On Lower rate DLA & told PIP will be a no

Hi all,

I'm desperate for some advice. I've been told to apply for PIP early for my fiance as my care adviser feels he should've been on middle rate & I should be getting carers allowance (not possible on lower rate). Anyway, I phoned CAB yesterday to discuss it with them and see what advice they could give me. She pretty much told me that DLA lower rate claimants haven't got a chance of being moved onto PIP because of there being no lower rate? When doing the self assessments on here his points have added up to him needing enhanced on both but after what she said I'm really worried.

He cannot travel anywhere on his own, he can't cook meals etc only ready things like chips or pies and pizzas but even then I have to be in the kitchen with him telling him what to put the cooker on and timing it, telling him when to take it out and to use an oven mit (he often forgets and burns himself). Due to being severely dyspraxic daily activities can be stressful and hard for him. I manage all his medication and tell him when to take it. He also struggles with swallowing tablets so has to have someone with him in case he chokes. I could go on but this post would be too long. He also has a number of physical issues that we are still waiting to find out about but we do know he has fibromyalgia (diagnosed by a rheumatologist) and disc degenerative disease (diagnosed by an orthopedist) so he struggles to walk sometimes. Good & bad days really. I've also been told we have to have a doctor who supports his claim? That's a big worry as he sees a different doctor every time we go and none of our doctors actually seem to care about anyone these days. We've also never been sent copies of consultant letters so all I have are appointment letters. Yet another worry as I've been told it helps to have these! I don't even know if I'll be given them if I ask or if I'm entitled to them. I think I'd have to pay.
He was awarded ESA Support group about 2 or 3 years ago & I have a copy of the report and decision. It seemed primarily based on his mental disabilities and the fact that they are ones that do not improve over time.

I'm sorry this is so long but I'm stressed and just want to cover everything. At the moment the total he gets from DLA is £174.40 and we struggle to pay for hospital transport when we need it for his appointments. I'm also concerned because despite being his full time carer for a good few years (I was on JSA before that but I was advised to come off due to stress of trying to care and look for work) I don't receive my national insurance stamp and this does worry me.

All & any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

DJ wrote: Hi all,

I'm desperate for some advice. I've been told to apply for PIP early for my fiance as my care adviser feels he should've been on middle rate & I should be getting carers allowance (not possible on lower rate). Anyway, I phoned CAB yesterday to discuss it with them and see what advice they could give me. She pretty much told me that DLA lower rate claimants haven't got a chance of being moved onto PIP because of there being no lower rate? When doing the self assessments on here his points have added up to him needing enhanced on both but after what she said I'm really worried.

He cannot travel anywhere on his own, he can't cook meals etc only ready things like chips or pies and pizzas but even then I have to be in the kitchen with him telling him what to put the cooker on and timing it, telling him when to take it out and to use an oven mit (he often forgets and burns himself). Due to being severely dyspraxic daily activities can be stressful and hard for him. I manage all his medication and tell him when to take it. He also struggles with swallowing tablets so has to have someone with him in case he chokes. I could go on but this post would be too long. He also has a number of physical issues that we are still waiting to find out about but we do know he has fibromyalgia (diagnosed by a rheumatologist) and disc degenerative disease (diagnosed by an orthopedist) so he struggles to walk sometimes. Good & bad days really. I've also been told we have to have a doctor who supports his claim? That's a big worry as he sees a different doctor every time we go and none of our doctors actually seem to care about anyone these days. We've also never been sent copies of consultant letters so all I have are appointment letters. Yet another worry as I've been told it helps to have these! I don't even know if I'll be given them if I ask or if I'm entitled to them. I think I'd have to pay.
He was awarded ESA Support group about 2 or 3 years ago & I have a copy of the report and decision. It seemed primarily based on his mental disabilities and the fact that they are ones that do not improve over time.

I'm sorry this is so long but I'm stressed and just want to cover everything. At the moment the total he gets from DLA is £174.40 and we struggle to pay for hospital transport when we need it for his appointments. I'm also concerned because despite being his full time carer for a good few years (I was on JSA before that but I was advised to come off due to stress of trying to care and look for work) I don't receive my national insurance stamp and this does worry me.

All & any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi DJ,

Welcome to Benefits and Work Forum

"I'm desperate for some advice. I've been told to apply for PIP early for my fiance as my care adviser feels he should've been on middle rate & I should be getting carers allowance (not possible on lower rate).

Anyway, I phoned CAB yesterday to discuss it with them and see what advice they could give me. She pretty much told me that DLA lower rate claimants haven't got a chance of being moved onto PIP because of there being no lower rate?

When doing the self assessments on here his points have added up to him needing enhanced on both but after what she said I'm really worried."

I am afraid that this is only a decision that you can make.

As you are aware, reporting a Change of Circumstances (C of C) and requesting a review of their current DLA awards will result in being reviewed under PIP criteria rather than DLA.

Once you initiate the review, there will be no going back to DLA.

Firstly, is the care adviser who advised you fully conversant with the PIP qualifying criteria and how it differs greatly to that of DLA ?

CAB are correct in that there are only two levels of PIP Daily Living as opposed to the 3 levels of DLA care, and therefore current recipients of a LR DLA Care award are particularly vulnerable to losing that award when transferring to PIP.

However, to make the sweeping statement that CAB made without even knowing your finance's current level of limitations is pretty poor advice !!

You could try gaining advice from another advice agency, see This Topic who should really risk assess your chances of gaining a PIP DL Award.

Failing that, you will have to try and risk assess their chances yourself.

I see that you have already tried our : PIP Self Test

Remember, this is only a guide, and the PIP Assessor and DWP PIP Case Manager will be stricter than you are !!

You could also read through the following :

How The PIP Points Scoring System Works.

PIP Claims Guide. (2nd Link down the page)

&

This Post in our Spotlight Area at the top of The forum.

If you decided to report a C of C to DLA, you should do so in writing, requesting a review, you would then have to go through the whole PIP Assessment process.

Sending Documents to the DWP.

You should Bookmark/Favourite this page in your Internet Browser now.

That way you can return to this topic easily to pose any further queries that you may have by replying to the topic.

See : This Topic also !

Thanks in anticipation of your future co-operation in keeping all your PIP related queries to this topic !

bro58