My PIP review timeline

Azukker

Just to share my experience, and share my timeline in case it helps those going for/waiting for reviews and wondering how others are doing with wait-times. I'll try to summarise the times at the end!

I've been on PIP since about 2018… I had my first review in 2020 but of course with covid era and backlogs and so many staff working from home it was just a paper-based assessment that granted it for 3 more years (until early 2023) - I think most of us got paper-based assessments at that time? (am curious how many others did actually…!?)

I think I recieved my first reminder that another review was due when I received a letter basically auto-extending my claim for one year to early 2024. I then got my actual review forms sent out in May 2023, I filled them in (I probably struck a balance between writing "No change" and giving brief descriptors of things that were the same, rather than go all-out, but a couple of things had got worse for me so I gave full detail treating it like a new claim for a couple of areas), and posted it away in June 2023.

By the start of 2024, I received a second auto-extension, extending my claim automatically to the start of 2025 or until my review was complete (and had received one or two automated texts from DWP basically saying yes they still hadn't forgot about me/were still processing my claim).

In May 2024 I received a text to say that "Independent Assessment Services" had my claim and would be dealing with it, and in the middle of June I received a letter giving me an appointment for a telephone review with them for the last week of July. I called up and asked for it to be a recorded review, this actually gave me an EARLIER telephone review slot of mid-July (Wednesday 10th July).

The recorded telephone review lasted about 40 minutes, felt it went well, the person on the phone was lovely and seemed very understanding. It took twenty minutes after the phonecall for me to receive the automated text saying the DWP had now been sent my report and would be handling it going further. I waited exactly two days from this text and called on Friday 12th July to ask for a copy of my report, which was sent out without issue and I had in my hands about three days after (I also received a secure-post with a CD of my telephone interview recording about the same time).

The report was perfect, it seemed to capture everything spot-on and I didn't have any issues with anything reported - I saw a few comments about my medical records - and they had pushed my mobility points up into the enhanced bracket (and daily living standard, same as it already was).

Friday 26th July I had a text saying my PIP review is complete, and to wait for my decision letter within two weeks. I waited a day and out of curiosity phoned the automated line to see if I could get a sneaky preview into my award with the amount my next payment was - my next payment amount didn't make much sense at the time (it wasn't divisible by any of the various levels of award and was only slightly above my usual payment) but I'd seen many people say the automated calls can be useless, so I waited for the letter.

Wednesday 31st July I got the letter - and amongst quite a few comments about my extensive medical records, the DWP basically fully agreed with the assessor's report word for word, and granted me standard daily living, and enhanced mobility (a step up, excuse the pun, from what it used to be) - and it turns out the amount the automated line gave me which didn't make sense, was exactly the backpayment amount of almost one month from increasing my enhanced from the day of my telephone assessment, so it was telling me my backpayment amount rather than my usual payment as the backpayment is being automatically given to my usual account.

Also was given 5 years this time, instead of 3.

Summary;

• PIP previous award due to run out start of 2023.
• PIP was auto-extended from start of 2023 to start of 2024.
• PIP review forms sent May 2023.
• PIP review forms returned June 2023.
• PIP auto-extended a 2nd time from start of 2024 to start of 2025.
• PIP independent assessment given my details May 2024.
• Phone review due end of July 2024, changed to early 10th July 2024 when asked for it to be recorded.
• Phone review was around 40 minutes, DWP recieved report approx. 20 minutes after the phone review.
• Got a copy of my report a few days after asking for it - asked for it on 12th July, 2 days after my phone review took place/after DWP received the report themselves.
• 26th July (16 days after DWP received report) got a text to say await my decision letter.
• 31st July (21 days after DWP received report) got letter with standard daily living (no change) and enhanced mobility (increase from standard).

So that's around 18 months from when old review was originally due to end to new award… around 13-14 months from sending review forms away to the new award… and about 2-3 weeks from phone review assessment, to award letter in my hands.

Thanks for all the posts people make on here, there is useful info, and re-assurance, and this forum has helped me and I am sure many other people who don't ever post, but read what other people ask and answer to get their information.

Albus_Scope

Thanks for sharing your timeline with the community @Azukker and I'm really glad to had a great end result. Hopefully this will help put those waiting at ease. 😊

Julessarahthompson

Sounds pretty similar to mine, first award in 2019 for 4 years based on medical evidence, enhanced on both. Got an automatic extension due to covid. Review forms were received Sept 2023, got another letter June 2024 saying it had been extended for a year to 2025 due to review delays. Out of the blue this morning I got a text to say my review had been completed. Phoned them because I automatically felt sick with worry. Award has stayed the same, enhanced for both for a further 4 years. No need for an assessment as they carried out a paper based one due to the extensive evidence I provided.

I can say today has been a massive weight lifted and I can finally breathe.

Jimm_Scope

Great news @Julessarahthompson! I'm glad it's all sorted, glad you got a paper-based decision as that really does take away a lot of the stress.