Thanks for your words of support Sheffy, Very nice of you. I think what does my head in the most is that the people who deal with the calls are so inconsistent I am told one day that its with the decision maker and that it wont be too much longer, Then I am told it will be another 4 to 8 weeks.
I have been thinking about it and I wonder if she was mistaken and thought that I had just put in for Manditory Reconsideration but she was on about the guidlines and it is 4 to 8 weeks from when you request a reconsideration.
Either that or they have again moved the goal posts. Well I will see what develops next week.
I feel so sorry for people who are just about to apply, From what my support worker was telling me the system is in meltdown, They have poorly trained call handlers and are receiving more claims and complaints than they can handle. Not to mention those who will have to change from DLA to PIP.
She said that it hadnt been thought through properly and this was just rushed through in an attempt to save some money by cutting the welfare bill.
However it is costing them more in fact due to the massive volume of complaints and reconsiderations, And the trbunals if you are unlucky enough to get to that stage.
Yes the government should slap themselves on the back for this one, Well serves them right is what I say.
Maybe that will be a lesson to them not to try and rob the sick and disabled of the extra money they need.
the way things are going the waiting time will be well over a year, Its lie that for some now, This system needs a serious overhaul otherwise it is going to crash and burn and with the elections looming I cant see it being a vote winner somehow.
yes the bedroom tax is just diabolical, Only the other day I read about a poor woman who walked in front of a lorry because she couldnt afford to pay the bedroom tax.
I have to pay the bedroom tax even though My husband and I dont sleep in the same room anymore, Due to my disturbed sleep pattern and my thrashing around it is impossible for him to sleep and so sadly I have to sleep on my own now,
Despite using all the bedrooms we still have to pay for the extra room as they call it even though it is being used.
This as they are at pains to tell me is classed as an extra room because my husband could sleep with me and that is just an example of how the government are really persecuting the most vulnerable members of society.
The government are a bit like robin hood but in reverse they steal from the poor and give to the rich.
David Cameron and his cronies have not a clue what it is like to have to live in the real world. They have all come from wealthy backgrounds and so they are only interested in helping people like them stay as wealthy as possible
It makes you wonder if god forbid and I wouldnt wish parkinsons on anyone, but if a member of his family developed this horrible condition, I be they wouldnt have to wait months on end for Benefits and made to feel like a waste of space.
true words ! i think if labour get back in there going to do away with bedroom tax ,i know people who are paying it & they want to down grade but there are no smaller houses its not right ! some councils have the right to let some people not pay it,can you not get a letter of pd support worker & apply to your council ,i know more forms to fill out.best of luck candy
Your right Gus, a member of my own family is in that very same situation , she has a 3 bedroom house because she used to care for her dad , he has now passed so she has a spare bedroom as there is only her and her son she cant afford the bedroom tax so subsequently got into arrears the council wont move her because she is in arrears but having to pay the bedroom tax is what put her in arrears in the first place she is in a catch 22 situation
Candy
if the dwp are only waiting for the paper copy from Capita it wont be 4 to 8 weeks as Paul said it usually arrives within a few days of the electronic report , as everyone has said you have come to far to give up now .
Thanks for all your support, Your kind words keep me positive and fighting. I just wish it was over, This has been one of the most stressful things I have been through,
Sometimes I think its just not worth it, But you keep me going and I know I am in the right and everyone says I am going to win my case, I just wish I can put it behind me, Its almost become an obsession and thats not healthy, But I am entitled to it, I am not trying to claim something I am not entitled to and I hope I can carry on.
If they turn me down again I hope you will give me the kick up the backside I am going to need to go to a tribunal.
Why do I put myself through this everyday?? I say to myself I am not phoning today because it always ends with disappointment and frustration, And what do I find myself doing? Reaching for the bloody phone.
Then I get cross with myself because I know dam well what the response is going to be. No decision has been made yet.
10 weeks now since I put in my request for reconsideration, For me its the vindication that is important, That they now actually acknowledge that I am affected by my condition, That has always been the more upsetting part of being turned down the first time, Of course the extra money it will bring is important we all have to live,
But to tell someone who has a chronic progressive degenerative brain disease that they are not unduly bothered by their condition is cruel and that has stuck in my head even to this day, To have my claim accepted at last would give me peace of mind that they dont think I am milking it.
Of course the fact I have a feeding tube, Need a stick most of the time and am debilitated by urinary incontinence in most peoples eyes would hardly call it milking it. But until I get that confirmation I cannot get the psychological harm they have done me out of my head.
I hope that makes sense to you, And why this has become an obsession to me, I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way, But to me if I am turned down again I may as well pull out the tube, Ditch the drugs and bin the stick because there is obviously nothing wrong with me.
Sorry for the rant but I needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for the support as always
Have you managed to get a hold of your MP let them chase it for you they may get some answers
I waited 11 weeks for my mandatory reconsideration Candy so if thats anything to go by should be hearing soon but please use your MP they are elected to help you keep the pressure on Candy...........Paul
It does you good to have a rant it gets the pent up frustration out of your system which is better than holding it in. We are all behind you and wishing you well. As you know by now they are so behind with everything they are making a pigs ear out of the whole process. Just keep focused and calm stay in as near good health as you can.
You may remember that I posted on here that they were treating my mobility as something called unplanned intervention
Well today a whole new claim form dropped through the letter box a pip 2 form
So I have to basically make a complete new claim even though I am currently receiving the enhanced daily living but no mobility.
It seems so daft to me as it says that I may have to go for another assessment unless they can decide on the written evidence letters from specialists etc
So here goes again another 26 weeks or probally a lot longer but this time I am already claiming PIP so I suppose its not as bad providing that they manage to come to the right decision this time
Its a pain but I will have to go through this new procedure like it or not any news yet Candy?.............Paul
Thats so annoying, But you are already on the system so I hope you wont have to wait as long as someone who is claiming from scratch, But as you are already appealing through a tribunal would you be better to wait for the outcome of that rather than having to go through assessments again, Because if you win the tribunal you wont have to put in another claim?
No news yet for me, My MP is having another go at them, God I hope I dont have to apply again, That would be the worse news for me.
What A mad mad system, Maybe you should check with them if you have to fill that in or wait for the tribunal.
You have such a good chance of winning that and then you can tell them what to do with your new claim form.
Best of luck, By the way my Mp want to use my case and others like me in parliament to highlight how unfair and ridiculous PIP is, They wont use my name of course just the facts surrounding my case, I am more than happy to do that if it means changing it and making it fairer for others.
I rang the dwp to say I had already put in to appeal to a tribunal for no mobility. The lady on the phone said she knew and the new PIP form was to help give them more idea of the problems with mobility I am facing.
So the tribunal has already been in touch with the DWP to say I have lodged an appeal so I will have to see how the mop flops who knows what the outcome of this will be good news about your MP Candy I think you may find things start to move along for you now lets hope so................Paul
Thought it was time to put a pic on and let you see what this mad woman who keeps moaning on about PIP looks like, I hope it doesnt give you all nightmares.LOL