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PIP Supporting evidence

Broken

Regarding transfer from DLA to PIP. I am awaiting receipt of forms. Please can you confirm that DWP will not accept supporting evidence in the form of written confirmation of help given by friends and family? Since my GP has absolutely no idea of how my conditions affect me personally on a daily basis (to do this, he would need to move in for a week or so!!) , the only "evidence" I can supply would be from those who actually give me the help needed and see me on a daily basis.

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Comments

[Deleted User]

Yes they will and do it

CockneyRebel

Any supporting letters from familiy and friends should be written as testamonials
To include name, address and how they know you and for how long.
It should be signed testifying that to the best of their knowledge it is true and accurate

CR

BenefitsTrainingCo

Broken,

The DWP do not have a policy of rejecting evidence just because it is not from a medical professional. However, it is likely to make it harder for you to get an accurate award. Testimonials from family and friends can certainly be submitted, but without medical evidence it's the assessor's report, unfortunately, that is likely to be heavily relied on by the DWP.

If you don't get the right result from PIP then you may have to seek a mandatory reconsideration and appeal, at which point the tribunal should be much more open to considering both your own evidence and that of the people who support you on a day to day basis.

The other thing that can sometimes help (again, more at tribunal stage, but it is worth considering at claim stage too) is evidence about your condition, for example, if there is anything reliable on the internet from a medical or academic source about the likely effects of your condition on your functional ability.

Of course no GP is ever going to really see the extent of your problems at home, and they can't be expected to. But they may be able to say whether it is likely that your condition would lead to problems with the PIP activities. Another option, if it's feasible (and it may not be) is to ask for a referral to a consultant or an occupational therapist. Having evidence from a professional is helpful - but it's not essential, and people do get the correct award without it, but it may take time.

If you haven't already, you could also take the PIP self-test to see what level of points you think you ought to get if you were able to convince the DWP of what you can and cannot do without help. Finally, if there are any charities or support organisations for your condition, might they be able to help with supporting evidence?

Will

cloe1

the system is rediculous sent so much medical evidence and they dont seem to care about they just care about stuff thats two years or younger and the case manager told me she would extend the time i had to submit new evidence and got home today to find that theyd made a deciscion without waiting a few days for latest report

SusiQ

It remains a complete mystery to me why DWP provide shorter and shorter Award dates - insist upon a "review" of the Award 12 months before the expiry date, and expect people with "Lifelong" "Incurable" conditions to have miraculously been cured. If you have a Lifelong condition you are unlikely to be constantly seeing Medical Professionals when nothing can be reasonably done to improve that condition. You just get on with it!
Grrrrrr.....

sleepy1

Hi SusiQ

Could not agree more, if you have an incurable condition you will like me have been told by your specialist there is nothing more we can do and referred you back to your GP. In that event you would not have much paper trail of any further medical evidence to present to the DWP when a review comes your way.
Even if you did it seems it would be ignored anyway as the HCP's who do the face to face assessment's know better than anyone. And their words in the ears and eyes of the DWP is all that matters.

Going for a 19.999 m stroll now down devil gate drive : ))

cloe1

need some advice my local citizens advice sent me a letter saying a needed more new medical evidence and so i got my pratice manager to ring the citizens advice and when she did the person couldnt recommend what else was needed and all my local medical people ive spoken to are reluctant to help with my esa and pip problems

SusiQ

Ah Sleepy 1....a fellow "Ranter" - good to see!!!

What is it they say "Illegitimi non carborundum"......... ;o)

Susi Q

ps Been a helluva long time since I wore that black catsuit lol

sleepy1

SusiQ Lol was thinking of asking to borrow that catsuit for my next assessment/ tribunal, but have just been offered a Scooby-Doo outfit which l think would be much more appropriate for the occasion.

Nothing wrong with your spelling is there? Get a job you lazy diva ; ))

BenefitsTrainingCo

Nice to see some light-hearted banter on the forum!

Hi cloe1,

The ideal medical evidence would be a letter from your GP/hospital consultant giving their opinion as to which daily living tasks you need to use an aid or an appliance or physical assistance from another person (or promoting and/or supervision if problems are of a mental health nature). This is hard to get, as the medical professionals probably won't know how you get on with these tasks at home, but it is their opinion as to your likely need for help which they can hopefully give. If you can't get a letter specifically about daily functioning, a letter detailing your health problems and the severity of them would be the next best thing, at least you can relate this evidence to the descriptors you are asking for.

Lee

[Deleted User]

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