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PIP decisions
It is over 6 months since we started making PIP claims and we still do not have any decisions. I spoke to a Judge yesterday and he said that Cardiff had only recieved one appeal as yet. Has anyone had any decisions? Has anyone got any suggestions on what to do?
Just had my first decision this morning. It was negative and have bunged in MR request. I was more than a little excited much to the client’s bewilderment.
From June to November,
we have made 258 claims for PIP,
59 have been awarded at an average of £120
180 pending,
the rest have withdrawn claims for various reasons- main reason is that the medical examination centre is too far away and not easy to get to by public transport.
I have had 11 decisions-10 awarded, just gone for Mandatory reconsideration
From June to November,
we have made 258 claims for PIP,
59 have been awarded at an average of £120
180 pending,
the rest have withdrawn claims for various reasons- main reason is that the medical examination centre is too far away and not easy to get to by public transport.
where is it alex?
out of interest do you know of any clients with a learning disability that have claimed?
Not one decision. Same story from most of my clients - assessment cancelled on the day, no further appointments available to book on the online system.
We’ve had a couple. Both awarded but far too many outstanding.
Special rules claims seem to be being dealt with in about 3 weeks, although I’ve had the odd slip up.
Personally, I’ve only had one decision on a non-special rules case out of about 10 and that one only came through this week on an application put in around mid-July (and I think is probably up for a mandatory reconsideration next as I felt he should have got the higher mobility component and he’s only been awarded the lower rate). This seems to be very similar to colleagues’ experience in terms of how long it takes.
However, the up side seems to be be all the DLA renewals are taking less than a month and are coming through at same rate as previous award without much scrutiny.
I’m also experiencing this with DLA renewals. Decisions within a couple of weeks, and decision based on the claim form alone with no evidence from GP/ATOS assessment etc being looked at.
I have just had my first positive PIP decision. Client had her medical on 1st August and the decision came through today. Enhanced Care, Standard Mobility - could ask for reconsideration on the Mobility, but I am far too worried about doing it due to the length of time it’s taken already.
Client is very happy.
I remain utterly unconvinced people get what the game is here.
ESA introduced - does its job and takes people off benefit. Uproar and investigation. Perception is that ESA is a bad thing. All attempts at revision thus much slowed down and to some extent diluted. Government not happy.
PIP introduced - DWP need to get rid of ATOS so do so under auspices of quality control. This delays PIP but also means that the decisions which do get through are, on the balance of probabilities, more likely to be positive. Advisers and claimants are unhappy at the delays but happy with the outcomes. PIP is perceived to be a good thing. No-one is calling for an investigation with anything like the kind of momentum which led to, for example, Harrington. Losing PIP, unlike losing ESA, isn’t perceived as meaning you have no income.
Mandatory recon. takes peoples eyes off the ball as the concern centres once again around ESA.
So, what happens next? I’ve said some, but not all, of this before.
1) Government gets to next election with no pressure for a rethink. Coalition ends. Labour fails to get in. Tory majority slashes number of activities in half. No-one sees it coming cos “PIP is generally a good thing!”. Yeah?
2) Public perception is clear. People claim these benefits and they need a medical. They score points. So, a matter of time before the public are sold the idea that to have 2 medicals is wasteful. Indeed to have 2 benefits may indeed be wasteful. Why not just merge the 2? Oh, better still, why not simplify things and merge them into that Universal Disaster thing?
I see no possibility of PIP surviving in its current form more than a year after the next election. None at all.
Discuss?
Mike
To me, reads like you’re a fully paid up member of the conspiracy theory collective! Somehow I doubt whether IDS is this devious. And what happens if (heaven forbid!) we have another ConDem coalition?
As I’ve said before, I happen to think that in principle what IDS set out to do has considerable merit. Sadly, a lot of the detail has been got wrong & the execution/implementation has been disastrous. How much that is down to the politicians and how much to the incompetence of the officials I don’t know, but I suspect that the blame which should attach to the politicians is primarily that they trusted their Civil Servants despite all the evidence of Government inefficiency in running large scale IT projects & in letting ATOS run wild.
I am convinced that there is already a plan to change the descriptors, as if applied properly the current ones will not achieve the planned cull
I think they have concentrated too much on the mobility side of things, hoping the mobility scheme will work out far far cheaper to operate.
The care side of things seems easier to get, with all the SDP / CA add ons that inevitably ensue so the desired reduction of the bill may not happen, unless Atos get all funny about the assessments (again!)
1) Government gets to next election with no pressure for a rethink. Coalition ends. Labour fails to get in. Tory majority slashes number of activities in half. No-one sees it coming cos “PIP is generally a good thing!”. Yeah?
Discuss?
There are lots of people queueing up to sue DWP at the moment over the application of the WCA. If they apply the same processes to PIP the same thing will happen unless and until they either get their house in order or remove disability discrimination from the scope of Legal Aid.
There will be pressure for a rethink!
Mike
To me, reads like you’re a fully paid up member of the conspiracy theory collective! Somehow I doubt whether IDS is this devious. And what happens if (heaven forbid!) we have another ConDem coalition?
As I’ve said before, I happen to think that in principle what IDS set out to do has considerable merit. Sadly, a lot of the detail has been got wrong & the execution/implementation has been disastrous. How much that is down to the politicians and how much to the incompetence of the officials I don’t know, but I suspect that the blame which should attach to the politicians is primarily that they trusted their Civil Servants despite all the evidence of Government inefficiency in running large scale IT projects & in letting ATOS run wild.
Then you may need to read again Derek :) I’m no conspiracy theorist and your post reads as rather naive.
IDS aim was to initially cut 20% off the DLA bill. That’s been subsequently hidden with reference to things like the need to iron out inconsistencies; the need to cut fraud; the need to incorporate the social model. As Gareth Morgan has observed, this lot don’t do detail. They do ideology. They only pay attention to detail when it doesn’t hit home. PIP isn’t hitting home. On current outcomes the bill will go up. No conspiracy. All in the public domain and all hard fact. PIP never had any laudable or even justifiable aims beyond a cash saving.
I do find the idea that politicians would not try and avoid the grief with ESA when it comes to PIP and UC barely credible. That’s exactly what’s going on.
Ideally PIP and ESA would rapidly become add ons to UC but that’s scuppered at present. Costs of medical assessment are a burden but endless references to fraud mean the days of self-assessment are gone. So, the only savings to be had are by reducing qualifying activities and reducing assessment costs. Having the coalition re-elected will weaken slightly the chances of doing that but it’s not like Lib Dems are screaming from the rooftops about the injustices of PIP.
DManville - I know where you’re coming from but I can’t see it. The media can have a field day with ESA as it’s basic income. The media angle on PIP is not such a strong sell and I see no momentum for change. The general attitude is that it’s supplementary income and there’s some fraud so people should be appreciative they have anything at all. Not saying I agree but it’s a way harder sell than ESA. With ESA they had to be seen to be doing something. At present there’s no equivalent with PIP cos the numbers and horror stories are not there yet and won’t be this side of an election.
[ Edited: 24 Dec 2013 at 12:00 pm by Mike Hughes ]