Confusion about P.I.P letter. — Scope | Disability forum
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Confusion about P.I.P letter.

samantha21
samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
Hello.
 I received a D.W.P. letter about P.I.P awards and Reviews.
I have been told my P.I.P award is extended until April 2022. I t also says something about a Review Award and having one month to return it.  I have not received the form as yet.

My confusion is that after a long delay which ran from 2018/2019 I was awarded my P.IP. I was waiting to go to appeal and out of the blue D.W.P wrote saying they were changing my award and I no longer had to go to appeal. Good news for me .I was awarded the P.I.P which they backdated and it was for on going period.. The D.W.P  also said in letter that they would once again contact me after 5th December 2028 just to make sure they were paying me the correct amount.
 I presumed that I must have my award under the "Light Touch"  which came in and was rolled out to pensioners who received the P.I.P and had the award for 10 years.
 Does this mean I will have to go through all the claiming again? also those terrible assessments.
Any one who knows about this benefit have you any advice.
I  have tried to phone them twice but after half an hour wait both times gave up.
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Comments

  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    I don’t have an answer for you but @poppy123456 may help soon.
    the only thing I would say is that I phoned the dwp yesterday and they answered me after approx forty minutes, which has happened before I might add, so thirty mins is a bit short. ?

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    LeeCal

    I appreciate your reply.  I could not hold the phone any longer as I get pains in arms associated with the backpain
    I suffer from and then my hands started to get pins and needles so after dropping the phone twice I gave up.
    Forty minutes right now is too much and after too long I forget the full wording of what to say.
  • avakarlsson
    avakarlsson Community member Posts: 333 Courageous
    Hi everyone 
    Hope everyone is doing well 

    I was on the phone to pip on Wednesday and took an hour and 10 mins to answer normally you don't have to wait too long but recently the phone lines have been manic

  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    @samantha21 I don’t hold the phone I put it on the table nearby, usually it’s loud enough to hear the constant music and occasional verbal messages and to detect when the voice has changed to an actual operator.

    @poppy123456 is very knowledgeable about PIP I’m sure she’ll help when she can.

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    HI,

    Are you sure your award is until 2028? it doesn't make sense to have received a letter extending your award until 2022, if they said they would contact you after 5th December 2028.

    I'd advise you to have a look at your previous award letter to see exactly what it says and look carefully at the dates. If it does say they will contact you after 2028 then you'll need to ring them and ask why you've been sent this new award letter. It may take a while for them to answer, sometimes as long as an hour.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Those phone lines must be manic and it would not be any use to me as at the moment after having my medication raised it makes me fall asleep and I would probably just doze off completely and miss them even if they answered don' they offer a call back?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    edited October 2020
     don' they offer a call back?

    Unfortunately, not. Ringing them is the only way to find out exactly what's going on.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Poppy 123456 :

    Thank-you for your reply, The letter very recently received from D.W.P  tells me they are reviewing P.I.P awards once more. I have been told they will review in April 2022.

    My own award letter came in April 2019 the exact wording began   "I'm writing to you about your appeal against the Personal Independence   Payment decision."  They said they looked at all the facts and evidence and they considered some points I had made about going to the appeal. They had made some careful consideration of my case they were changing the original decision my award was changing and no appeal will continue.
    It was stated I had an a award from 2019 and it will be for an ongoing period. Over  the page they write you have been awarded Personal Independance  Payment and will be entitled as long as you meet conditions. They then write We'll contact you after 15th December 2028 to make sure you are receiving the right amount of P.I .P. 

    They are aware I am of pensionable age and my condition cannot be cured and can only deteriorate so I presumed I had be given the 10 year light touch being given to those most vulnerable who would not have a cure for there condition.

