pip assessment delays

Having been on DLA for the last six years I received the letter telling me to apply for PIP[. This was in December 20125 (given a short timespan to reply). Eventually I was invited to a face to face assessment in the first week February 2016.Heard nothing until today when a brown envelope arrived to say that they are sorry for delay but will contact me soon with decision! Is this normal? Does this mean I am likely to lose my awards or be awarded a lower rate? My DLA expired on the 24 March 2016 and also my Blue badge has expired (cannot get this renewed until DWP send me a decision) Has anyone else suffered the same problems and what was the timespan/outcome to result letter?.
Steve , you asked about distances to face to face interviews....I had to travel some 40 miles to a city centre and return. Couldn't take car as I can't do busy city traffic so had to go by rail and then taxi.I did request a different location but was informed(by ATOS Newcastle) that this was the only venue available for the area.
I also had problems when discovering that the train arrived in Swindon just 4 minutes before my app. I once again phoned AtOS to be told bluntly that if I arrived late I would be turned away!!!!!
Luckily the office lady in Swindon was more accommodating and understood by delaying my app. 15 minutes.
The whole matter was a nightmare and extremely stressful to say the least.
To cap it all the Healthcare professional who carried out the interview was obviously not trained in my particular field .She even suggested that one of my conditions (DISH) was a rare disease! If secondary spinal bone growth is rare..then so be it.
Maybe these people should read up the notes prior to the meeting and carry out a study for that individuals problems. Moan over..many thanks for great site.

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By the end of last year DWP had cleared the PIP backlog and many people reported their claims being decided very quickly. However, it's back to normal now, with everything taking twice as long as it should Hence the letter you received is very common. No conclusions can be drawn from it in relation to the eventual decision I'm afraid.

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