Verifying identity for PIP

Hi everyone - lots of our clients are new refugees applying for PIP for the first time. Despite having had their ID verified by UC and passed the HRT, they get a letter after starting the PIP claim over the phone asking for more information on their immigration status and residency, either for them to send their original documents to the DWP or to take them into the nearest JobCentre to have them stamped and verified.

I would normally never advise people to send their original Home Office documents to the DWP, as they are the only proof of their recently granted refugee status, and take a long time to be replaced if lost, but don’t know if JobCentres are even open in order for someone to go and have their documents verified. Have other people come across this and what would you advise? Thank you in advance.

We were told at our last DWP stakeholder meeting that jobcentres are open for those who cannot do what they need by phone/online - apparently should be able to go and knock on door and will be let in

Daphne,

Thank you for that, is there anything to source that information, at all?

Many thanks

Michael

Unfortunately not Michael - which seems to be the case for lots of the information that we are getting - it’s not getting put on gov.uk.

I’m actually a meeting with some official on thursday about issues with gov.uk so will include that…

Daphne,

Much appreciated and agree that a lot of it, while helpful, can be diffiult if nothing to refer back to.

I’ll also try our local relationship manager.

Best wishes

Michael

I was working with someone who needed to hand in bank statements to DWP.  He was told to go to the local Jobcentre and says that when he arrived he was told to hand them through the door.

Sadly our client hasn’t experienced the same! He just emailed me this:

I have just been to jobcentre. It was closed. I saw few staffs inside through the glass door. I knocked the door.  But nobody didn’t care that. Every body was ignoring.  I did wait there nearly half an hour and keep knocking the door. Then one staff came and said through the door that they stopped verify the documents.