UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2024 and 2025

[JemPD]

I hadn't been aware of this. It's still under test and only in certain locations:

yes, i wouldnt bother about it unless they confirm they're rolling it out. When i said it was 'a new thing' I was differentiating the proposed new Severe Dis Group, from something else with a similar name that was already/previously in use.
There was a lot of confusion about new the govt proposals at the time.

I can't find any info about 'Light Touch' PIP reviews on the government website. Is there any?

I dont know.
They're only for people who have open ended or 10yr awards - as your quote from the salford CAB explains. To qualify for one your award needs to say it wont be reviewed for 10yrs (the maximum) and have a condition they dont expect to improve eg MND.

 

[Kitty]

I can't find any info about 'Light Touch' PIP reviews on the government website. Is there any?

I looked too, but didn't find anything. I wonder if it suits them not to be too specific about it.

They've put me on 10-year review, without even asking me to go through another assessment. My age is probably a factor, though, I'm mid-60s and have qualified for mobility allowance for nearly 25 years. The odds of becoming less disabled are fairly slim.

 

[Sasha]

They've put me on 10-year review, without even asking me to go through another assessment.

Congratulations, Kitty! It's really distressing to go through these reviews, so the less often, the better.

 

[Kitty]

Congratulations, Kitty! It's really distressing to go through these reviews, so the less often, the better.

Thanks, it was a huge relief! I seem to have been quite lucky, I've only had three assessments in all those years.

The first two were done for DLA by a retired GP, and although it was an anxious 40 minutes he made it as easy as possible. I'll always be thankful for how kindly he was, but also how well judged that first assessment was. He knew about ME/CFS, said he found it frustrating that it was viewed as a form of depression, then conducted an interview that allowed me (among other things) to show that my mental health was in robust good shape. No wonder DWP stopped using doctors for them.

The gruelling PIP assessment couldn't have been more different. The assessor apologised more than once for it taking so long to get through all the questions, but it didn't help ease the process much. After two hours the poor woman looked nearly as exhausted and stressed as I was.

 

[Sean]

Different country (Australia), but similar system (overall).

I got my disability pension in 1989, and had a few reviews in subsequent years, but not for over a decade now. Given that I am in my early 60s and nearing eligibility for the old age pension, and have been on disability pension for 35 years, and that the evidence shows the longer you have ME/CFS the less likely it is to experience any recovery or meaningful improvement, then they have probably accepted there is no blood left in this stone, so I am probably fairly safe from here on it as far at that goes.

 

[MEMarge]

DELAYS IN RECEIVING PIP FORM BY POST
I have finally got round to applying for the mobility element of PIP because of the limitations relating to my spinal deformity.

I called DWP on 11 Feb and was told it could take 2-3 weeks for a form to arrive.
As mine is straight forward and only requires info for one question, I decided I would see how this turned out rather than doing it online..

It arrived on Mon 24 Feb.

 

[Kitty]

I called DWP on 11 Feb and was told it could take 2-3 weeks for a form to arrive.
As mine is straight forward and only requires info for one question, I decided I would see how this turned out rather than doing it online..

It arrived on Mon 24 Feb.

That's good by their standards.

I'm not sure PIP's ever really straightforward. I've received the higher mobility element for years, but I had to write a lot about it. It's never about the impairment itself, it's how it affects you; it usually needs descriptions with examples.

 

[MrMagoo]

My appeal found I can cook using aids. Not sure what aids they have in mind as I described why a variety of common cooking aids like perch stool, good grips etc wouldn’t help me, and nothing can aid me chopp8ng or cooking from a lying down position.
I believe this is an error in law, apparently they need to specify the aid they have in mind, so will appeal the appeal (big sigh).

 

[boolybooly]

Good luck @MrMagoo .

I "need to claim Universal Credit " apparently, letter just arrived today.

Am still trying to understand it all but the problem I see is the support group like minimum commitment is still too much as I am housebound and they are talking about visiting a job centre which would be bad for me due to both ME fatigue and PEM as well as being immunocompromised.

I just hope I get a reasonable decision maker.

Not sure if I should preemptively get a medical support letter.

 

[Kitty]

Am still trying to understand it all but the problem I see is the support group like minimum commitment is still too much as I am housebound and they are talking about visiting a job centre which would be bad for me due to both ME fatigue and PEM as well as being immunocompromised.

They apparently have people who do home visits, and can facilitate doing stuff by phone. As their timelines for progressing anything are so long, it might be worth contacting them as soon as you can. Ask what to do when you're not able to visit a job centre?

