PIP success all down to this wonderful site
“used the guides on here back in january and sent off my forms recorded delivery 6 of feb ,got a letter in late march saying i wasnt eligible as i didnt return the form ,lucky i followed the advice here and proved they had signed for it on the 8th feb ,so after losing my forms they kindly allowed me a face to face at 3 days notice on 4 may ,then silence until randomly check my online bank to see who i couldnt afford to pay this month ,and b****r me £2880 had been deposited the day before by the dhss ,and today i got the paperwork enhanced rate on both and back dated to jan 2017 and until may 2021 ,so grateful for the guides and advice honestly the best £20 i've spent in a long time many thanks to all and cant thank or recommend you enough”
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Dear Reader,
It’s hard to believe how much has changed since our last newsletter, which went out the day before the election.
There have been terrible events, mostly outside the scope of this newsletter.
Although the depths of the DWP’s inhumanity were graphically revealed when JSA claimants who lost their homes in the Grenfell Tower fire were warned that they might be sanctioned if they failed to sign on as normal. Only after the media got hold of the story did the DWP promise payments would be made without the need to meet usual job seeking requirements.
But many readers will have been cheered by the Conservatives losing their majority.
At the time of writing, we don’t even know for sure whether they will be able to come to an arrangement with the DUP in order to cling to power.
What is certain, however, is that the Tories don’t need a big majority to cause more misery. Their freeze on benefits has already begun and, with inflation on the rise, it will create increasing hardship.
In addition, more unfair changes to PIP and ESA regulations can be made by ministers without any need to put them to a vote.
So, unwelcome though yet another election might be, it is the only way that change for the better can happen.
HUGE FALL IN DLA TO PIP REASSESSMENTS
The number of people being summoned to go through their DLA to PIP reassessments has plummeted in recent months.
The combined number of PIP new claims and reassessments has plunged from 104,333 in January of this year to 49,409 in April. Most of the fall is due to a huge reduction in DLA to PIP reassessments.
The DWP have offered no explanation for the fall, saying only that “reassessment registrations have decreased due to DWP managing capacity within the system.”
Anecdotal evidence from our members suggests that waiting times for assessments have risen in recent months. So the reason may simply be that a large backlog has once again built up and the DWP are doing their best to cover up the truth.
We’d be very interested to hear from you about how long you waited for your face-to-face assessment.
ATOS CHANGES ITS NAME
Atos Healthcare has changed its name.
The company has now become Independent Assessment Services.
Atos – sorry - IAS is very clear that the reason for the change is that their new name “better represents the work we do and explains that our role is to independently assess and process Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cases passed to us from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).”
Clearly it has nothing to do with trying to shake off the dreadful associations that the name Atos has amongst so many members of the public.
And it most definitely isn’t connected with the fact that photographs of people bearing placards saying ‘Atos Kills’ invariably feature alongside any article about the company.
No, this is just an innocent attempt to clarify what the company does.
IDS TO REPLACE JEREMY VINE
Continuing with the subject of leopards and spots, many readers will be outraged to learn that Iain Duncan Smith (IDS), is to spend next week standing in for Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2.
Ed Miliband is standing in this week, in the interests of impartiality.
However, there is an enormous difference between Miliband, who simply failed in his attempt to lead Labour to an election win and IDS, who has caused so much misery and hardship to so many people.
IDS was feared and despised by many sick and disabled claimants, not just because of his role in introducing Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment.
It was also the rhetoric which IDS used, and allowed the DWP to use, which inspired ever greater hatred of claimants. The increasing dehumanisation of sick and disabled people helped to ensure that the vicious ramping up of sanctions against claimants under IDS met with public approval.
There was also his misuse of statistics to try to imply that many DLA claimants might not be entitled to their benefits.
And his desperate avoidance of the sister of David Clapson, the diabetic former soldier who died after his benefits were cut.
We’ve included contact details for the show in our article, if you want to share your thoughts on this issue with the BBC.
NEW WORK AND PENSIONS SECRETARY HELPED FIRMS AVOID TAX
David Gauke, the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is a former solicitor at a City tax avoidance law firm.
