Judges 'Indefinite' becomes DWP's 'Ongoing'

I thought I would just update. The Judge awarded me 'Indefinite' for both Std Daily Living and Enhanced mobility. The Certificate of Entitlement states 'from October 6th, 2020. Further along, it states; we will contact you after 21 September 2030 to make sure...'

Hi Margo

Firstly belated congratulations on winning your PIP award! I too have won a PIP award and it seems to me that the wording used by the Tribunal in their decision notice and the subsequent DWP letter to you means exactly the same! On my own Tribunal PIP decision notice it says 'it is inappropriate to fix a term' for both of the components awarded. My DWP letter says I was awarded both those components 'for an 'ongoing period.' It means exactly the same as the Tribunal award and I'm sure this is so for you too. You also mention that the DWP letter says 'We will contact you after.....' My DWP letter says the same too Margo but again I do mot believe there is any inconsistency with what the Tribunal awarded us both. The fact that an award is indefinite/ongoing does not mean that the DWP can't look at the award again from time to time. To give an example of this for another benefit, ESA, this benefit is always awarded 'indefinitely' while the claimant remains entitled to it but of course it is reviewed periodically for almost all claimants. If I remember correctly it was always intended when PIP was introduced that even 'indefinite' awards would be reviewed every 10 years if not before. More recently, and muddying the water, the concept of 'light touch PIP' reviews was introduced although we don't know what these will consist of because PIP itself isn't 10 years old until 2023 - I think - so no-one will have had one yet. I do hope the above may have clarified things for you and as I've said there doesn't seem to me to be any difference between what the Tribunal awarded you and what the DWP letter said regarding it.

Kind regards

Mr B