DLA to PIP for my Autistic son

[phaedra]

Got the dreaded brown envelope yesterday so thought OK, let's ring them and get it over.

Took over an hour!, on hold for 15 mins but then it took a further 50mins to do the initial 30min interview.

The girl doing the interview was terrible, kept getting things wrong despite me spelling names, addresses etc. out slowly and clearly in phonetics (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta etc.) which she knew as she did the same reading them back!.

At the end of it reading the final disclaimer she said "So, I've explained about the PIP2 form" and I had to stop her, she'd never mentioned it at all!, she wanted to start the whole thing over again!.

Hopefully things will go a bit better with the actual transition but after mine I really have no faith in them at all.

[Bekki2017]

Mine was the same.

I can't manage hearing property on phones and it was horrendous. Despite telling him that (both me and appointed social worker) he insisted on speaking very fast and mumbling and I couldn't understand at all. He kept yelling I must consent verbally to apply and agree to all the terms (like them recording the call but I'm not allowed to) which I find unfair but I couldn't understand them and in the end had no choice but to agree or my DLA would be stopped and I couldn't have pip. Then he demanded I gave my bank account details which I refused (i had my identity stolen and won't give such infornation anymore) he got really, really angry saying I had no choice and must give them at essential medical everyone must have - I got really scared he was trying to steal from me and in the end it was dropped.

Form took 3 weeks to turn up. A 2 week extension was verbally agreed but a DM refused it so my DLA was stopped. I was very fortunate in that they told my MP it was allowed and they stood up for me. I never got the back pay they owed me, that's ongoing. I've heard nothing since sending it back in September.

I got a confusing letter about my payments from April saying I was going to shortly be asked to apply for pip as dla would end soon!

[Bekki2017]

I was told the pip2 form had questions only for my specific conditions and this isn't true, it's a generic form with a barcode printed on it which contains details.

[phaedra]

PIP2 arrived today, has to be returned by May 11th

I'm almost tempted to let him fill it in himself, doesn't matter what he writes they won't be able to read his scribble!

[druid]

ha ha ,
i had the same last week when i had to phone them , he kept saying bavo , oscar , delt , romeo , on every letter , and good job he did because he was wrong on nearly every letter i spoke...gawd help us.

[phaedra]

Sent it back on the 4th, got a text today saying they have appointments available over the next 7 days and to ring them.

Again it makes me wonder why someone with an unchanging lifelong condition that has no treatment or medication needs a face to face assessment

I'll wait for the letter to arrive and see what appointment centre they're offering as I'll have to take him, he's not been out of the house on his own for about 4 years

[sea queen]

When we applied for my daughters change over they cocked it up big style.
She had her housing benefits stopped as they had the claimant down as ME.
The council received a letter from them advising them she had moved and I was applying!
I sorted that mess out and then the PiP forms came with MY name on as the claimant.
I sorted that mess out and had to wait for another form coming so I could fill it in on behalf of my daughter
It would be so much better if they just sent out a simple initial form asking if you wanted to apply for PiP

[Bekki2017]

If it says to ring in the text then ring to arrange over the next seven days. Don't assume they'll send a letter, they may take the text as your first offer of an appointment meaning you can't change the second if inconvenient.

Of course I may have misunderstood but it sounds like the text is the first offer for an appointment.

[phaedra]

Yes, that's what it says. Had to find the correct number as the one they sent in the text is incomplete 0300 33 00 1

Rang it 6 times so far, all agents are busy every time.

Update - Managed to get through offered 2 appointments about 15 miles away in a place I know has a lot of stairs and poor access so no good for me, third one is the 23rd at 8:30am in Durham so that should be fun to get to!