Yet, as a Treasury minister, he was happy to tell people it was “morally wrong” for householders to pay tradesman cash-in-hand, because it allowed working people to avoid paying tax.
He argued that “ . . . if people do that they have to do so with the recognition that means taxes will be higher for the rest."
Gauke has been criticised in the past for claiming £10,000 in expenses to cover stamp duty on a second home in London, even though his own home was less than an hour’s travelling time from Westminster.
He was also reported to HM Revenue and Customs, after advertising an unpaid six-month “training” post at his constituency office. At the time HMRC had launched a crackdown on employers not paying the minimum wage.
Claimants will be reassured to know that a man of such high principles has taken over at the DWP.
Good luck,
Steve Donnison
ESA appeal success – from WRAG to Support Group
“After 16 months of anxiety it was agreed that my daughter ( having learning difficulties and autism) could move from WRAG to ESA Support group. The demands of WRAG threatened her secure routines , causing panic attacks. I could find no other support and advice to prepare the appeal other than your excellent guide. Many thanks.”
BOOST YOUR PIP AND ESA CHANCES - 20% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – OFFER ENDS MIDNIGHT FRIDAY, 23 JUNE
DLA to PIP success
“I just wanted to briefly say thank you to the helpful guides on this site and the additional information contained within the forums. My mum has successfully transferred from DLA to PIP.”
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: 84738
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, 23 June
LATEST NEWS
IDS takes over from Jeremy Vine
In a move that will outrage many claimants, the most divisive and anti-claimant secretary of state for work and pensions in many years, Iain Duncan Smith, is to spend next week standing in for Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2.
Atos changes its name
Atos Healthcare announced last week that they have changed their name to Independent Assessment Services.
Huge fall in DLA to PIP reassessments
The number of disability living allowance (DLA) claimants being forced to apply for personal independence payment (PIP) has plummeted, DWP statistics released this week show. The DWP have said only that they are “managing capacity within the system.”
New Work and Pensions secretary helped firms avoid tax
David Gauke, the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is a former solicitor at a City tax avoidance law firm. He has been criticised for claiming expenses to cover stamp duty on a second home and for offering unpaid jobs at his constituency office.
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.
PIP Tribunal success!
“I am so pleased I won my PIP tribunal recently. It was a long and difficult journey, 13 months from application, gaining enough points at the assessment for an award, then having them taken off me, two tribunal adjournments (One because I'd had the same judge before and the other because they wanted my medical records) I was awarded standard rate daily living for mental health for three years. The tribunal said I didn't need to come in as they didn't want to add to my anxiety.
I am so relieved it is over. Thank you so much to the MODS especially Gordon who always answered my questions and reassured me of the PIP process. Also the PIP guides are an excellent resource as I wouldn't have been able to express my problems so coherently without this, this gave me confidence to keep pursuing my PIP claim. Thank again.”
Won PIP appeal
“Hi, just want to thank Benefits and Work for all the information that helped me put together my appeal. I represented myself as I could not find an advocate. I went from no award of PIP, to standard rate daily living and standard rate mobility”
PIP Standard awarded!
“I have been awarded standard care PIP and want to say thank you for everybody's help here.”
PIP success
“Thank you thank you thank you without your help I would not have received my award of enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility. Now to fill in my esa form to see if I can go into a support group. I have fibromyalgia and it is not easy to get the message over that you are really poorly. Thank you once again”
Won PIP appeal
“I would like to say a big thank you to all you guys and gals who put the advise for us to use, my wife took her pip case to tribunal and the dwp changed their mind and awarded standard living pip on top of the mobility which was already awarded, tribunal was dropped. THANK YOU ALL”
PIP appeal success
“Using your guides for PIP I successfully appealed the transfer process from DLA middle care and low mobility. From receiving this DLA amount of about £80 weekly to nil I have now gone through the appeal for PIP. The original HCP's decision was to award 6 points care needs and 4 points moving around for PIP therefore no money. I was cut off with no funds since last October and have now been awarded 8 points care and 8 points mobility by the PIP tribunal and now awarded my money. This has been due to your helpful PIP process with the claim form and also your excellent PIP appeal guide which I followed step by step. This is a fantastic site and thanks again for all your input, advice and hard work.”
