PIP telephone assessment

Hannah_Alumni

I'm so sorry you feel so sad by this @Moana

I hope the community can be a support for you Please keep us updated on your appointment! 

Moana

Thank you so much it’s just so frustrating that everything I deal with being autistic doesn’t count cos if they looked at the diagnostic criteria for autism then they would clearly see that every autistic person struggles with relationships and sensory issues and other things everyday but I didn’t get any points for those things. Then add on my OCD anxiety and depression it just all gets too much. 

onlymeagain

@Moana So sorry to hear this. Don't give up. My eldest son went from high DLA to no points on PIP. I did a Mandatory Reconsideration and he was awarded enhanced living and mobility.  It's always worth doing that as someone else will look over your form and evidence. It's also about how you write things so if you struggle, try to get some help.

Moana

Thank you so much I have tried to work out how to book a Citizen advice appointment but can’t find it yet but I’ll keep looking. Do you think I should tell my occupational therapist that I’m seeing for the last time on Tuesday? I hadn’t seen her before I applied for PIP. Do you think she would be able to give some more evidence? 

chiarieds

Your OT may or may not feel able to help, but there's no harm in asking. Can you ring Citizens Advice to book an appointment?

Moana

I will ask her. I think I will have to call cos I can’t find anywhere online where I can book an appointment. 

Moana

So I emailed citizens advice and they wanted me to call them to check if I’m eligible to claim PIP. So I called them today and I thought they would just be checking things like where I live and my birthday but it turned into the lady after asking someone else what she needed to do asking me questions that were on the PIP form and so I wasn’t prepared for that so answered how I could but then she said she would call back and when she did said I wouldn’t get PIP. So confused right now. I can’t explain properly in words and I didn’t understand what she was asking. I don’t know what to do now cos my Occupational Therapist said I should qualify and she has referred me to the Adult Autism centre who can help with the PIP MR but doesn’t know how long it will take for me to see someone and my therapist/coach also thinks I should qualify. Should I put the online form in and try my best or call DWP and ask them? Sorry for the long post. 

onlymeagain

The lady from CAB would have just gone on the info you gave - which as you have suggested wasn't that detailed. Her decision means very little. Do the MR. Even if they still say No you can go to tribunal and given the waiting time, you will have time to find help and prepare.

Moana

Thank you for your reply so do I call DWP or do the link on the citizens advice site? I’m sorry I’m so confused. 

nasturtium

Hello Moana

It is very strongly advised to do your Mandatory Reconsideration by letter and not started over the phone. Also the assessment report will only give the "opinions" of the assessor and it is not the assessment you are challenging it is the the award descision. In my opinion the assessment report is only useful if you want to complain about the assessment to the assesment provider. Do not fall into the trap of critisising the assessors report because that will not get you a PIP award.

You must put your Mandatory Reconsideration in Letter format and do not telephone to request a MR because after you telephone it starts the clock ticking and they will do the MR without you providing vital and important extra written verbal anacdotal evidence and information to back up your claim. You have 1 month from the date of your decision letter to write a detailed MR letter explaining all of the problems you have with the activities and why you cannot complete the 12 PIP activities that apply to you Reliably (The word reliably is a very important word in PIP because it is enshrined in law as Regulation 4(2A) of the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 read more here https://pipinfo.net/issues/reliably and here https://www.mypipassessment.co.uk/updates/what-are-the-reliability-criteria-that-are-used-during-the-pip-consultation/ )

You also have 13 months to request a MR by Letter if you have a good reason for requesting a late MR for example the effects of your mental health or your disability stopped you form doing your MR or you were waiting for further medical evidence or advice from a welfare rights agency. If they refuse your MR letter for being late then you can go straight to appeal.

You need to include real life incidents that happened when completing each PIP activity that applies to you. You need to describe in detail what happened, who witnessed it and what the consequences were.

This link will give you advice on what you need to include on your MR letter for each activity that applies to you. It is about filling in the PIP form but if you did not give detail on your PIP2 Questionnaire form then now is the time to resolve that by giving detail in your MR letter. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

The Governments PIP Assessment Guide and Criteria (what they are looking for when doing an assessment for PIP) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

My advice is not to get to hung up on critisising the descision letter because that is not going to get an award. You need to focus on why you cannot do the PIP activities Reliably and focus on the descriptors because it is the descriptors that gets you the points for an award.

You will need to appeal if the MR is not successfull and the majority of MRs are not. If you do a detailed MR Letter then this will be used as extra evidence in a PIP appeal by the tribunal and it will increase the chances of you getting the award you are entitled to.

Hope that helps
Nasturtium

chiarieds

Hi again @Moana - I'm so sorry Citizens Advice were unhelpful. They can't possibly decide whether you should be able to get PIP or not, & asking questions you weren't expecting certainly didn't help.

It seems like your Occupational Therapist is trying to help, & altho it might take time to be referred to the Adult Autism centre they will have a good understanding of your difficulties & may be able to help.