 

[MrMagoo]

For me the WCA process was really good (much better than PIP) they did make me travel 1hr to the place to be assessed, but that was ok as I was a sweaty shaky wreck. After the assessment I asked for a place to lie down, they had medical exam type beds in the rooms so I had a good rest before the journey home. They waved me through as LCWRA no problem, unlike PiP who I had to fight.

 

[JellyBabyKid]

Good luck @MrMagoo .

I "need to claim Universal Credit " apparently, letter just arrived today.

Am still trying to understand it all but the problem I see is the support group like minimum commitment is still too much as I am housebound and they are talking about visiting a job centre which would be bad for me due to both ME fatigue and PEM as well as being immunocompromised.

I just hope I get a reasonable decision maker.

Not sure if I should preemptively get a medical support letter.

I went through it in December/January and didn't have any other contact than via the online journal. I did not have to go to or even speak to the jobcentre. Good thing; our JC doesn't have disabled parking - or any parking,

I do tend to go overboard with info I supply.

The benefits and work guide is extremely comprehensive and can recommend it highly..it's 60 pages though, so needs a while to read.

The online form only took me 39 mins start to finish - once my carer and I had figured out the right date to apply and what was needed, that was the most complicated bit.

The UC system doesn't always notify you when you need to log on and check updates though so you need to check it regularly.

Hope this helps and good luck

 

[boolybooly]

I went through it in December/January and didn't have any other contact than via the online journal. I did not have to go to or even speak to the jobcentre. Good thing; our JC doesn't have disabled parking - or any parking,

I do tend to go overboard with info I supply.

The benefits and work guide is extremely comprehensive and can recommend it highly..it's 60 pages though, so needs a while to read.

The online form only took me 39 mins start to finish - once my carer and I had figured out the right date to apply and what was needed, that was the most complicated bit.

The UC system doesn't always notify you when you need to log on and check updates though so you need to check it regularly.

Hope this helps and good luck

Thanks for your good advice JBK, I am trying to relax and not to get too overwhelmed by it. I am subbed with Benefits & Work so no problem there and I have found the ESA>UC migration guide which I will read in due course. Takes a while to adjust and get my head in the right space.

Plenty of info sounds like a good idea.

 

[MrMagoo]

I took my medical notebook with me. I’ve had it since I worked, it lists notes of conversations with the GP etc but also all the adjustments etc I had at work in the past, it was quite useful.

 

[JellyBabyKid]

Thanks for your good advice JBK, I am trying to relax and not to get too overwhelmed by it. I am subbed with Benefits & Work so no problem there and I have found the ESA>UC migration guide which I will read in due course. Takes a while to adjust and get my head in the right space.

Plenty of info sounds like a good idea.

Glad it was helpful.

I did get completely overwhelmed for a month, as the "right date" within the 3 months was complicated by my transfer being over Xmas, and it is a four week assessment period and you get paid a week after that four week period.

You also don't actually have three months, as once you register on the UC system you have 30 days to complete your application.

There is a limit to what info you can share but i was already on SDP so my WCA transferred.

Good luck

 

[boolybooly]

Glad it was helpful.

I did get completely overwhelmed for a month, as the "right date" within the 3 months was complicated by my transfer being over Xmas, and it is a four week assessment period and you get paid a week after that four week period.

You also don't actually have three months, as once you register on the UC system you have 30 days to complete your application.

There is a limit to what info you can share but i was already on SDP so my WCA transferred.

Good luck

Thanks, also for passing on your discoveries, as those things are worth knowing.

It is very helpful to know about the 30 day time limit, meaning it is best not to register immediately.

SDP is likewise part of my ESA, so fingers crossed that will transfer as you say and allow a lower commitment, without medical evidence. I read there was a software update Nov'24 providing guidance on fit notes to decision makers addressing this but I still wonder whether medical evidence would reset the review timer.

I am in the middle of agreeing a new tenancy agreement with my landlord (my sister) and from what you say it would be best to get that in place ASAP, so it is included in the assessment period. Something else you have helped me understand, thanks again.

Sorry you were overwhelmed too, must be nice to be on the other side of it, hope you and your carer can relax now. Sounds like it might be a common experience with UC migration. Still working on keeping calm and carrying on here! Next job is to read the B&W guide.

