Waiting to find out whether I have PIP

jayne2110

Hi I'm waiting to find out weather I've got pip r not rang them last Wednesday as I got 4 texts in 3mins about my assessment which I already had while on phone he told me that he can't tell me when I'll get my decision but has sent out a copy of the assessment report that day I received a letter not a report of assessment letter just said they have all info they need to make a decision 

chiarieds

Hi @jayne2110 - Welcome to the community , & thank you for joining. The 'they have all the info they need' letter is just a standard one sent out to every claimant. I hope you get a copy of your assessment report soon. You could try ringing again to make sure this has been posted. Delays of course may be due to the situation we're all in.

Please let us know how you get on. 

jayne2110

Hi the report came today no answer on weather I got it or not just the report the assessor wrote "recommends I get a face to face assessment in 18months and there was 9 points for standard living and 12 points for mobility 
Do they take on all the assessor comments or do they decided what to take from assessment and do points themselves 
I'm new to this and it's all very confusing.x

chiarieds

Hi @jayne2110 - Pleased you got your assessment report. The DWP Decision maker usually goes along with this, so it looks like you'll get standard rate for daily living, & enhanced rate for mobility. I hope that's what you were expecting. Of course you'll still have to wait for the actual decision letter, but I hope you can relax a little for now. 

jayne2110

@chiarieds thanks for your reply hopefully it comes and this is what I'm getting I'm still unsure about it as I've heard so many different things about pip 

chiarieds

Please don't worry; you hear some negative things about PIP on forums, but rarely hear about peoples good experiences as they don't have anything to complain about. It is rare for the Decision Maker to disagree with the assessor, honestly.

dynasty30

Can I just ask do you automatically get a copy of the assessment report or do you have to ring and request that,many thanks in advance? 

jayne2110

Dynasty30 I was told to email them to request it to be sent once i got text that the pip had received it so I could go over it to check what had been put down.

jayne2110

Had a letter today and I got pip standard living rate and enhanced mobility 

chiarieds

Good news then @jayne2110 - Congratulations. I hope you can relax now.

jayne2110

Yes thanks chiarieds it's great to get a good result x 😊

Chloe_Scope

That's great @jayne2110! Really pleased for you.

dynasty30

So happy for you always lovely getting good news 💕

rbz

jayne2110 said:

"Had a letter today and I got pip standard living rate and enhanced mobility "

For how long? For18 months?

sandyxxx

Hi all I applied for pip on the 17 feb received a form to fill in 10 days later sent it back received a text 2 March to say they received it. I phoned last week as I haven’t heard nothing since to be told it has gone to the assessor he said I would either get a phone call or a letter or maybe the assessor would hand it back not sure what that means but it’s taking such a long time for them to let me know what’s going on 

dynasty30

I’ve never contacted them other than to update,mines went in on 7th of February done the phone claim for the actual forms on the 14th of January was only notified too say they have received the claim,then out the blue I got a text to phone and arrange an assessment which takes place on the 11th May 

sandyxxx

They must be right behind with all the claims hope you are successful and get it all back dated. 

dynasty30

I’m stressed out thinking about the assessment I’ve never applied for it before,and was quite debilitated a yr prior and I just thought I’m more or less housebound so I’m hoping they can see that.
ive just come across better evidence but too late to send that in with my claim so they will base my decision on what they have which isn’t much,but will hold onto it incase I need a MR sad but I’m gearing up for that already 

jayne2110

@rbz for 18 months 

jayne2110

@dynasty30 I was same couldn't sleep nothing was online looking for help every day to prepare for it did an online assessment questionnaire so it gives idea of what they looking at

dynasty30

Yes I’ve been scrolling the internet too,I also did the self assessment and purposely marked myself down and had still qualified but you just never know it could go either way 

sandyxxx

How do you do the self assessment ? 

chiarieds

Hi @sandyxxx - Most people will get a telephone based assessment, but some are done on paper, i.e. the assessor will just look at all the evidence you've sent instead, & send their report to the DWP.  This is the 'hand it back [without an assessment to the DWP]' they mentioned. Either way the DWP's Decision Maker usually goes with the assessor's report. You can ask the DWP for a copy of this about a week later, to see what points may be indicated.

