Hear Us PIP Guide

PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (PIP) Understanding the changes to your Disability Living Allowance (DLA) NE BIT(E) AT A TIME! A Step by Step Guide

Hear Us, Croydon’s Mental Health Service User Group.

Registered in England No. 6891337 Charity No.1135535 Orchard House 15a Purley Road, South Croydon, CR2 6EZ E: info@hear-us.org T: 020 8681 6888

About PIP PIP stands for ‘Personal Independence Payment’.

Know your CORE facts There is no need to panic!

PIP will be replacing DLA, for people, aged 16-64, who need help with their care and/ or mobility. However, you must claim for PIP and if you choose not to, your DLA will stop.

No one will be automatically transferred from DLA to PIP. The DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) will write to you and tell you when you need to claim PIP

Most people wont’ be affected by the change from DLA to PIP until at least October 2015. For more details about ‘when’ see page 2 of this guide.

From your JUICY gossip!

PIP, like DLA, will have 2 parts:

MYTH: I have a ‘life time’

A ‘care’ component called ‘Daily Living’ and a mobility component Depending on how your mental and/or physical health problems affect you, you could be entitled to either or both.

Granny Smiths’ need not apply (for PIP)!

People aged over 65 before April 8th 2013 will remain on DLA‘ ‘Pip-squeaks’ below the age of 16, will also remain on DLA 2

Award for DLA, I don’t need to apply for PIP

TRUTH: If you are aged

16-64yrs and are currently receiving DLA even if you were awarded an ‘indefinite’ or ‘life time’ award, you will need to apply for PIP instead, when invited to do so.

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THE PIP TIMELINE april 2013

march 2013

dwp sent out letters to DLA claimants

pilot study

from october 2015

www.gov.uk/pip/

june 2013

october 2013

new claims only

*certain people ' ap will 'sw IP to P

NE EVERYO of working be age will to invited PIP to change all not - but at once

March 2013

You may have received a letter explaining the changes from DLA to PIP, you don’t need to do anything.

April 2013

In Northern parts of the country a pilot study for PIP occured.

June 2013

New claims will be assessed as a claim for PIP. People already getting DLA don’t need to do anything.

*October 2013

People who report a change in circumstances, ie. their condition gets better or worse, and people whose DLA is due to end or be renewed before 24.02.2014 will be invited to make a claim for PIP instead.

From October 2015

EVERYONE of working age, who currently receives DLA will be asked to make a claim for PIP instead. If you choose not to claim, your DLA will stop.

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ABOUT THE MONEY Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Care:

Daily Living:

Low

=

£21.00

Standard

=

£53.00

Middle =

£53.00

Enhanced =

£79.15

High

£79.15

=

Mobility

Mobility

Low

=

£21.00

Standard

=

£21.00

High

=

£55.25

Enhanced =

£55.25

Please note: Rates of Benefit are reviewed each year, and therefore these amounts may be slightly higher or lower than what you are currently receiving.

Money Facts........

PIP (like DLA) is a non-means tested benefit. This means it does not depend on how ‘wealthy’ you are.

You can have any amount of savings and still claim PIP - even if you are a millionaire!

If you are awarded PIP, you should not see a gap in your payments. If your claim is successful, you will continue to receive your DLA until you start receiving PIP. You can claim PIP whether you are in work or not in work (just like for DLA). You will not pay tax on PIP. PIP (like DLA) could mean that you are entitled to extra money called a ’premium’ on top of your other benefits (e.g. ESA, income support or housing benefit).

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COMPARING PIP AND DLA What are the Differences?

DLA

PIP Non Means Tested

Your disability must be expected to last for the next 6 months

Care & Mobility Components

Applications are by form Low, Middle or High Rates

'Indefinate or Lifetime'Awards

You may qualify for additional Benefits

Your disability must be expected to last for the next 9 months Application by Form & Assessment Standard or Enhanced Rates

No 'Indefinate or Lifetime' Awards

What is staying the same?

k Quic Bite

1. Attendance Allowance (AA) is not changing Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people aged 65 and over who need help with their ’personal care’. If you receive AA you will not be affected by the introduction of Personal Independence Payment.

2. You can work and claim PIP

k Quic Bite 5

Like DLA, PIP can be paid to people regardless of whether they are employed or not.

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Remember: No one will automatically be moved from DLA to PIP

From October 2013 - Spring 2016: Everyone between 16 and 64yrs will be invited to change from DLA to PIP. You don’t need to do anything until the DWP tells you to, but you must ‘make a claim’ for PIP when invited to do so, or your money will STOP.

1

INITIAL CONTACT STOP You will receive a letter from the If you don’t Department for Work and Pensions understand the between October 2013 and Spring 2016 inviting you to make a claim for PIP letter ask for - don't ignore this letter. If you chose not help to claim PIP, then your DLA will end.

2 CLAIMING PIP (Part 1) Phone

STOP You will need to phone the DWP You can ask a (0800 917 2222) and give some friend or key basic information, like your worker name, number, address, bank to help details.

3

CLAIMING PIP (Part 2) The Form You will receive a form in the post. This is your opportunity to write all about your Physical and/or Mental Health difficulties.

