PIP Process Nov 2023

Esskay33

Hi everyone, I’m just here for some more info if possible please.

I applied for PIP on 30/08/23.

I had my telephone assessment on 02/11/23.

I received a text on 13/11/23 stating that PIP have received my assessment and will be in touch in roughly 8 weeks. 

What am I to expect next? I suffer with severe anxiety and this waiting game is keeping me up at night, and making me infact quite poorly.

So my questions are as follows;

1) The next text I get from DWP, will this state if I’ve been awarded PIP?

2) How long do you think it will take in my case and given the time scales I’ve provided?

thank you in advance for any replies or help regarding this. It’s already much appreciated. Xxx

poppy123456

1/ Sometimes they will send a text that says, they have all the information they need. Then they may send a text to say they haven't yet made a decision. They sometimes (not always) text if there's an award but don't tell you what the award is. They don't send texts if there's no award. Either way you'll receive a letter with the decision.

2/ Unfortunately, that 8 weeks you were advised could be up to 12 weeks, after the report was returned.

Esskay33

@poppy123456 Thank you so much for your response & help. ☺️ Xx

Esskay33

UPDATE : Today I received a copy of my assessment. 

How can I decipher the information to find out what or if I’ve been awarded.

TIA. Xx

poppy123456

In the report there will be activities/descriptors. Next to those there will be either a dot or a tick, which will be either in box A, b, c, d, e,f etc etc. Use the PIP self test here https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/pip-test-form transfer the dots/ticks from the report into the self test. Once you've done that "click" submit and it will tell you if there's enough of points recommended for an award. 

Please also remember it's a recommendation only. Whilst they mostly go with it, it has been known for them to go against it.

Esskay33

Thank you for your help, I did as you advised, if this is the decision the decision maker agrees with hill have been awarded the enhanced rate for daily living and standard rate for Mobility.

I’ll await my decision letter, and I think I may appeal the mobility element as the assessor states they considered option F however went with option E which makes me 2 points off enhanced mobility element which is something I definitely feel I need with my conditions.

I have a little more information and further explanation in the hope that they’ll reconsider if that is the case.

thank you for your help x

poppy123456

Which activity and descriptor are the points recommended for the mobility part? Are you claiming PIP because of physical or mental health/cognitive conditions?

Esskay33

I’m just going to upload you a picture of that part of the question so you can see exactly what was said/marked as I’m new to all this pip an really don’t understand much of it. I hope that is okay? X

Esskay33

poppy123456

Activity 11E following and Planning a journey. If you are unable to go out the majority of the days then that is the correct descriptors. If you only go out once every few weeks then that's not the majority of the time so descriptor F doesn't apply. Those that satisfy 11E can't satisfy 11F.

For the moving around part whether you can score any points here will depend on how far you can walk and whether you can do that reliably, repeatedly, to an acceptable standard and in a reasonable time.

Esskay33

I don’t leave my house for weeks/months on end. I suffer terribly with chronic panic disorder, with physical symptoms, resulting in passing out.

my children’s school attendance is in severe decline due to not even being able to get out to get them to school, without relying on others. 

Do you think he marked me correctly? Or do I have a chance of appealing the E to be F? 

IMStruggling

Esskay33 said:

Hi everyone, I’m just here for some more info if possible please.

I applied for PIP on 30/08/23.

I had my telephone assessment on 02/11/23.

I received a text on 13/11/23 stating that PIP have received my assessment and will be in touch in roughly 8 weeks. 

What am I to expect next? I suffer with severe anxiety and this waiting game is keeping me up at night, and making me infact quite poorly.

So my questions are as follows;

1) The next text I get from DWP, will this state if I’ve been awarded PIP?

2) How long do you think it will take in my case and given the time scales I’ve provided?

thank you in advance for any replies or help regarding this. It’s already much appreciated. Xxx

You will receive a letter telling you their decision.  I believe it can take up to 12 weeks at the moment.  I have read that people receive a text that says they've been awarded PIP.  If yours was a Review (i.e. you were already on PIP) then you would get a text saying "Your PIP Review is complete."

I recently had a PIP review and the time line was approximately:

Received text on the next working day after the phone assessment saying they've received the assessment report.

7 days later I received a text saying they'd made a decision on my PIP.

I think that is unusually fast though.

Also it seems there was quite a gap between your phone assessment and the DWP actually receiving your assessment report.  Looks like 11 days?  Was it audited?

poppy123456

Following and planning a journey is for those with mental health, cognitive and sensory impairments. It has nothing to do with physical health conditions. Physical comes under "moving around part"

Esskay33

I’m a little unsure on what you mean.

my conditions are 
Chronic Panic Disorder
Severe Anxiety & Depression
Sciatica 

Esskay33

@IMStruggling yes it was 11 days before I received the text to say DWP had received my assessment.

I’m not sure what you mean by audited? It was a telephone assessment x

IMStruggling

Esskay33 said:

@IMStruggling yes it was 11 days before I received the text to say DWP had received my assessment.

I’m not sure what you mean by audited? It was a telephone assessment x

Hi, sometimes they do an audit on the health professional's report to make sure it's OK before sending it to the DWP. I believe this just means they go through it with a fine tooth comb etc.  It happened to me with my last PIP claim. In that case the health professional had to do two or three additional one hour phone calls with me, clarifying various details.  It took three extra weeks or more I think to finally get that DWP text sayign they received the report.  All was fine and I got awarded PIP.  The DWP have clearly received your report now so that's fine.

Esskay33

It did take 3 hours for me to complete my assessment also, so I believe it was most likely audited too! 

Thank you for your response. Fingers crossed I hear from them soon x

poppy123456

Esskay33 said:

I’m a little unsure on what you mean.

my conditions are 
Chronic Panic Disorder
Severe Anxiety & Depression
Sciatica 

Severe anxiety, depression come under following and planning a journey. Sciatica and chronic pain would be moving around.

Esskay33 said:

It did take 3 hours for me to complete my assessment also, so I believe it was most likely audited too! 

That doesn't mean it was audited. Audits are chosen at random and means they are checking the assessor did their job correctly. The only downside to audits is that it delays the report being returned to DWP.