The PIP self test can be found here: https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test

It is easy to over-mark yourself, so has limited value. @dynasty30 wisely marked herself down, & don't worry about finding better evidence later, it's that understanding of what they're looking for, & your own evidence that matters.

sandyxxx

Thanks I've been told to put in for pip as I have macular degeneration in my right eye I have been having injections in my eye but they haven't worked they are going to refere me to the visual impaired  but it keeps getting cancelled for the coronavirus I didn't have much evidence at the time I applied but I'm hoping they ask the hospital for more information 

chiarieds

Hi @sandyxxx - I'm very sorry to read about your visual problems. Again, as I wrote about dynasty30, don't worry about any lack of medical evidence. It's unlikely the DWP will contact the hospital; they rarely do contact anyone. The onus is upon you to provide any medical evidence.

To prepare you for your assessment, please have a look at the following link. See: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/Scores-for-PIP-Descriptors-2020.pdf

It's similar to the PIP self-test, but if you look at the notes at the end, they may also prove helpful.

When you get your (most likely) phone assessment, if you haven't said so in your initial claim form, try & give a couple of examples of the problems you have for each activity/descriptor that applies to you. What is difficult, why is it difficult, what happens when you attempt any of the activities or descriptors that are applicable to you, can you do it safely, or does it take longer for you than someone without your visual impairment, etc? It's your evidence as to how your functional ability is compromised that is the most important thing, not any diagnosis. Several people with the same problems as yourself might all be affected differently. It's your individual response, giving those details as to how your disability affects you that you need to get across.

sandyxxx

Ah thanks I'm new to all this benefits going on lol but what will be will be. I will give the self assessment a try  thanks again x

Toffee

Hi all I did a change of circumstances on 20 of Feb I had a telephone assessment two weeks ago. I received a text the next day saying they have received my report. Rang a week ago and asked for the report to be sent out. Just waiting for decision now. 

jayne2110

Hi @Toffee hi received my assessment report in about a week from asking and from help on here was able to get great help of what I would get and it worked out excatly as I was told here. Hopefully you get good report 

Toffee

Hi Jane that's great news and thank you 

sandyxxx

Wish they would hurry up with mine they told me I would get a phone call off the assessor or a letter or the assessor would hand it back but haven't heard anything so frustrating 

Brumboy68

Hi I applied for pip on April 2 got a telephone assessment this Wednesday.  Should be interesting ..... They have all the paperwork ( I asked them to send it back as they were originals and j couldn't find anywhere to copy them) but typical DWP never did. I've tried the doctors twice and they have said they will post it but they haven't either. I wil! tryy
again on Monday. There are lots of discharge notes from lots of hospital stays so just want to make sure I don't get my dates mixed up. Im hoping my uncontrolled tonic clinic epilepsy will get me the increased mobility part of pip. 

sandyxxx

I applied in February haven't heard anything except a text in march to day they received my form back and might need a assessment it's a nightmare waiting 

Brumboy68

I had a text back two days after sending form back

sandyxxx

10 days after I sent mine back I got the text haven't heard anything since I phoned a fortnight ago and said it was with the assessor and they would either phone me or write to me or hand it back over still waiting 3 month later 

Brumboy68

Thats bonkers. You shouldn't have to wait that long.  I wish the face to face was still on I have loads of paperwork . I've been in hospital for three out of the last twelve months. I suffer from uncontrolled epilepsy and can have a seizure anywhere at anytime I just collapse .  One of the times I was going to the local shop never made it hit the deck , luckily the doctors was opposite so she came out and looked after me as I had gone into status epilepticus which can be really dangerous fortunately paramedics arrived. So I'm hoping input from to should help too.i think it's easier to talk to a face rather than down a phone line. What do you think

sandyxxx

I agree with you face to face you can see if they are taking notice of what your saying. I'm sorry for your illness I don't think you should have any difficulty getting the higher rate of care and mobility. I'm going to phone them again on Monday hopefully I will get through this time I tried on Friday was on hold for over a hour then the phone cut off wasn't happy lol 

Toffee

Good luck all of u 

sandyxxx

Thanks toffee I think all this waiting around with no communication they are just going to refuse my claim x

Brumboy68

I don't think I will get the care part. I think I'm entitled to the mobility part more. I'm sure if you get through to them they ought to get your case moving . I can't believe it is taking this long. 