Include ‘supporting evidence’ (from a support worker, GP, friends etc.). Return the form in the FREE envelope provided.

STOP See pg. 9 For ‘tips’ on filling out your PIP form

A 'Step by Step' Guide to claiming PIP

4 ASSESSMENT/MEDICAL Most people will be asked to attend a face to face meeting with a health professional to discuss how your ‘disability’ affects you.

5

STOP It is a good idea to take someone with you

DECISION The decision maker (at DWP will review all the information, including your form, the result of your assessment and any extra information e.g. from a GP or psychiatrist.

A decision letter will be posted out to you. This will say if you have been awarded PIP, at what rate, and possibly for how long (before your claim will be reviewed)

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STOP You can call the DWP & ask for an explanation

APPEAL/ STOP RECONSIDERATION Ask an If you are not happy with the organisation decision, don’t panic. You can such as MIND ask a different Decision Maker in Croydon for to look at your claim (this is help called a Reconsideration)

about the pip form What are the Questions about?

Traveling

Washing

Preparing Food Eating & Drinking

Getting Around Medication Planning a Journey Toilet Needs

Talking, listening socialising

The form will ask you Questions about: Daily Living things like washing, eating, managing medication etc. and

Mobility things like planning a journey and getting around

Getting Dressed

See pg. 9-11 for 'Golden' TIPs on filling in your PIP form

About the help you need‌..

Quick Bite

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Write about the help (or support or supervision) that you would need to carry out an activity.

It doesn’t matter if you actually get help from another person or not.

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ABOUT THE POINTS You will score ‘point’s: If you have a mental or physical health problem that means: • you are unable to do an activity or • you need help to do an activity If you need help to do an activity, you will score points according to how much help you need.

4 Golden 'Delicious' PIP Tips!

Don’t just think about whether or not you can do each activity; think about how an activity MAKES YOU FEEL

IMPORTANT: If your mental or physical health suffers as a result of doing an activity - write about this on the form.

12 points or more

Enhanced

8 points or more

Standard

less than 8 points

No Award

PIP TIP 1.

Tell the whole story

Breathless?

In pain?

Anxious?

Distressed?

Exhausted?

Paranoid?

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TOP 'PIP' TIPS PIP TIP 2.

Safely,Timely?

Reliably?

Repeatedly?

Don’t just think about whether or not you can do each activity, also think about how you do each activity.

(Please note: the table below is just an example of how people might be affected by their condition - think about how your mental or physical health affects you).

1. Safely

Do you take medication that makes you drowsy, or ‘foggy’, suffer low moods or hurt yourself ? If your symptoms or behaviours mean you put yourself (or others) at risk write about them on the form

2. Timely

Do you lack motivation or find it hard to concentrate? Do you find you worry so much that you are constantly checking things or can’t make decisions? If you take longer than other people to do certain activities as a result of your disability - write about it on the form

3. Reliably

Do you have a condition that means you are sometimes able to do an activity but not other times? If you have a ‘fluctuating’ health problem - write about how it varies on the form.

4. Repeatedly

Do you find an activity leaves you so exhausted that you are ‘wiped out’ for the rest of the day? If you have to keep stopping because of pain, breathlessness, anxiety, panic attacks or paranoia, write about it on the form.

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TOP 'PIP' TIPS PIP TIP 3.

Send in Extra Information or Supporting medical evidence

Extra Information/Supporting Evidence

Ask someone who knows you well to write a letter or statement about how your disability affects you This could be your GP, your psychiatrist, key worker, care coordinator, social worker etc.

Don’t worry if you are not able to send supporting evidence with your PIP form, the DWP should ask for it.

If you want the DWP to seek more information from another person, it is always a good idea to write in big red letters on your form:

PLEASE DO NOT MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING MY DOCTOR

APPEALS

If you are not awarded PIP, or you are not happy with the decision, remember it is always possible to challenge that decision. It is worth asking for help to do this.

Many people WIN their Appeals.

PIP TIP 4.

If at first you don’t succeed……

A PEEL!

Send in extra evidence if you can, and state clearly why you think that the decision is wrong. See the back of this guide for ‘how to get help to appeal’.

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WHERE TO GO FOR HELP SLaM Welfare Benefit Team: If you attend a Resource Centre or are a patient on the wards at the Bethlem, contact your Resource Centre or ask your support worker to make an appointment for you: Tamworth Road Purley Resource Centre Westways Resource Centre The Crescent Resource Centre

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020 3228 0300 020 3228 5400 020 3228 5800 020 3228 4488

Mind in Croydon's Welfare Benefits Team: Opening Times

Tues

10am - 1pm

You can leave a message outside these times

Thurs

2pm - 5pm

Contact



020 8763 2037

Croydon Council Welfare Rights Advice Line For Croydon residents: Check for opening times. Phone for details of drop-in surgeries (available in certain areas)



0800 731 5920

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Benefit Enquiry Line Pension Centre for Enquiries Disability Living Allowance /AA Carers Allowance

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0800 88 22 00 08456 060 265 08457 123 456 0845 608 4321