Late application for reconsideration - PIP

[Littleredriding]

Thank you, what's pension credit? He has already paid into his state pension with working NI and credits when he was on the sick?

Are you talking about my state pension which will start in February next year? I know what we now have to live on doesn't go very far not after the important bills have been paid. After them we have about £36 a week to live on. Thankfully, we managed to pay off our mortgage before he was unable to work.

[Nystagmite]

Pension credit tops up your income to a certain level each week.

[estellyn]

Thank you, what's pension credit? He has already paid into his state pension with working NI and credits when he was on the sick?

Are you talking about my state pension which will start in February next year? I know what we now have to live on doesn't go very far not after the important bills have been paid. After them we have about £36 a week to live on. Thankfully, we managed to pay off our mortgage before he was unable to work.

 

Pension credit tops up your joint income to £226.50, and if you're not already claiming should entitle you to full council tax reduction.

[Littleredriding]

Pension credit tops up your joint income to £226.50, and if you're not already claiming should entitle you to full council tax reduction.

 

 

 

Thank you, I didn't know anything about that. £226.50 a week you say, well we will have been over that figure until when he lost his DLA and me the Carers Allowance. We were getting over £250 a week up to when he was on his ESA and the above. We have always had to pay the full council tax and still do, it's the biggest weekly bill that we have to put aside, over £30 a week. We have debts coming out of our ears since all this PIP palava started and he lost his DLA. Before he got his pension and after losing those other benefits we had been living on just over £100 a week ESA which has meant that we have run up all sorts of debts.

[estellyn]

Thank you, I didn't know anything about that. £226.50 a week you say, well we will have been over that figure until when he lost his DLA and me the Carers Allowance. We were getting over £250 a week up to when he was on his ESA and the above. We have always had to pay the full council tax and still do, it's the biggest weekly bill that we have to put aside, over £30 a week. We have debts coming out of our ears since all this PIP palava started and he lost his DLA. Before he got his pension and after losing those other benefits we had been living on just over £100 a week ESA which has meant that we have run up all sorts of debts.

 

DLA and AA (and PIP for that matter) do not count toward the £226.50 a week.

[Littleredriding]

DLA and AA (and PIP for that matter) do not count toward the £226.50 a week.

 

Thank you, I didn't know that either. We treated all of our income as well, income. I am going to have to go to Age Concern when I can get an appointment next week. I have also just found out this morning that there is a internet site that calculates this pension credit benefit. I will have a go and see what it says. Why aren't people told all about the financial help that is out there? Is it government policy to keep people in the dark so that they can keep the welfare costs down?

[Littleredriding]

Thank you, I didn't know that either. We treated all of our income as well, income. I am going to have to go to Age Concern when I can get an appointment next week. I have also just found out this morning that there is a internet site that calculates this pension credit benefit. I will have a go and see what it says. Why aren't people told all about the financial help that is out there? Is it government policy to keep people in the dark so that they can keep the welfare costs down?

 

 

 

 

 

I have just had a look at he government site, which to be honest was very easy to use. I just put in what we are getting now (husband's pension) and it told me that we should have been getting £83.50 extra a week and NO council tax to pay! I then thought what would it show when he was just getting his ESA. It calculated that we should have been getting an extra £118.50 a week. How far back can we claim this? It will sort out all of our debt problems that have built up since he lost his DLA. I am so pleased that I asked for help on here and grateful for those that have pointed me in this direction. A nice cup of tea is called for. Can't wait to tell him the good news this afternoon.

[estellyn]

If the esa was miscalculated in error then they may be able to do an any time revision and pay arrears - but no guarantees, you would need to contact the DWP in writing and request it.

 

Pension credit can be backdated up to 3 months.

[Littleredriding]

If the esa was miscalculated in error then they may be able to do an any time revision and pay arrears - but no guarantees, you would need to contact the DWP in writing and request it.

 

Pension credit can be backdated up to 3 months.

 

Thank you, I don't think that they made a mistake with the ESA, it was the same/similar amount that he had been getting for the past 4 years. 3 months is that all? Well I suppose it is better than nothing. So if he claims it when he comes out it should cover a lot of the time when we just had the ESA to live off. Working it out, it comes to possibly just over £1500 that they owe us. Great News!!! What happens with the Council Tax, can that be backdated for the same period? And that they will refund everything that we have paid in that 3 months? I just can't believe that we can be so fortunate.

[estellyn]

Council tax reduction schemes are different for each council, but many will backdate for three months.

 

Pension credit is claimed over the phone and can be done with your husband in hospital. Your husband just needs to give permission to talk to you and pass the phone over. If you explain to ward staff what the problem is, they may let you and your husband use a phone in an office to make the claim - if the ward staff aren't helpful, ask to see the hospital social work team.

[Littleredriding]

Council tax reduction schemes are different for each council, but many will backdate for three months.

 

Pension credit is claimed over the phone and can be done with your husband in hospital. Your husband just needs to give permission to talk to you and pass the phone over. If you explain to ward staff what the problem is, they may let you and your husband use a phone in an office to make the claim - if the ward staff aren't helpful, ask to see the hospital social work team.

Thank you so much. I have just got back from the hospital and the good news is that he may come home late next week. They just need to try and get him onto his feet so that he can with help shuffle along a bit. I did mention to him everything that I was told on here, I actually printed it all off so that I wouldn't forget something. He doesn't want to ask a nurse for a telephone so that we can claim another benefit. He wants to wait until he feels better and do it from home. He is a bit private about things and doesn't want others to overhear any conversation.

[Littleredriding]

Just to update my post. The good news is that my husband came home yesterday. I am trying to cope with him, and have just found out that I and our home should have been assessed but neither happened. Still he's back here at last. I am going to Ageconcern next week on my own as he is far too ill to come with me. I've got a neighbour to sit in with him when I go. I had a letter last week from the DWP and they have finally refused to accept my plea for a late application for a mandatory reconsideration. Being in hospital carries no weight it seems, they have told me that it was my responsibility to seek out help on his behalf at the time. I will ask Ageconcern about the pension credit and ask them to look at what we are living on. I am waiting for an Attendance Allowance claim form for him and will try to complete it as best that I can for him. Things are moving and there is some light at the end of the tunnel it seems.

Thanks to everyone on here that has helped to show me where the light is.