Cancelled visits - is this normal?

I have a similar query. I am being moved from DLA to PIP and had to fill in the application form. I had a receipt for it dated 21st January. Since then I have heard nothing. I've now received a renewal form for my blue badge and they want a copy of this year's award letter. Trouble is, of course, I've only got last year's letter. What can I do? I now stand to lose my blue badge as well as not knowing what is going to happen to my PIP application. I'm finding this very hard to cope with and can feel the big black hole opening up again. I'm frightened that I'm going to go down to the railway line - it happened once before - and have nobody to talk to.

Hi,

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I have given your post it's own topic as the one that you tagged on to was related to ESA.

We are aware that all annual DLA/ESA entitlement letters are late in being sent out to claimants this year.

If you need a current DLA entitlement letter for your Blue Badge renewal, you or someone else on your behalf (but you would need to be present) could ring DLA and request one, telling them why you need it.

Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment Helpline.

Failing that, contact your LA/Council who issue your Blue Badge.

You will still be classed as in receipt of DLA at your current rate until 4 weeks after the new PIP decision is made, whatever that decision may be.

The DLA to PIP transfer process has slowed down, see : This Post

You may also find the following interesting :

PIP Claims Guide. (2nd Link down the page)

How The PIP Points Scoring System Works.

PIP Self Test

This Post in our Spotlight Area at the top of The forum.

You should Bookmark/Favourite this page in your Internet Browser now.

That way you can return to this topic easily to pose any further queries that you may have by replying to the topic.

See : This Topic also !

Thanks in anticipation of your future co-operation in keeping all your PIP related queries to this topic !

bro58

Thank you so much for answering me. I'll ring Devon County Council on Monday and tell them. I've still got last year's letter so maybe they'll accept that. Can I just say that I'm so grateful for evrybody's help on this site. It does help in some of the blacker moments.

I received a letter saying that ATOS were coming to my house to interview me regarding my transfer from DLA (which I'd been awarded for life) to PIP. It said that if I wasn't there when they arrived I would lose all benefits. One hour before they were due the phone rang and they cancelled the interview. They didn't say why, just that they'd send another appointment.
The next letter arrived with the new date. The day before the interview was due ATOS rang and cancelled again. I asked why and tey said the staff member was ill. I asked why somebody else couldn't do it and was told "They're too busy."
I've now received another appointment - for the very day that I was being taken for a long weekend with relatives in another part of the country. I'm now having to cancel that because if I'm not there I'll lose everything and the reason for change is not good enough.
I'm finding this extremely difficult. I'm psyching myself up for an interview that terrifies me and it keeps being cancelled at the last moment.
I don't understand why they are coming to my house instead of asking me to go to their office. A neighbour has said that they only do this when they think "something is going on" - and I don't know what I'm suspected of doing wrong. I've had over 100 operations and other procedures under anaesthetic or sedation since 1968 and I'm at my wit's end. I'm finding it very hard to keep going.
Can anybody say if what they're doing is normal?

Hi Nick,

I have merged your question with the previous topic dealing with your DLA to PIP transfer. We find it enormously helpful if everything relating to the same claim is kept in the same place - and I hope it will make things easier for you too

Yes, I'm afraid it is very common for this to happen The assessment providers book too many appointments each day as they expect some claimants to cancel!

You should read this topic (which can be found in the yellow 'Spotlights' section at the top of this page)

Cancelled assessments

It is probably too late now, but you could have rearranged the appointment that clashed with your weekend away Claimants are allowed to change one appointment without penalty.

You might like to bookmark or favourite this topic on your web browser now so that you can find it easily in future. Then you can add any further questions to this and keep everything relating to your PIP claim in one place

Sorry not to have been in touch for so long but I had to go back into hospital and then this big black hole opened up again.
The lady from ATOS came on her third appointment. Do you know, she drove all the way down from Newcastle?!
Anyway, she wrote down all her questions and my answers on her laptop, but made sure that I couldn’t see what she wrote down.
She said she was a retired hospital manager and to her credit she seemed to know what a lot of my problems were, but she didn’t seem to know what the medication was for, or what they did and how they affected me, unless that was just an act to see if what I was saying was plausible.
She said some words and then asked me to spell them backwards and then said a number (1000) and asked me to subtract 7 from it, then 7 from the answer twice more. I couldn’t see the point of those, not when I hadn’t had to take the very strong painkillers.
There was one odd thing she asked me to do: she asked me to make a circle with my thumb and forefinger on both hands and she did the same. I then had to interlock with her hands and pull my hands towards me – she seemed to be checking how strong my hands and arms were. I hadn’t been complaining about my arms!!
She was here for about an hour and a half, but she wouldn’t say anything about what she had written. I did say to her “Am I allowed to ask what you think?” but she said “No, and anyway it’s not my decision.” She then added “But I will say that you’re on a shed-load of medication!” I don’t know if that’s a good thing?
This morning I received a letter, postmarked Belfast, which said that they had received all the information but that they needed longer to decide. Is this normal, and is it just to prepare you for bad news?