Pip

Yadnad

poppy123456 said:

This comment.."if it appears to have been filled out professionally then there could be some doubt as to its truthfulness." advice centres fill out forms for people all the time. In fact DWP have representatives that also help fill out the forms. Scaring people doesn't help, especially when they have no where else to turn.

Well Poppy that experience didn't scare me - it made me sceptical of trusting any outside agency, hence why since that date eight years ago when my wife was 68 I have had no help or advice in completing any DWP form including the PIP ones. As for wanting/asking the DWP to send one of their officers out (visiting officers) to help complete the forms - that's similar, in my opinion, to putting your head inside the mouth of a lion! Besides which those officers when they do visit are not allowed to advise anything - they are there only (supposedly) to write down word  for word what the claimant says.

poppy123456

Having recently completed both an ESA review for myself and a PIP review form for my daughter, if at the time i needed help filling in the forms i wouldn't have hesitated in contacting an advice agency to help me do that. Which i have done for every other review in the past.  I would never allow a DWP rep to help me do that, although i know they do.  Not once did i ever suggest not writing down word for word what the claimant says.

Thankfully, i didn't need the help this time and completed both forms myself. When i filled out the forms i put as much information as possible about how we're affected by our conditions. I don't know why anyone would simply put "no change" and leave it at that.

Yadnad

poppy123456 said:

Having recently completed both an ESA review for myself and a PIP review form for my daughter, if at the time i needed help filling in the forms i wouldn't have hesitated in contacting an advice agency to help me do that. Which i have done for every other review in the past.  I would never allow a DWP rep to help me do that, although i know they do.  Not once did i ever suggest not writing down word for word what the claimant says.

Thankfully, i didn't need the help this time and completed both forms myself. When i filled out the forms i put as much information as possible about how we're affected by our conditions. I don't know why anyone would simply put "no change" and leave it at that.

I think that we should agree to disagree on looking or taking advice. Your experience was a good one which left you with a trusting knowledge that you would not hesitate to go back again if needed.
For me it was a bad experience which has left me with no faith in any of them made more apparent when the CAB in 2013 told me that they would telephone me with a time and date to go see them - now nearly 6 years later I still haven't received that phone call.

CockneyRebel

The forms are not the easiest things to understand and the DWP do not help make it clear with what is required. For many people faced with filling out these forms it can be overwhelming and it may be better to seek advice and help where possible.

As a last resort I would use the DWP service but having  completed the form I would not allow them to take the form away. I would want to read it or get someone I trust to do so. I would correct any part that I considered wrong and then when satisfied that my claim was as good as it could be, take a copy before returning the form

Yadnad

CockneyRebel said:

The forms are not the easiest things to understand and the DWP do not help make it clear with what is required. For many people faced with filling out these forms it can be overwhelming and it may be better to seek advice and help where possible.

As a last resort I would use the DWP service but having  completed the form I would not allow them to take the form away. I would want to read it or get someone I trust to do so. I would correct any part that I considered wrong and then when satisfied that my claim was as good as it could be, take a copy before returning the form

Not too sure of my facts here, but I would think that the DWP having helped with the form would most definitely want to take it with them. I have heard that the same applies to the CAB, they do not hand the completed form back instead they themselves post it after taking a copy for their own records.


I was in 2013 as well as in 2015 and in 2017 confused and completely not really understanding how to complete the PIP2 form. Eventually they were fudged and completed to a standard that I believed that the DWP wanted to see.
Seeking help I have no problem with for others but they should be understanding that taking that advice or help is at the claimants own risk with no guarantees attached.

poppy123456

Having used the help of CAB multiple times in the past, they don't send the forms for you. They copy the forms and give them back for you, for you to post yourself. Don't know about welfare rights, a law centre or DWP rep.

Yadnad

poppy123456 said:

Having used the help of CAB multiple times in the past, they don't send the forms for you. They copy the forms and give them back for you, for you to post yourself. Don't know about welfare rights, a law centre or DWP rep.

Ah thanks Poppy, as I said I was not sure.
But if when you get the forms back and ready for the post but notice errors and then correct them, what the CAB have will not be the same as what the DWP receive? I presume that you would copy them again? 

poppy123456

ilovecats said:

The forms I came across that had been filled out by the DWP, often were just ticks, no written information at all most of the time. A bit of a disservice to those who need help.

Which is why i would never trust them to help fill out any of my forms.

djbantiques

As always face to face advice is the best way. Even using more than one organization if available and you want a second opinion.

Yadnad

poppy123456 said:

ilovecats said:

The forms I came across that had been filled out by the DWP, often were just ticks, no written information at all most of the time. A bit of a disservice to those who need help.

Which is why i would never trust them to help fill out any of my forms.

And neither would I. Those who suggest otherwise are doing themselves and others a disservice 

Yadnad

djbantiques said:

As always face to face advice is the best way. Even using more than one organization if available and you want a second opinion.

Grief you are expecting a lot! Many on this site and those that I know including myself can't find one decent one to get any advice or help from never mind a couple of them for a second opinion.

wildlife

Sorry to change the subject, just a quick question as my son has an ESA in 2 days time. Do you have to tell them before hand if someone is going with the claimant? 

Yadnad

wildlife said:

Sorry to change the subject, just a quick question as my son has an ESA in 2 days time. Do you have to tell them before hand if someone is going with the claimant? 

I didn't for the PIP one which is similar although my wife just drove me there and was told that her presence in the assessment room was not necessary.

poppy123456

wildlife said:

Sorry to change the subject, just a quick question as my son has an ESA in 2 days time. Do you have to tell them before hand if someone is going with the claimant? 

No, no need to tell them. If you're his appointee then you have to go with him though.

wildlife

Oh dear I am his appointee but his Dad is his carer and knows a lot more about him as he see him everyday. I wasn't going to go because I can't cope with the stress. Just goes to show how inflexible the system is. 

poppy123456

If you didn't attend with him then the assessment can't go ahead. This is the whole reason you're his appointee. It should state this in the letter you received about the face to face assessment.

Yadnad

Appointee - yes, you speak for him.
Carer - no legal right of audience unfortunately.

djbantiques

Yadnad said:

djbantiques said:

As always face to face advice is the best way. Even using more than one organization if available and you want a second opinion.

Grief you are expecting a lot! Many on this site and those that I know including myself can't find one decent one to get any advice or help from never mind a couple of them for a second opinion.

Which is why I said if available.

Yadnad

djbantiques said:

Grief you are expecting a lot! Many on this site and those that I know including myself can't find one decent one to get any advice or help from never mind a couple of them for a second opinion.

Which is why I said if available.

Let me just clarify, you specifically said 'if available' to the latter part of your sentence - looking for a second opinion. You simply assumed that getting the first face to face advice session as automatic and as a matter of course.
I pointed out that a great number of people including myself that would like help do not even get the offer of any quality help.

djbantiques

Yadnad said:

djbantiques said:

Grief you are expecting a lot! Many on this site and those that I know including myself can't find one decent one to get any advice or help from never mind a couple of them for a second opinion.

Which is why I said if available.

Let me just clarify, you specifically said 'if available' to the latter part of your sentence - looking for a second opinion. You simply assumed that getting the first face to face advice session as automatic and as a matter of course.
I pointed out that a great number of people including myself that would like help do not even get the offer of any quality help.

There's plenty of face to face advice out there,  not always local which can prove problematic, but it's the best way to get advice and certainly better than relying on an online forum.