PIP & Sheltered accomodation

Speaking to a tenant this morning, he has been awarded Standard rate DL but the decision letter states that it cannot be paid as he is living in sheltered accommodation!

I know, of course, that living in funded care homes/hospice accommodation means that the DL component cannot be paid, just mobility, but I have never heard of this happening to Sheltered Accommodation residents.

In fact, this gentleman may or may not do so, depending on how the LA categorises his home anyway, but has anyone heard of this please?  I am writing to the DWP to point out what I consider to be their error, but my concern is also that, as it is written into the decision letter, there may be other people in the same situation, who aren’t aware.

Hello Ruth

Just this last week one of our social workers got in touch about a client that this happened to. DLA - PIP transfer last September. Successful with the PIP but no payments. She thought as it was a different benefit it had different rules so didn’t do anything about it.

The social worker rang PIP who unhelpfully stated that as this was a sheltered accommodation place, PIP was not payable.

We got it turned around by contacting one of the escalation contacts who was brilliant and got payment sorted that afternoon. PIP clearly got this wrong.

Hi,

Well this is really worrying.  This must mean that there are others who are being denied their benefit because of a misunderstanding of the regulations.  May I ask which number you ring to get through to the escalation team?  The one I used was 0800 121 4433, but the agent didn’t really have a clue.

Hi Ruth

We used local PIP processing contact details from the DWP Escalation list.