DLA to PIP over 65 = AA?

My mother receives DLA and is due for reassessment. When she rang for the PIP form, she was told that, because she is over 65, she needs to claim AA instead.

The AA form has arrived and there is seemingly no reference to getting about outside.

Has she been misadvised?

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Yes, your mother has been ill advised. I'm afraid this is not uncommon as the people at the DWP call centres are often poorly trained (and seem to prefer to guess at an answer rather than admitting that they don't know)!

If your mother was below the age of 65 in April 2013 this renewal will actually initiate the switch to PIP. If she is above this age she will remain on DLA and should have these forms for renewal.

I think a call to DWP will be in order to find out exactly what is happening and that your mother's DLA claim continues. She can do this herself or, if she prefers, she can give her security data and then let you take over.

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Perhaps her age is what is causing the confusion.

In April 2013, she was still 64. However, in October 2015, when she has been sent the letter advising to change to PIP, is when she was told by the DWP she must claim AA.

How should she go about changing - and what to say to those stubborn "advisors" who insist they're correct?

You need to contact DWP to ensure that your mother's DLA claim remains active and the correct paperwork is sent out. If the person who answers the phone cannot help, or does not believe you, you should ask for this to be escalated to a supervisor. This will entail a call-back so is best done early in the day to get the best chance of the call-back happening the same day.

So, to ensure I have understood correctly (forgive me!), my mother should NOT be claiming AA (because she was under 65 in April 2013), but should instead be transferred to PIP (subject to meeting eligibility criteria), even though she is NOW over 65?