[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Taf

My son uses the extra income from his ESA (WAG) to get to and from his training and educational courses. He takes 2 buses then calls for a taxi to get him the rest of the way as it's too far for him to walk with his disability. Then a taxi to the nearest bus stop for his return journey. Without the extra income he would not be able to get to the course.... and no doubt the DWP would sanction him.

I fear this defeat will only be temporary as Iain Duncan Smith (spit) is determined to cut the welfare bill by any means possible. And once he gets new claimants off the ESA (WRAG) he will no doubt withdraw it for current claimants.

Then scrap ESA altogether, hiding it behind the cloak of invisibility that is Universal Credit.

I've just been told that even a change of bank details is enough to trigger a DLA to PIP change, with his ATOS-like pitbulls waiting to pounce on those not deemed "severely disabled enough".

If the course is a requirement, don't expenses cover it?

Change of circumstances You must call the Disability Benefits Centre helpline if your circumstances change, as this can affect how much Disability Living Allowance (DLA) you get. For example:

• the level of help you need or your condition changes
• you go into hospital or a care home for more than 4 weeks
• you go abroad for more than 13 weeks
• you’re imprisoned or held in detention

You must also contact the helpline if:

• you change your name, address or bank details
• you want to stop receiving your benefit
• your doctor’s details change

The "you must also" bit says that those changes are NOT a "change of circumstances" and therefore are NOT grounds for a change to PIP.

DWP Decision Makers' Guide

What is a relevant change of circumstance
04102 For the purposes of supersession a relevant change of circumstance is a change which happens after the original decision had effect and which has a relevance to the award of benefit.
...
04104 To be relevant a change does not have to be a change in the claimant’s own circumstances. The phrase “relevant change of circumstances” should be given a broad meaning. A relevant change must
1.be of sufficient substance to give serious consideration to supersession
2.have the potential effect of altering some component part of the award of benefit even if the end result does not actually change the amount of the award (see DMG 04106).
...
When a change has the potential to be relevant
04106 There will be situations where a change has the potential to affect an award of benefit but the DM ultimately decides that the change does not affect the amount of benefit awarded. This could happen, for example, because a claimant in receipt of a benefit based on incapacity or disability maintains that their medical condition has deteriorated. The DM may, having considered the evidence, decide that the change does not affect the existing award.
04107 The DM should make a decision not to supersede. See DMG 04010 et seq for further guidance.