  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Poppy 123456:
     I am going off-line for now as the recent letter has upset me, also I tried the D.W.P on the phone and could not get them. I am getting tired as my medication has kicked in and it will make me even more tired.
    I have my D.W.P award letter and what I have told you is what it says, also them referring to 2028.
    It was a nightmare getting through the P.I.P award and everything else and it has only been 9 months since it all ended I can't go through that again and they are bothering me already.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    Although they can review you at anytime, regardless of the length of award, recieving that letter with your award "extended to 2022" makes no sense to me at all. I know you find it difficult to hold on the phone for a length of time but this is the only way you'll know what's going on.

    Try ringing on Monday as soon as they open, lines are often less busy at this time.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Poppy 123456:

     Thank-you for the reply;  the letter makes no sense to me at all either.  In  fact I think that they were going to look at my award earlier but it says they have not carried out all reviews because of Covid-19 and so mine has been extended until April 2022.
     They say that means my P.I.P will continue to be paid as normal.

    I am certain that about a month ago my P.I.P payment went into my account about three days late I do not do internet banking. I had not been well and went to the bank one morning and they had paid it in on that day. I would have phoned them but as the money went in even though it was late I left it.
    I  shall phone D.W.P on Monday as early as possible depending how I am on my medication to find out what is going on.
      Obviously with so many people losing jobs and having to claim benefits with this awful Covid19 I expect the benefit system is getting overwhelmed.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes i know what the letter says because i received a letter also last Saturday, which said the same thing.

    People losing jobs has nothing to do with PIP because you wouldn't claim a disability benefit if you lost your job.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Dazl58
    Dazl58 Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    I have had a thought and I know you won't know for definite until you ring the DWP /PIP,but could it be that the award has been extended to "run" from April 2022 for an ongoing period (due to Covid 19 sort of nullifying things).I hope this is the case.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    That's highly unlikely.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Dazl58  Thank-you for your reply.  I  would agree with Poppy123456 as saying That's highly unlikely.  The only thing I cannot make sense of is my original letter telling me they will not contact me until  after 15th December
    2028. I will be talking to them after the weekend and finding out what is going on.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    Please do let us know the outcome.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Poppy123456; 

    I will post the outcome once I have spoken to them.
    I was so ill after the PIP assessment/long wait and then thinking I would have to then go to appeal.
    I use my PIP for my mobility car and as I had a car and it was time for a change of vehicle I was told I could lease my car for 1/2 years longer  if I wanted to.
     I was told in July  that I could now choose a new car that has been done but as there is a big backlog in all mobility operations the dealer has said that the vehicle will not be ready until November.
     I just hope that I am not about to experience more anxiety with this as the last lot almost pushed me over the edge, in fact two days before the letter came telling me of the D.W.P  doing a U  turn on my award I was ready to tell  Mobility just come and take the car I was at the point of giving up, luckily I held out.
  • Dazl58
    Dazl58 Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Hi.yes,I do agree it is highly unlikely,like you say the best bet is to ring DWP/PIP as soon as you can and get an explanation,I will be doing so myself tomorrow.Take Care.
  • samantha21
    samantha21 Community member Posts: 64 Courageous
    Poppy123456 :

    I am hoping you can offer me some advice.    Today I have been on the phone to DWP, I knew it would be a long wait and it was, I waited 65 minutes.  I suddenly became connected and said Hello, I am calling you about a letter I have received.  The customer Service operator in D.W.P replied "Is your phone on loud speaker?" I said  No it is not. The DWP operator then said I cannot hear properly there is background noise I cannot hear a word, and then the line went dead as they cut me off.
    I then phoned my telephone billing service  from the same phone and they could hear me perfectly well and it seems there is nothing wrong on my phone line.
     I had been sitting in a quiet room and just reading a book while I waited and I am fuming that after waiting all that time this is what happened, is this one of the tactics the D.W.P are using just to ignore people and do you think I should write to them with my query.
    Your advice would be appreciated.
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    edited October 2020
    Commiserations @samantha21 that’s really bad! 

    As a note you should use the @ sign before the online name, that way the person is notified of your message or post.

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

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