Please don't ring the DWP to ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration as Nasturtium also says above, as they may likely also ask questions which you'd be unprepared for, and your Mandatory Reconsideration would start then.

@onlymeagain 's advice is also valid - you could just write to the address on your PIP decision letter, simply saying you would like them to look at your decision again, this does indeed buy you more time.

Either way you need to find someone to help you with this & you can do a MR within 13 months giving a reason such as you didn't know, &/or needed help to do it.

The only other thing I can suggest is to try the link I gave before putting your postcode here: https://advicelocal.uk/  & choosing 'Welfare benefits.' If you can find a Welfare Rights Office you can contact they do understand about benefits such as PIP.

onlymeagain

Moana said:

Thank you for your reply so do I call DWP or do the link on the citizens advice site? I’m sorry I’m so confused. 

Nasturtium and Chiarieds got there first. Their advice is what I would have given also.

Moana

Thank you all so much for replying to me and yes this is very helpful. I just don’t understand why things have to be so confusing and hard. Thank you again 

onlymeagain

I am both disabled and a Carer. I am also appointee for two of my sons (ADHD and Autism). I'm constantly filling out PIP, UC, DLA forms. None of them are straightforward and yet they are designed to supposedly help those who are disabled or have some learning difficulties. 
But they are designed that way to make people give up or not qualify because of lack of evidence. CAB in my area only have appointments a couple of mornings a week and are always fully booked. Others who could also support and help have long waiting lists.
Sadly you are not alone.
I would go with the MR for now. Go through your report, activity by activity and write what you think you should have scored and why. For example, if they said you could manage complex budgeting decisions, but you can't, look down the descriptors to see which reflects your situation. If you believe you can make simple decisions but not complex one, tell them that and explain why and what help you get.

Moana

Thank you and I’m sorry you also find it difficult and hard to find help. So do I need to print out the form to send it off or just write to the to ask for a MR? 

onlymeagain

I did mine online but that was a few years ago. Is that the form you are referring to? If you write to them, don't just ask for an MR but include the information too.
I'm in no way an expert on any of these things but with filling in so many forms I have learnt how best to word things. I usually make notes and then put it into sentences and then read through again and again adding or taking away until I'm happy with what is left.

Moana

Ok thank you so I need to print out the form to write on it. Is filling it in online the same as doing it in writing. 

nasturtium

onlymeagain said:
But they are designed that way to make people give up or not qualify because of lack of evidence.

With great respect I strongly disagree with this statement. The only evidence you need to provide is your anacdotal written evidence on your PIP2 Questionnaire form. The more detailed the claimants personal written anacdotal evidence is explaining why you cannot complete the 12 PIP activities that apply to them the greater the understanding the assessor has of there limitations.

You can look on the PIP2 Questionnaire form as a form of contract between you and the DWP so all of the information on that form would not be questioned. A Claimant can submit a detailed PIP2 Questionnaire form highlighting there limitations with doing the PIP activities reliably (safely, repeatedly, in a timely manor or to an acceptable standard) and only include a printout of there summary care record and they would still have the same chance of getting an award compared to a person who sends in 50 letters from consultants and doctors.

The reason for this is because it is not your condition or disability that determins your entitlement to a PIP award but how that condition effects your ability to do the activities safely, repeatedly, in a timely manor or to an acceptable standard.

The majority of failed PIP applications are because of poorly filled in PIP2 Questionnaire forms or the Claimant has not understood the PIP activities and the descriptors.

I just though I would mention this. Please do not think I am having a go at you because I am not I just wanted to mention this because it is a very common misconception with PIP that you need bags and bags of medical evidence when infact you dont because your disabilities or conditions are not in question. It is the impacts of those conditions or disabilites with your daily living and mobility that are in question.

Kind Regards

Nasturtium

chiarieds

You can use either the form, or simply write a letter saying I'd like you to look at my decision again @Moana - then write about the activities/descriptors where you need help (even if you don't get it) & support. This website may be helpful to look through these activities, & the sort of replies that may be similar to your own: https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/pip-mental-health-guide/help-with-your-pip-claim/what-are-the-pip-descriptors/

Then try & give one or 2 examples of the difficulties you face for the activities where you didn't get any points, but feel you should. Please note from the link above if you can't do an activity 'reliably', i.e. safely, as often as you'd like or it takes you much longer, then this can gain you points. It might take you longer to wash or shower because of your OCD for example, or you may be unable to prepare a simple meal, whichever activities you have difficulty with, these are the ones to describe.

Remember, as said above, you can do a MR within 13 months giving a reason such as you didn't know, &/or needed help to do it. So, you can wait until you can get some help to do your MR if you're not comfortable doing it on your own,

onlymeagain

nasturtium said:

onlymeagain said:
But they are designed that way to make people give up or not qualify because of lack of evidence.

With great respect I strongly disagree with this statement. 

I just mean the whole process in general. Neither carers' or disabled people have the time and/or energy to be filling in forms and constantly proving they cannot do things. Then there's the appeal process etc.