Hi, my name is janey68! I have contacted PIP and have been sent an AR1 form

janey68

Hi,
I am currently in reciept of lower rate PIP (both elemants) but have recently been diagnosed with Fibro and IBS, which was not what my original award was for. I have contacted PIP and have been sent an AR1 form. I am finding it quite daunting and am worried I may lose my entitlement altogether. I know its crazy but thats anxiety for you. Just wondered if anyone who had been through the process had any pointers. 
Thanks in advance.

poppy123456

PIP isn’t about a diagnosis. It’s how those conditions affect your ability to carry out the 12 PIP activities. 

A diagnosis isn’t something that needs to be reported. You should really only report changes if it’s possible to score more points for a higher award. 

You need to treat the form as a new claim and give as much relevant information as possible. Include a couple of real world examples of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies to you. 

Adding detailed information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were. 

Theres never usually enough of space in the form to include everything so use extra sheets of paper. 

If you have additional evidence to send then you should send that with the form.

You can also ring to ask for extra time to return it and they will give an extra couple of weeks.

Most people have assessments so you should expect one of those as well. 

There are long delays for a lot of people for decisions so you could be waiting several months.

janey68

Thank you for your reply, I reported the dianosis as it was an ongoing health issue that finally got a name. The problems it causes me had been getting progressively worse, affecting my day to day life which was why id had medical investigations etc. Im finding the form is triggering my mental health and its all a bit overwhelming. Again, thank you for your reply

Albus_Scope

Hey there @janey68 and welcome to the community!
I'm sorry to hear your anxiety is getting the better of you, it's easily done.  I can see you're already getting some advice, but I just wanted to stop by and say hello.