASHED
The DWP is aiming to slash the number of people who are eligible for the daily living component of PIP. The cuts will be aimed at the 35% of claimants who qualify for PIP solely because of their use of aids and appliances.
Senior officials are unhappy that recent upper tribunal decisions have found that a bed, for example, can count as an aid or appliance if a claimant needs to sit on it in order to get dressed.
This, they say wasn’t the original intention when the benefit was introduced.
As a result the department has launched a brief consultation, ending on 29 January 2016, to decide how to change the system.
Possibilities include giving claimants who qualify for PIP on aids alone a single lump sum in the form of a voucher or giving them nothing at all.
The current PIP rules will continue to apply until any changes are made.
Any changes will only apply to current claimants when their eligibility is reassessed.
PIP APPEALS
The proportion of PIP appeals that are won by the claimant has risen to 60% according to the latest official figures.
This is in spite of the fact that all claimants wanting to appeal have to go through the mandatory reconsideration system, which was supposed to dramatically reduce both the number and percentage of successful appeals.
In reality, the proportion of PIP appeals won by the claimant has increased in every quarter since the benefit was introduced. The number of PIP appeals has also risen from 2,145 in July to September 2014 to 13,568 in the most recent quarter.
58% of ESA appeals are also successful, with numbers rising by 26% in a year, to 13,020 in the most recent quarter.
ESA REASSESSMENTS TO START AGAIN
The DWP have begun the routine reassessment of ESA claimants, according to the Rightsnet forum, something which has not been done since January 2014.
The announcement means that even though Maximus is failing to meet its targets and is losing money on the work capability assessment contract, it apparently now has enough spare capacity to begin checking claimants already in receipt of ESA.
Whether this is only in certain areas of the country, or whether it is only a small proportion of those claimants due a reassessment, we don’t yet know.
HOW FAR TO YOUR PIP ASSESSMENT?
Thank you to everyone who has so far sent us information about how far they had to travel to their PIP assessment. We have had scores of emails, lots of comments and some Facebook posts on this issue, but we could still use more.
We’ll be writing up detailed information about what is happening, and why people are being sent such long distances, in the New Year.
FORUM CLOSURE
Our brilliant band of moderators will do their last session of the year on Christmas Eve and then reappear on Tuesday 5 January – so there’s still plenty of time to wish them a Happy Christmas!
IN THE NEXT EDITION
Well, we still haven’t heard from the Information Commissioner’s Office with a decision on our challenge to the DWP’s refusal to give us information about the secret reviews into the deaths of 49 claimants.
In fact, they aren’t even replying to our emails now. Maybe by the next edition . . . But, we’ll be off to the information tribunal if necessary - we’re not giving up.
In the next newsletter, however, we definitely will be piloting a new feature to help you get as much information as possible about your PIP assessment centre.
Until then, we wish you a peaceful Christmas and a brown envelope free New Year.
Good luck,
Steve Donnison
DLA to PIP success age 16
“Thank you all for your help and support, the guides have been invaluable and have helped me to get a positive result for my sons DLA to PIP transfer because he turned 16. I received the award today and he got Enhanced Care and Enhanced mobility until December 2019 without an assessment…I might actually get some sleep tonight”
FINAL DISCOUNT OFFER UNTIL AT LEAST MID JANUARY - 20% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – ENDS MIDNIGHT FRIDAY.
Thanks to everyone on the forum
“It's official! I am in the ESA CB Support Group. I have been awarded higher rate care and mobility for PIP. So thanks to all who posted on the forum, mods and all the poor souls in the same situation as me. Thanks also to B&W for the guides.”
Give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right ESA, PIP or DLA decision, whether you’re making a claim, renewing an existing award or asking for a reconsideration or appeal.
Subscribe now and get instant access to all our guides.
If you’re not already a member, join the Benefits and Work community before midnight on Friday and you can get 20% off the cost of your annual subscription.
Just type the following code into the coupon box when you pay: 64754
Claimants and carers get an annual subscription for £15.96, down from £19.95. Professionals get an annual subscription for £77.60, down from £97.00.
Offer ends midnight Friday
BENEFITS NEWS
Claimants win 6 out of 10 PIP appeals
The proportion of PIP appeals that are won by the claimant has risen to 60% according to the latest official figures.
DWP moves to slash number of PIP awards by 35% - vouchers may replace some payments
The DWP has launched a consultation aimed at slashing the number of people eligible for the daily living component of PIP.
