Girlfriend was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia

PIPnewbie

We went to her pain specialist appointment and the doctor said that based on a year of trials, forms, etc. she’s in a position to diagnose her.

As some of you know, her PIP application detailed it as suspected fibromyalgia, and she explained in the consultation she was likely to be diagnosed with it “next week” which is today.

The DWP has received her report, but apparently it is best to await their decision before updating them on this diagnosis correct?

poppy123456

Hi,

Nooo, you don't need to report this because if she does then they'll class it as a change of circumstances and send out new forms. PIP isn't about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect you daily.

PIPnewbie

poppy123456 said:

Hi,

Nooo, you don't need to report this because if she does then they'll class it as a change of circumstances and send out new forms. PIP isn't about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect you daily.

Yes true, have to keep remembering that.

Surely diagnoses carry weight though, because theoretically couldn’t a person with no diagnosed conditions just lie through their teeth?

But I am going to tell her to keep this one close to her chest for now.

poppy123456

No because a diagnosis doesn't mean anything. All conditions affect people in many different ways, you never have 2 people the same. I have fibromyalgia and other things too. I was diagnosis, 6 years ago but have had it for almost 10 years. There's so many symptoms that you'll never get 2 people that are affected in the same way.

There's very few people that claim benefits fraudulently.

miilreef

In my case extra medical evidence helped a great deal at my tribunal.
The assessor at the F2F had claimed they had made a detailed assessment of my joints, including rotation, and reported all kinds of lies because they didn’t touch me.
My Consultant examined and reported on the condition of my joints, naturally a total contradiction of the F2F assessment, 9 months after my F2F and the Tribunal panel told me they had placed great weight on that letter.
Obviously I had to explain how the joint problems affected me on a day to day basis but the extra evidence led to the assessors report being disregarded in their evaluation.