JEFF PRESTRIDGE: PIP ‘barbarity’ so unfair on those that have suffered

Life is filled with twists and turns. Sometimes for the higher; typically not. A number of days in the past, I used to be contacted by a younger girl who has had a traumatic previous three years. In late 2020, she was concerned in an terrible automobile accident that modified the course of her life.

It was laborious to not shed a tear. One second, a mom carving out a profitable profession for herself in a consultancy agency specialising in environmental points.

The subsequent, unable to work, a mortgage to pay, and a younger daughter to take care of.

Her life actually turned the wrong way up due to a driver popping out of nowhere and hitting her automobile nearly head on – together with her daughter within the again seat.

Although her daughter was mercifully unhurt, the total pressure of the affect went by means of Helen’s physique, her knee bending the important thing within the automobile’s ignition. She has since been identified with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) which manifests itself in reminiscence loss, slurred speech, tremors and strolling issues. She has undertaken an FND rehabilitation programme – which helped briefly – however she can also be coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Only the love of her daughter and shut pals retains her on the straight and slender. A compensation declare towards the offending driver rumbles on whereas she now works part-time on the consultancy, albeit in a much less traumatic position.

Helen contacted me after Lisa, somebody who works in monetary providers and who is aware of her effectively, learn my piece final weekend on Personal Independence Payment (PIP). An article which prompted Lisa to scream out: ‘YES! Finally, somebody has written about how horrific the PIP course of will be.’

PIP, administered by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), is paid to these with long-term bodily or medical situations that make on a regular basis duties tough. Although not means-tested, funds are topic to overview – and these will be harrowing experiences, typically requiring a medical evaluation. They can even end in funds being stopped, leaving claimants within the lurch.

Last week’s article adopted a chunk I wrote a month in the past a few lady who obtained a DWP textual content on Christmas Day informing her that her PIP was being reviewed. She struggles with psychological well being points which might be managed by epilepsy remedy.

Upon studying the textual content, she went into meltdown, struggling a panic assault that ruined the festive day for her and her household. A Freedom of Information Request confirmed the recipient was not alone – 1,454 Christmas Day texts had been despatched by the DWP, informing individuals of impending PIP critiques.

Helen’s battle over PIP goes again to 2021. Initially, she was refused fee. She then requested for a compulsory reconsideration, solely to be refused once more.

Encouraged by Lisa who has had her personal PIP battles prior to now, Helen took her case to tribunal – and gained. It resulted in a £500 month-to-month fee, backdated to when she first logged her declare.

Yet, as is the way in which with PIP, Helen’s funds cease in May, so she has needed to reapply. So far, she has submitted medical proof supporting continuation of the fee and has undergone a DWP evaluation – a gruelling two-and-a-half-hour ordeal, which she discovered moderately distressing.

She describes the evaluation as ‘barbaric’, carried out by individuals who she says knew little about her situation. ‘It was in the event that they had been seeking to catch me out,’ she provides.

Helen will quickly be taught whether or not her PIP will proceed past May and is conserving her fingers crossed.

‘I’m all for stopping individuals who declare advantages fraudulently,’ she says, ‘however the PIP overview system is dehumanising.

‘It appears to deal with everybody dispassionately and makes you’re feeling undeserving.’

She provides: ‘Before the accident, I sorted multi-million-pound tasks at work. Now I work part-time and battle with technical paperwork, confidence, and processing info.

‘I used to relish telling jokes and making individuals chortle. Now, I am unable to as a result of I stutter and slur my phrases. I mourn the lack of the individual I used to be.’

As for Lisa, she thanked me for ‘shining a light-weight on the loopy system that’s PIP’.

I sought a response from the DWP on the way in which PIP critiques are carried out. For the report, I wasn’t ready to debate Helen’s case for concern of inadvertently jeopardising her ongoing overview – nor others that I’ve obtained.

The DWP stated: ‘We weren’t supplied with the chance to look into particular instances.

‘However, we help thousands and thousands of individuals yearly and our precedence is that they obtain a well timed, supportive and compassionate service.

‘All incapacity assessors are certified well being professionals who’re educated to advise based mostly on all of the obtainable info – and help is in place for susceptible clients at each stage of the declare course of. Our suppliers [Independent Assessment Services and Capita Business Services] constantly exceed their buyer satisfaction targets of 90 per cent for PIP. If a buyer disagrees with a choice, they’ve the appropriate to ask for a overview.’

It additionally added that 99 per cent of assessments begin inside half-hour of the appointment time.

Maybe, Helen’s expertise is the exception that breaks the rule. But individuals like her mustn’t should undergo PIP hell. They’ve already had a lifetime’s price.

Direct Line dangers backlash because it axes cowl for second properties

Direct Line has withdrawn from insuring second properties and vacation properties. It confirmed its choice after a reader despatched me a letter from the insurer saying his cowl wouldn’t be renewed on the finish of March. 

The insurer instructed me: ‘Customers insuring second properties and vacation properties usually have completely different must these insuring their major residence. For instance, cowl is usually wanted for prolonged intervals when the property is unoccupied. Our cowl is designed to fulfill the wants of shoppers insuring their major residence.’

It stated all clients impacted could be assisted to find cowl elsewhere. Owning a second dwelling or a vacation let (I do not, by the way in which) is turning into more difficult by the day. Councils are hitting house owners with large tax payments, stamp obligation prices are onerous (topic to a 3 per cent surcharge) and full-time resident neighbours will be hostile.

I belief Direct Line has thought by means of what it is doing. Many second dwelling clients even have their primary residence insured with Direct Line, so they might react by taking all of their enterprise elsewhere – because the reader who contacted me has finished. Everyone loses.

Banking hub lastly arrives 

It has been a very long time coming, however the Leicestershire city of Syston lastly noticed its banking hub open final Friday.

Although the city was earmarked for a hub (a shared financial institution department run by the Post Office) in late 2021 after the final financial institution pulled out, discovering appropriate premises has been problematic.

A brief hub was opened within the city’s group centre late final yr, however flooding meant it needed to shut for some time. The premises for the everlasting hub – the previous Santander department – had been additionally flooded, pushing again its opening.

Yet it is now up and working, a lot to the delight of locals. ‘It’s nice information,’ says Rosemarie Collins, a 73-year-old Syston resident. ‘Like a lot of my pals, I desire to do my banking at a department moderately than on-line, so a everlasting hub is a lift for the city.’

Banking hub launches are as uncommon as hen’s tooth – 33 up to now. Yet I’m instructed there’ll 100 operational in bankless cities by the tip of the yr.

I’ll consider that after I see it.