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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Disability benefits  →  Thread

PIP RENEWAL ANOTHER APPROACH

Neil
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Debt & Benefits, Aster Communities

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Total Posts: 96

Joined: 7 November 2013

This case was my first renewal of a PIP that was awarded at appeal, but rather than a complete PIP form or the new short version, the customer received a letter inviting him to start a new claim as his current case runs out in April.

This is the first time I have seen this happen, has anyone had this happen to them? I can only assume this is something to do with the award coming from an appeal, any insight welcome.

The concern I have is that in this case the customers wife contacted me straight away and we are on the case so should be resolved before current award runs out, Had he lived alone I believe he wouldn’t have acted as it was a simple single letter inviting him to reclaim on 0800 917 2222, and told his wife it didn’t matter as he already has a claim, and could easily have found ourselves having to deal with the situation after the current claim stopped. We have to many customer/claimants to set up a marker to say customer claim runs out in 2 years time, but the big bundle with a claim form whilst not infallible is more like to make them contact me.

On a positive note it means I can start from scratch and fill the form in appropriately, we had to appeal in part due to the original form being poorly completed by another party.

Catblack
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Benefits specialist - South Somerset District Council

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Total Posts: 103

Joined: 31 March 2011

I have a similar case. We couldn’t work out why the DWP only sent the renewal forms out one month prior to the award ending but it turns out, like your case, the original award was done on appeal and she was invited to make a new claim rather than renew.
Most renewals we have 6 months or so in advance. The downside of course is that should the new decision be less favourably the DM can supersede the original decision.
I wonder if this is something to do with the recent case law where the DWP need to show grounds for superseding a decision made by a FT-T.
http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/caselaw/item/need-for-dwp-and-tribunals-to-show-grounds-for-superseding-a-pip-award-made

Catblack
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Benefits specialist - South Somerset District Council

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Total Posts: 103

Joined: 31 March 2011

I wonder if an earlier advance claim would be appropriate under the circumstances, given the time taken for medical appointments etc etc or would they treat this as a request for a supersession? My client did not contact us until a week before her award was due to lapse. Her partners CA has ceased and also they have lost the CP in their joint ESA as well as the PIP itself. Due to the severity of her condition we will argue grounds for no face to face medical assessment for a speedy decision.

Uphill Struggle
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Community Advice Team, Falkirk Council

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Total Posts: 23

Joined: 18 November 2013

It depends on whether the case manager sets a review date when they implement the decision - the CM decides whether they put in place a planned intervention or not. If there’s no review date, then PIPCS will issue a letter about three months before entitlement ends, basically requiring a new claim.