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Awaiting a decision

Hippychick

Hi, I've been waiting for a decision on my PIP assessment for just over 10 weeks now, is this normal? The waiting is making my already high anxiety levels skyrocket, and I just feel I have nowhere to turn to ?

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Comments

poppy123456

Hi,

There's no timescales to any decisions. Backlogs is just part of the reason a decision can be delayed. If the report was sent to audit the decision can be delayed further.

Have you requested a copy of the assessment report to be sent to you? This can give you some idea what the decision is likely to be because they mostly go with the report. To receive a copy of this ring DWP.

thespiceman

Hello @Hippychick Pleased to meet you welcome.

Thank you for joining and sharing.

Please may I suggest you contact PIP helpline.

0800 121 4433

I am one of the team of community champions. We guide, advise and help new members who join the community.

Please can I ask if you not receiving any support with your mental health.

Please consider thinking about any support.

Finding ways to cope. I do know it is never easy to deal with at this time.

You could contact your Doctor explain how you are.

I would look at mental health charities.

Used this one last time. Can help with support, advice and guidance on your mental health.

https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

Please if this helps . Contac them. They might not be in all areas but just a thought.

Please if I can help with anything further. Please get in touch.

Only too happy to be supportive.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

Hippychick

Oh and the only support I receive is general counselling x

worried33

I personally think 10 is excessive, 4-6 weeks is what DWP quote when they get your report. If I was 10 weeks after report received, I would be onto my MP to push it along.

They dont have a time limit but there is such a thing as reasonable time frames.

Give them a ring and see what they advise, sometimes its been known that people ringing whilst waiting a long time can suddenly get bumped to a DM's desk quickly after that.

cristobal

@worried33 - you're right...10 weeks is a long time to wait. They may well be short-handed, particularly with it being school holidays, and doing as best they can...

If they have to start answering letters from MPs that may make things worse surely?

Hippychick

Thanks, I’m gonna try calling them today and see what they say, obviously if they are their usual ‘helpful’ ?!? selves ? then I’ll have to take it further. It’s just stressful every morning when the post arrives with no letters ? xx

Chloe_Alumni

Welcome to the community @Hippychick! I hope the call today went okay and that you aren't waiting much longer!

worried33

cristobal said:

@worried33 - you're right...10 weeks is a long time to wait. They may well be short-handed, particularly with it being school holidays, and doing as best they can...

If they have to start answering letters from MPs that may make things worse surely?

Its probably isnt DM's responding to MP's so I doubt that affects waiting times, but of course if someone gets bumped following intervention from a MP, then someone else waits longer for been pushed out of the way.

10 weeks is long enough tho that it may not be down to simply them "been busy" but something may have gone wrong and I think its worth trying to find out.

cristobal

@worried33 - you may be right ...I think they have a separate bit to respond to MPs letters...

worried33

I did suggest to ring themselves first, as an MP shouldnt be the first thing to do, thats more of a last resort.

cristobal

@worried33 I agree.

When I last worked I dealt with a lot of letters from MPs - those that fell into the "can you hurry it up bit?" category generally went to the bottom of the 'In-tray' as I had better things to be getting on with. It took DWP nearly eight weeks to reply to a letter from my MP so they may have a similar system!!

worried33

My experience has been much better, you may remember my posts on here in Jan 2019 regarding the backdated EDP payments, the DWP was misleading me on what was going on, and when my MP got involved I was put in a high priority pile and dealt with far quicker. But to point out the MP was used only after I had already called the DWP several times and did an official complaint myself.

I have also had previous incidents before that when MP intervention has had positive results. I dont like using my MP but sadly it is needed sometimes.

My MP told me there is a special department within the DWP that handles their calls (and I assume letters), they dont ring the normal hotline.

cristobal

@worried33 - sorry I have just realised I have been talking rubbish! And it's too late to edit it!

My MP wrote to Capita - not DWP...

worried33

yeah that makes sense, they a private company so would likely react different to a government department.

Hippychick

Hi, I managed to get in touch finally, they told me that the reason for the long wait was because they contacted the assessors a couple of times to ask for clarification on a few points of the original assessment, but that I should ring them back tomorrow to ask for more information from the case manager. So right now I’m trying to second guess if that’s a good or bad sign!!! Xx

worried33

I will speculate they are considering giving you more points than the AP recommended. So a good sign.

Hippychick

Hiya, well I’ve just got off the phone to PIP, and I cannot believe this- apparently the report has been going back and forth, clarifying different points, for the now 11 weeks since my assessment, and they only received the final clarification on 27th of August, so I asked the advisor if I would be getting my decision back in the next week or so, just to be told that I would have to wait a further (up to) 6 weeks to get it!!! So she then told me I’d get it backdated, but of course I won’t because I’m still getting paid my lowest rate DLA. So I’m feeling all the more anxious now!! X

poppy123456

I'm sorry it's taking so long but in my opinion it's better this way, at least the decision maker has noticed things may not be correct in the report. I know i'd prefer that than have a report full of lies and contradictions.

You still can't speculate at this point what the decision maybe but if you live in the UK you can request a copy of the report to be sent to you, this will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be because they mostly go with the report.

Hippychick

Thank you Poppy123456, I do know what you mean, but my mind cannot stop with the constant conjecture, I keep surmising-‘for these reasons I may get it, for other reasons I won’t’!! It feels as though my brain is having a particularly spectacular argument with itself!! I can’t believe that they are treating people in this manner, well actually I can because there are so many good people out there who are going through hell because they are either having to wait, or being turned down and are having to suffer through the rigmarole of appealing!! Xx

worried33

So just to clarify, you have waited 10 weeks (now 11), the reason is because they keep sending the report back for clarification, and now it is apparently up to the required standard you are back at the bottom of the pile for another estimated 6 week wait?