 

[John Mac]

I'm in receipt of Universal Credit and yesterday I received an email telling me as part of a review of my UC to send them photo IDs (photos of the front and back of my driving licence and a photo of myself holding the driving licence next to my face) plus a driving licence check code from the DVLA allowing the DWP to access my DVLA records. I also had to send my last four months bank statements to them as pdfs. I'm now waiting to see if I need to resend any of them or if they decide I need to send more documents after they review the ones already sent.
I had to complete this by the 2nd January or risk my UC being stopped.
Happy Christmas from the DWP.

I have just received another request from the DWP to send them more bank statements from 1st November to the 28th February 2025 (which will mean they will have 8 consecutive months of my bank statements) and also a new driving licence check code from the DVLA allowing the DWP to access my DVLA records. I did all this in December why are they asking for all this again?

I thought the government were proposing a scheme where they could order banks to check benefit claimants bank accounts for possible fraud. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dwp-bank-account-checks-see-055321362.html
Why are they telling claimants to send them the account statements directly themselves.
I kind of regretted sending in the previous documents thinking they don't have the power to do this but complied because of the threat
of losing UC.
Does anybody know if I can just refuse to send them more, there was an implied threat in the December request that suggested my UC claim could be stopped if I didn't send them.

In the original request there was a link to click on where there were instructions on how to do this and a link to click on to send them.
However in this request there is nothing just a simple message basically saying thanks for doing that now send these four months in.
I get the impression they never acted on the original documents and now they are out of date and the DVLA check code has timed out and is no longer valid.

Anyway I've replied by asking them for the links where the instructions are and the document upload links.
I'll wait to see what their response is.

 

[JellyBabyKid]

I have just received another request from the DWP to send them more bank statements from 1st November to the 28th February 2025 (which will mean they will have 7 consecutive months of my bank statements) and also a new driving licence check code from the DVLA allowing the DWP to access my DVLA records. I did all this in December why are they asking for all this again?

I thought the government were proposing a scheme where they could order banks to check benefit claimants bank accounts for possible fraud. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dwp-bank-account-checks-see-055321362.html
Why are they telling claimants to send them the account statements directly themselves.
I kind of regretted sending in the previous documents thinking they don't have the power to do this but complied because of the threat
of losing UC.
Does anybody know if I can just refuse to send them more, there was an implied threat in the December request that suggested my UC claim could be stopped if I didn't send them.

In the original request there was a link to click on where there were instructions on how to do this and a link to click on to send them.
However in this request there is nothing just a simple message basically saying thanks for doing that now send these four months in.
I get the impression they never acted on the original documents and now they are out of date and the DVLA check code has timed out and is no longer valid.

Anyway I've replied by asking them for the links where the instructions are and the document upload links.
I'll wait to see what there response is.

I find this extremely worrying..why do they need to check bank accounts? Why do they want to know what I am spending my money on? What right have they got?

We are having building work done so I am very concerned about these sort of intrusions, in an already extremely stressful situation.

 

[JellyBabyKid]

Thanks, also for passing on your discoveries, as those things are worth knowing.

It is very helpful to know about the 30 day time limit, meaning it is best not to register immediately.

SDP is likewise part of my ESA, so fingers crossed that will transfer as you say and allow a lower commitment, without medical evidence. I read there was a software update Nov'24 providing guidance on fit notes to decision makers addressing this but I still wonder whether medical evidence would reset the review timer.

I am in the middle of agreeing a new tenancy agreement with my landlord (my sister) and from what you say it would be best to get that in place ASAP, so it is included in the assessment period. Something else you have helped me understand, thanks again.

Sorry you were overwhelmed too, must be nice to be on the other side of it, hope you and your carer can relax now. Sounds like it might be a common experience with UC migration. Still working on keeping calm and carrying on here! Next job is to read the B&W guide.

I'm glad my experience is helpful to you. It's was not at all clear. I am educated to post-graduate level, had the B&W guide and an intelligent carer and we got completely baffled by it to start with, because of all the hoops the they have created around dates and deadlines

 

[Kitty]

Does anybody know if I can just refuse to send them more, there was an implied threat in the December request that suggested my UC claim could be stopped if I didn't send them.

I don't know (I haven't been asked to migrate to UC because I reach state pension age this year), but if you're a member of Benefits & Work you could ask a question on their message board. Their mods are incredibly knowledgeable.

You could also try searching for other people's posts about the same experience, which might be enlightening. My hunch would be that you're right, though; they asked for the info for some reason, did nothing about it, and now need to do it again with current documents.