Sudden home visit

[Fiz]

Someone I know had been on an indefinite award for DLA. When PIP was introduced and more recently we discussed their disability and the PIP criteria and both agreed they didn't meet the criteria for PIP so when they were called to apply for PIP they didn't.
They thought that would be the end of it but today they've received a letter saying someone will be coming to their home on Tuesday to help them apply for PIP.
The person is terrified that the person is coming to see if they shouldn't have been on DLA and will want money back.
This is a totally new situation to me so I can't do much to reassure them.
Surely if someone didn't put a claim for PIP they might write and check that they don't want to claim but to turn up on their doorstep two working days later seems extreme?
Apparently when the letter came saying their DLA was ending and inviting them to apply for PIP there was no request that they notify the DWP if they were not going to apply for PIP so this person is terrified. Especially with two days notice.
Any thoughts?

[SashaQ]

That is weird...

Who is the letter from? DWP?

Strange indeed that someone who didn't ask for help to apply for PIP should be offered it without asking, when people who do ask for help (eg an electronic copy of the form) are not automatically offered it...

[Monic1511]

Stop panicking

The DWP are not looking for money back but based on all the previous DLA claims they want to make sure that the person is okay, they will also want to make sure that they can claim for PIP and may meet the criteria based on all the old evidence.

Its the safeguarding measures - the dwp has a duty of care to make sure vulnerable people who could and should claim PIP do so.   I also suspect its related to the Margaret Fleming case in Scotland.
Margaret was last seen about 17 years ago now but its only 6 months since her carers were convicted of her murder and the DWP is trying to get the cash back off them.  What happened was that her carers got the DLA to PIP letter and went overboard with the stuff they put in the form, the DWP contacted the local social work to see what support they were giving Margaret and when a social worker visited her carers said she was working abroad as a gangmaster - this them triggered the police investigation and eventually a murder conviction but the authorities were criticized for not checking on Margaret when her DLA renewals went in several years ago.


I think its just the DWP making sure that the person is alive and even if they are intimidated by the application process then they want to be sure that they are getting everything they are due.   

 >crying<  >crying<  >crying<  >crying< DWP cant do right for doing wrong.
I get a lot of folk hate the DWP but they are not all bad and the genuine staff put themselves at risk when trying to help by going off script.   

[Sunny Clouds]

Was their visit yesterday (eighth)?  If so, I hope things went ok.

[Monic1511]

Hi Fiz
have you had an update from your friend?  just being nosey

[Fiz]

Sorry for the delay, I've been very unwell for what seems like forever. I managed to phone on their behalf and left an answerphone message explaining that they'd looked through the criteria for PIP and didn't feel that their disability matched the descriptors so had decided not to apply for PIP. An answerphone message was then left later on their phone acknowledging receipt of that message. It's good really that they do follow up people who previously had an indefinite award but don't apply for PIP on transfer, it's just that person's main symptom of ASD is anxiety so to receive an unexpected letter announcing an unexpected and not asked for imminent visit sent their anxiety sky rocketing. They had an unexpected final DLA payment after that too which was a bonus surprise for them.