A successful, if unusual PIP result. Don't give up!

LMJ

I wanted to post that it can go well, not to boast but to reassure people that it can sometimes work out as it should. My application was on  mental health grounds.

I had my PIP review and after a year of sending the forms back I was contacted by my GP saying the DWP has contacted them about a safeguarding incident in relation to my report. My GP them had a telephone appointment with me and discussed the issues raised before he contacted the professional back. This actually helped in that it resulted in a medication change which is now helping me.

I then received a text from the DWP stating the health professional had put in her report. I did not have a telephone or face to face assessment, it was paper only and the first time that had happened. 2 weeks ago I received a text saying a decision had been made and an hour later the decision maker called me himself because he didn't want to cause me further worry so told me his decision. I continue to receive Enhanced Care and Mobility for the next 5 years.

When I completed the form I said very little about what my diagnosis meant, I concentrated purely on how it affected my day to day life. I gave examples of how it caused problems, what happened as a result of those problems, how often it happened and who saw it happening. I figured my psychiatrist's report would list the conditions so I didn't need to talk generally about those - I only explained how the symptoms stopped me living an "ordinary" life.

The only evidence I had was my psychiatrists report and my GP speaking to them after the safeguarding incident, everything else came down to my explanations of how I was affected. Also I didn't exaggerate, for instance communication is not a problem for me so I skipped that descriptor. My advice would be to concentrate on how your day to day life is affected, don't worry about explaining what your diagnoses mean. Give lots of examples of why your life is negatively impacted and the after-effects of that and keep it in the present day, don't give your life story. Learn the descriptors meaning and stick to those, try to be clear and concise and reach out for help with the form if you need to. Good luck to everyone. xxxx

Special thanks to Poppy for calming me down twice when I panicked over the safeguarding. xx

poppy123456

That's fantastic news! Thanks for returning with an update. Just goes to prove that filling in the form with all the relevant information, really does help!

MW123

@LMJ Well done! it is nice when members share good results it gives others hope. 

Albus_Scope

Excellent news and excellent advice @LMJ I'm so happy for you!  Now please be extra gentle with yourself for a bit and maybe buy yourself a little treat.