A benefits expert who was called a "hero" by Martin Lewis after helping a Scottish Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimant get money he was due by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued urgent advice for others.
Founder and CEO of award-winning social enterprise IncomeMAX Lee Healey helped former hospitality worker Christopher get his benefits after waiting nine months to hear back from the DWP about the outcome of his application.
The Ayrshire claimant soon received the full PIP award, as well as backdated payments totalling £5,700, as reported by the Daily Record.
READ MORE — DWP PIP replacement coming to Scotland this month will involve no 'tests' in assessment
Christopher referred to Lewis as his "hero" but the financial guru stated that Healey deserved the credit.
He said: “My hero is Lee Healey who I think did far more work on this than I did.”
After The Martin Lewis Money Show episode aired on Tuesday, Healey explained on Twitter how he and his team were able to assist Christopher — revealing key benefit assessment tips.
He tweeted: “I’d like to share how myself and my team at IncomeMAX handled this case because I’m sure there are many vulnerable people in similar situations.”
The benefits specialist stated that the approach IncomeMAX took may surprise some people, but urged claimants not to view the DWP as "the enemy".
Healey continued: “The DWP are NOT the enemy. Approaching delays with anger is not our way and is likely to end with more frustration. So let’s break it down.
“Christopher, like a lot of people, had been waiting 9+ months for PIP & Universal Credit limited capability for work assessments. This is an unacceptable time for anyone to be waiting. Contact DWP if you’ve not heard about your assessment after a few weeks. Get some advice from a benefits adviser if DWP are not being helpful.”
He added: “Now, here’s where the magic happens. USE THIS TIME WISELY, by getting to know what you’re being assessed on.”
The award-winning expert shared that PIP and the Universal Credit Limited Capability for Work assessments are based on a points scoring system — this is what is used when deciding whether a claimant is eligible for benefits and how much they get.
Healey said: “NO-ONE should go through an assessment without knowing these, and understanding how your disability / health issue affects you and how it applies to the assessment.”
He shared a link to the PIP assessment scoring guide on the Citizen Advice website, about which you can learn more about here.
He also added links to the ESA and Universal Credit limited capability for work points guide that DWP assessors use — read it here.
Healey continued: “We used the short time we worked with Christopher to help him understand the assessments, the scoring systems and how his disabilities affected him.”
He stated that Louise from IncomeMAX dealt directly with DWP about getting an assessment booked for Christopher.
For those who taking into consideration getting in touch with the DWP, Healey suggested: “Be firm & fair with DWP. Explain the urgency, tell them if you’re vulnerable. Talk it all through with DWP on the phone.”
He also recommended people to use the DWP guidance on assessments - you can read the guidelines on GOV.UK here.
Lee said: “With help and support from IncomeMAX advisor Louise, DWP got everything sorted for Christopher, they completed all the assessments and made the right decisions.”
And in a final heartfelt tweet he added: “For as long as I live and for as long as @income_max is here I’ll never stop fighting for a fairer, kinder and more compassionate benefits system. If you’re affected by these issues please reach out for advice. Help is out there. You’re not alone.”
Find out more about what the IncomeMAX team do on their website here.
