PIP abroad

I agree with you and Carper. The reason for this is that many DWP staff have been transferred from a section dealing with benefits they are familiar with and transferred to the office dealing with PIP, which on their own admission they know little about PIP because they've received no training on PIP.

The UK benefits system is pretty complex even for qualified advisers, so how DWP staff dealing with PIP but with little or no training be expected to understand the legislation and regulations on PIP.

Utterly ridiculous in my opinion.

I totally agree Jim, we have recently heard from too many members who have been given misinformation by DWP call handlers

Carper wrote:
The proof of the pudding will be when my claim is accepted but remember the PIP1 application is to get rid of those not eligible and the fact I have been sent a PIP1003 (Equivalent of a PIP2) is proof enough I am eligible to claim.

Firstly I may have made a mistake about the PIP1003 being the same as a PIP2 form as I have been told the PIP1003 is only the covering letter to the PIP2 form.

I have today spoken with the ‘Exportability Team’ who have advised me my claim has been accepted by them (Proof a claim can be made while living abroad) and has been passed to ATOS.

I now await a date for my home visit if my reasons for it are accepted or a face to face somewhere of their choosing if not.

Its certainly different when dealing with the exportability team as I received a phone call from them asking how my claim was going! They informed me my paperwork had been sent to Atos about 7 weeks ago and suggested I phone them to see what was happening.

The Atos help desk told me they had my paperwork and that they envisage the time between them receiving a claim and sending it back to the DWP is now 22 weeks! (This 22 weeks will include writing to doctors etc and having a face to face assessment)

I thought I would pass on the good! news.

Dear Carper. You said in an earlier post that you would privtely share info re benefits abroad. I am having a terrible time over my ESA at the moment (I live in Spain). I would dearly appreciate any information you can give me as DWP have just initiated an appeal....yes them, not me to the pension service appeals team. My appeal against their WRAG not Support group has been held up for 14 months through their failure to supply DM and ATOS docs which I got only recently after request after request after request....I am sure you know what I mean. I feel totally desperate and quite frankly could just give it all up. Can you help me?

Hello Cazdaz. As I understand the situation ESA is the new name for incapacity benefit. When my wife moved abroad she exported her incapacity benefit with her daily living allowance. She only lost the former when she became of age to claim and receive her state pension.

I think you would be best to email the Exportability Department who will be able to tell you if you are entitled to the benefit while living abroad.

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Best of luck and don't give up.