nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

PIP f2f at home

Saffy

They are doing a home f2f assessment. I'll be on my own. Changing from DLA to PIP. I had a benefit advisor fill in my form but he didn't write very much or answer the questions fully. He asked them (as me), to refer to my last DLA claim for info.
My problems are fibromyalgia/arthritis mainly. In pain all the time with limited mobility. Get higher rates of both personal care and mobility at moment.
What can I expect and how can I get the best results? I get confused and tire easily so know I will come across as unhelpful and reluctant to answer properly.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Baggiebird

All you can do is try and explain.Do not do anything that is painful just because they are visitors.Offee them a cuppa but maybe they wouldn't mind helping themselves?
You can refuse on pain grounds to do their tests like grip and stand up sit down etc
Mine is Thirs at home and dreading it.
Best of luck xx

Saffy

Thanks, mines Friday @Baggiebird. Hope you do ok and it goes well for you with a nice, kind assessor.

Baggiebird

Thanku ile let you know if I'm still in one piece lol

April2018mom

Welcome to Scope!
Have you looked at the PIP guides online? DR UK do a useful one covering all aspects of the process. https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/sites/default/files/pdf/PIPGuidetoclaiming.pdf

Saffy

OMG they cancelled my f2f assessment for Friday, how can they do that?
I'm stressed to the roof about it all, can't sleep, can eat or think of anything else I'm so worried, and they ring and tell me the assessor can't come. How long will I have to wait now, they wouldn't/couldn't tell me.
I can't bear the thought of all the waiting and angst again!!
Has it happened to anyone else?

Saffy

PIP assessment.

poppy123456

Yes, it's happened to a lot of people, including myself and i was on the way to the assessment centre when they rang me. Unfortunately these things happen and people do become ill sometimes or something else may have happened in their life. It can't be helped.

Hopefully you won't be waiting too much longer but once a date becomes available they will contact you.

Saffy

@poppy123456 , goodness, how frustrating for you. On your way to the centre too. You must have been furious.
I'm so glad I've got a home f2f as it would cost around £80 in taxis for me to go to a centre. Imagine having to pay that money and find it cancelled.?
As I think my claim could end up going to appeal (hope not), I was wondering how to go about getting access to my NHS (GP) records. I want to see what I could use as supportive evidence.
I need to get access soon so I can get the info I need to support an appeal in time.
Do you know how I can do this poppy?
Also, when I got the call today to say my assessment had been cancelled for Friday, and after I had calmed down a bit, I asked the lady who phoned if I would be able to use the A4 pages (14) that I'd just handwritten as additional info for my PIP claim form. I explained I'd been unwell and had seen a benefit advisor to fill in my form but he had done it badly, not supplying the info asked for and answering question badly. Not at all what I would have written had I been able at the time. I therefore wanted to submit fuller, personal answers of how I was affected and not how HE thought I should be affected.
She said just to show them to the assessor when I eventually get another one, and he will add them to my claim form.
I said I thought he could not take them as it breached confidentiality but she disagreed, saying he would go through my form and ask question based on my answers and would treat my extra A4 pages as part of his assessment, and would take them away. She said they were always getting sent further supportive info every day. She has confused me, but I sincerely hope she's right as I'm sure my extra info gives a much clearer relevant answer to the questions than HE jotted down.
I will be making a copy of them just in case I need one for later.
Thanks Poppy, I'm so grateful to you for your support.
Saffy.
Lol, predictive text eh!! Saffy came out as Daffy. Probably right lol.

poppy123456

Daffy? haha that's funny! made me laugh, thanks for that!

To request your medical records you can speak to the receptionist at your GP surgery and just request them. Some people can request them online through patient access but with my GP surgery i wasn't able to do that so i just requested them at the surgery. I simply filled out a form, signed it and less than 24 hours later they were ready to view online.

For the extra sheets of information then it's entirely your choice whether you take the chance and try to hand them in on the day of the assessment but i can tell you that during my daughters home assessment for PIP, the HCP was unable to take with him anything i gave him because of security reasons.

You would be much better sending them ASAP to the health assessment providers by next day delivery (please note*** not DWP) before your next face to face assessment date. Making sure you add your name and NI number to the top of each copy you send. Attach a short letter to the front asking them to add this information to your PIP file.