PIP success
“Much to my surprise, I got enhanced rate for both care and mobility when transferred form DLA to PIP. My claim was mostly based on CFS which has left me more or less housebound and bed bound.... I followed all the advice in the PIP guide and I am sure this made a difference too. I really just want to say, given how frightened I was of MR and appeals, I was so relieved I did not have to fight to get the right benefit. Although I was following the advice here, I think I was also incredibly lucky. Sometimes the DWP get it right. We probably hear more about when things go wrong, but it can go right as well.”
High rate care & mobility award
“Just want to thank everybody here, and especially everyone who has contributed to the very comprehensive PIP guides, and now hopefully the ESA guides. After much aggravation, and help from my MP… led to a desktop decision to award the high rate of care (from low rate - hadn't wanted to risk PIP any earlier than necessary) and continuation of high rate mobility award. All I can say is Woo Hoo! Now to return to trying for the more complicated task of re-applying for contributory ESA with direct entry to the support group, otherwise I've had 'my year' or would only have to start again after 18 months or more. Real pleased to renew my membership with a 20% discount.”
DLA to PIP success
“I was on the Mobility component if DLA and had to do my PIP forms. I filled them in with loads of evidence from GP and all my prescriptions following the guides. I went into great detail about the help I needed and my mobility issues. When I went for my face to face with Atos, although the lady appeared to be very nice when i got home I rang DWP straight away and asked that when they received her report if they could please send me a copy …I received the report 2 weeks before a decision and she had lied. She said that I walked to the car park which I did not and she said that I was carrying a handbag and gave me 0 points for mobility. I wrote a long letter stating that my daughter went and got the car and if they watched their recording they would see this….I would recommend everyone to ask DWP to send you a copy of the HPs assessment which I would not have done had I not seen it on here. Thank you to B and W”
DLA to PIP
“Just received my results from assessment for change over to pip from dla and was pleased to receive enhanced for both care and mobility for ongoing period. Would like to thank all mods … for their assistance and Steve for this extremely helpful site without which I would not have had a chance of understanding the best way to put my case forward. Just a quick tip to other members is do not skip through the pages on this site and read everything thoroughly. Many thanks yet again.”
ESA Tribunal success
“I just wanted to pass on some good news. Today my son and myself attended his ESA appeal. He was awarded zero points at his assessment. There was the judge and a doctor... My son was very stressed throughout but got through it. We were then asked to wait outside while they made their decision. About 10 minutes later we were asked back in and there was a couple of sheets of paper on the desk. Neither of us could read it because we were terrified. The judge said he had upheld by son's appeal and had awarded him 15 points for mobility which he said "that will put you in the support group" at which point we both cried....I can't thank all the people on the forum enough for the support and advice you have given me. Without this site I don't think we could have won my son's appeal. So everyone don't give up. Follow the guides. It's a painful process but we got there in the end and you can too. Thank you. Thank you.”
PIP Review
“Thank you once again to everyone who helped me this time last year. I was originally given 0 points then applied for MR and got enhanced daily living rate. This success was due to the invaluable advice given on this forum.”
DLA to PIP success – enhanced rate for both
“I had my assessment 3 weeks ago the HP was extremely helpful & even prompted me on a few occasions for activities I thought I hadn't got a problem with…Received my award this morning & I have been awarded enhanced rate for Care & Moving Around ongoing until 2027 I previously had low rate care & high rate motabily components of DLA. I could not have managed it without the help of your brilliant guides for which I thank you from the bottom of my heart. So relieved it is all over. Thanks again!”
BOOST YOUR PIP AND ESA CHANCES - 20% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – OFFER ENDS MIDNIGHT FRIDAY, 23 JUNE
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: 84738
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, 23 June
Good luck,
The Office Team
Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd
Company registration No. 5962666