ESA reassessments to begin again
We wanted to update you on a recent decision by DWP to start to refer some people for repeat Work Capability Assessments from 1 December 2015.
DWP ordered to apologise over suicide of claimant
The DWP has been ordered to apologise to the sister of a vulnerable claimant who committed suicide after his benefits were cut, according to the Guardian.
GOOD NEWS FROM THE FORUM
As always, many thanks to everyone who takes the trouble to post in the forum or email us with news of your success. We know it’s many readers favourite, and most encouraging, bit of the newsletter.
ESA result
“Thanks to everyone my son has had his ESA results back, no face to face or medical, he's back in the support [group],merry xmas to everyone”
PIP result
“Got my PIP (DLA) result today. Standard rate till May 2018. A B I G Thank you to you, as those guides are invaluable”
ESA success
“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to B&W. You guys are brilliant. I just received my ESA decision and I have been placed in the Support Group. This was all done with the help of your excellent guides that I subscribed to.”
PIP Appeal success
“Massive thanks to mods and members of this site. I have won a PIP APPEAL FIRST TIER TRIBUNAL. This is for my 17 yr son for ADHD/ ASPERGERS. We were awarded enhanced care and standard mobility. This has been going on since January and has been a very anxious time for the whole family. This website has been great in giving honest advice and facts.”
Success at last ESA
“just to say a massive thank you to all the B&W people who have helped and guided me every step of the way .I had applied in July to go into the support group of Esa and after assessments cancelled on the days we were there ,and all the waiting and frustrations involved ,finally we got the dreaded brown envelope to say I am in the support group for the next 2 years . Definitely could not have done it without your superb guides and answering all my questions !”
WRAG to SG appeal success
“the 16 day wait for a decision after my tribunal hearing seemed endless, but the relief of getting a decision in my favour was huge…the advice and information i got here really helped me feel more confident that i had done the best i could to put my [case] effectively…THANK YOU”
PIP successful outcome
“Today (3 weeks & 1 day after my face to face assessment) I received the result of my PIP claim. I've been granted enhanced rate care & enhanced mobility for 4 years. I'm so grateful to all the guidance I found on this website. Thank you.”
PIP mandatory Reconsideration success!
“After my hubby going from higher rate DLA to then being awarded 0 points in his PIP application we put in a mandatory reconsideration and have recieved a letter today saying that they have awarded him enhanced care and enhanced mobility until 2019!! We are both SO relieved, it has been the most stressful few weeks of our... Without this website I would not have been able to pick my way through the minefield of this process and we would be in despair! I paid the membership to get access to the guides and it has been worth every penny! Thanks to the team on here and others who without knowing it have helped us in your posts to keep positive…"
PIP success
“Hi, I just want to say that that I have had my PIP Assessment on the 16/11 and today I have received the dreaded brown envelope. I was on Enhanced Care and Standard Mobility.........they have kept my Enhanced Care and given me Enhanced Mobility both until November 2021...so soo happy… Thankyou all so much..”
PIP Result
“just letting you know that my hubbie got the stander rate of pip(mobility) and standard for care for 10 yrs !!!!! thanks so much for all your help and notes : thanks B&W.”
PIP Appeal won! For Asperger’s
“I have won my daughters Appeal despite not attending in person. She has been awarded enhanced daily living and mobility…I encourage people not to give up if they are refused or do not get the level of award they believe to be fair. Many many thanks for benefits and works without your help she may not have won her Appeal.”
Successful ESA & PIP claim
“Thank you to all at Benefits and Work for the excellent advice, support and guidance you give. I had a successful move from IB to ESA… into the support group with no assessment, and after being very reluctant to apply for PIP after reading some of the dreadful experiences of some claimants, I've just been awarded both care and mobility components for four years”
FINAL DISCOUNT OFFER UNTIL AT LEAST MID JANUARY - 20% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – ENDS MIDNIGHT FRIDAY.
Give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right ESA, PIP or DLA decision, whether you’re making a claim, renewing an existing award or asking for a reconsideration or appeal.
Subscribe now and get instant access to all our guides.
If you’re not already a member, join the Benefits and Work community before midnight on Friday and you can get 20% off the cost of your annual subscription.
Just type the following code into the coupon box when you pay: 64754
Claimants and carers get an annual subscription for £15.96, down from £19.95. Professionals get an annual subscription for £77.60, down from £97.00.
Offer ends midnight Friday
Good luck,
The Office Team
Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd
Company registration No. 5962666