Hope this helps.

poppy123456

Yes, i was given an envelope during my daughters assessment but the envelope was addressed to DWP. Completely pointless really when by the time DWP receive the report, they mostly go with whats written in there and award like for like.

I do agree with the handwritten notes though.

@Saffy i really wouldn't worry too much. I've had plenty of badly filled in PIP and ESA forms in the past from a different advice centres and i never had a problem with any of my claims. It's only my last ESA form and my daughters PIP form that i filled out myself with lots of information and real life examples. The only difference was that my daughter had a paper based assessment the last time.

Saffy

@poppy123456, and @ilovecats , thank you both for your welcome replies.
Hm, what to do.
I could get the extra pages photocopied asap then use them for reference during my assessment but send them off asap if I'm given an envelope to do so by assessor. OR, send them off, after copying, to the health assessment providers now and hope they can read them before my assessment. I'd know better if I had an idea how long it will be before I get another date.
Or I could cover all possibilities and get 2 copies tomorrow and send the original off to providers. The copies I can keep to use as a reference in my f2f if my original A4 copy hasn't been processed by then, and I could send the 2nd copy in if the assessor won't take it or use it in my assessment. Or am I complicating things too much?
OK, I'll copy them and ask the assessor if she will accept the info on them in her assessment. If she won't then I'll send them myself to the provider asap afterwards with a covering letter.
Sorry for rambling. It helps to put things down, it makes it less confusing.
Does that sound like a good plan?? The last bit I mean from OK......

Saffy

@ilovecats,
So do I. It's what gets me out of bed.?

poppy123456

It's your decision but i wouldn't risk waiting for the day of the assessment. If the HCP gave you an envelope then it will be addressed to DWP and by the time they receive it, they'll most likely have received the report back. As most decisions go with the report then by this time it will be too late.

If it was me then i'd keep hold of them and use them as notes.

Saffy

@poppy123456 , thanks. I'll take your advice and keep to use as notes during my assessment.
I've been a got them copied in case assessor wants to take the originals with her.
Also been to my surgery to start the ball rolling to get access to my medical records. Thought I'd do it now as it can take a few weeks. Apparently my surgery don't have it in place for you to look at them on line and so get a physical print out for you instead. Sounds like the old pre techno way of doing things.
As it may need to go to appeal I want to have any supporting medical evidence asap. Fingers crossed of course it won't go that way but best to be prepared. If I wait I may not be well enough to pursue it at that time, so just forward thinking.
It's such a relief getting all that paperwork written up. I think I might actually sleep tonight.
Thank you for all your advice, I'd have been in a mess without it.
Saffy.

Saffy

@Baggiebird , just wondering how your home f2f went on Thursday. I was keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Saffy.

Baggiebird

Hi Saffy
It was just one woman thank goodness.My friend had two people and felt very intimidated.
She was here about 45 mins.To be honest I dont really know how it went. I will be requesting a copy of her report and one porky and I will be on that phone.My Daughtèr who is my Carer also felt like she didn't know how it went xx

Saffy

Glad it wasn't as bad as your last one. I've heard the report can be a good indication of what the decision is likely to be, so I'm really hoping it all goes in your favour.
Still awaiting another assessment appointment as the last one jumped ship. The longer I'm kept waiting the better, too much stress when it's imminent.
Not sure what you can do if she lies unless you recorded it all.
Let me know how things go.
Good luck, Saffy.

Saffy

@poppy123456.
I've now been given a new date for my f2f, Aug 30th, unless they cancel again!!!
Just so I'm prepared, if my PIP is refused, will my DLA be ended straight away or will I get the next payment when it's due and then stop?

poppy123456

Saffy said:

@poppy123456.
I've now been given a new date for my f2f, Aug 30th, unless they cancel again!!!
Just so I'm prepared, if my PIP is refused, will my DLA be ended straight away or will I get the next payment when it's due and then stop?

Hopefully it will go ahead this time. If the worst does happen you'll receive 1 more payment of your DLA and then it will stop. It may not be a full 4 weeks though because DLA is paid 3 weeks in arrears and 1 week in advance, unlike PIP, which is paid 4 weeks in arrears.

Good luck with the assessment! Do let us know the outcome and in the meantime if you have any more questions please do ask.

Adrian_Scope

Best of luck for August 30th @Saffy!

Component react.suggestedcontent had an error.

The value must be greater than or equal to 1.

Sign in or register for free

Get more out of your online community by signing in or registering