Brumboy68

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18437795.dwp-hundreds-thousands-benefit-recipients-face-delays/

Maybe this might be the reasin

sandyxxx

Thanks for the link but they should tell you this when you phone I asked if it was put aside for the people claiming the UC but he said no it was with the assessor and they would get in touch with me in a few days that was a fortnight ago. I will see what they say on Monday

Toffee

Try not to worry there like this all the time every body times driffrent some quick some slow.. But yes its stressful waiting 

jayne2110

If you can't get through on phone try emailing them I found it quick to get answers that way  

sandyxxx

Thanks Hun what's the email address ? 

jayne2110

[email protected]

Here's the email luv 

Brumboy68

It seems a staggering number 166000 people just for pip. The government are in a mess . The world is in a mess. And the sick and disabled suffer. Unfair world...

sandyxxx

Thanks Jayne will give it a try 
Brumboy I agree but it's always the sick and disabled that suffer the most. So unfair nothing ever changes the rich hey richer and the poor get poorer law of the land makes me so mad 
I hate asking for help it makes me feel as though I'm begging 

Brumboy68

Don't feel like that ....
For what we get each week the prime minister spends on a bottle of wine with his dinner.
For thirty years i paid my national insurance before I got my illness

And what do I get in return ESA one hundred pound a week. 
It's like job seekers allowances now can anyone live on there amount . It's impossible.

chiarieds

Hi @sandyxxx - Just to say the email address above is to contact PIP in Northern Ireland; I haven't come across one for other parts of the UK.

@Brumboy68 - I disagree that you shouldn't get points for the daily living component of PIP. I don't know if you ever looked at the previous long thread about PIP & epilepsy I sent, but here's an important part of it which is a quote from Benefits and Work Guide to PIP 30 June 2018. Please read.

'Safety and supervision
Until now, the DWP have argued that a claimant can only score points for being unsafe if harm is
likely to occur on more than 50% of the occasions on which they attempt an activity.

So a claimant with epilepsy who has seizures twice a week would not get points for needing
supervision when cooking. This is because they could not show that it is ‘more likely than not’ that
they will have a seizure on any given occasion when they prepare food.

However, on 9th March 2017, in CPIP/1599/2016 a panel of Upper Tribunal judges held that the
DWP were wrong.

Instead, they said, the decision maker should look at whether there is a real possibility that harm
might occur and also at how great the harm might be. The greater the potential harm, the less likely
it needs to be that it would happen on any specific occasion.

So, if there is a real possibility that a claimant with epilepsy might have a seizure whilst cooking then
then they reasonably require supervision for this activity, even though the chances of a seizure
happening on any specific occasion may be quite small. They should score points for needing supervision even if they don’t actually have anyone to provide it.

But the Upper Tribunal went even further than this.
They ruled that where a claimant is at risk all the time, then they may also be at risk when carrying
out PIP activities that do not carry any additional likelihood of harm.

So, a claimant may not be at any additional risk of harm if they have a seizure when using the toilet
or taking medication, for example. But, because they are at risk whatever they are doing, then we
would argue that they still reasonably require supervision during these activities, because they
cannot do them safely without supervision.'

Bearing the above in mind, you certainly should get awarded for the daily living component too.

Brumboy68

Thankyou for that . It's hard to explain on a form like the pip one that you are at constant risk . It's not designed for EPILEPSY. Its like the cooking question I can cook yes am I safe to cook no, am I at risk yes . Am I able to bath yes am I safe to bath no am I at risk to bath yes. I'm at risk 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year. When my brain gets scrambled it doesn't care whether I'm walking bathing piddling or sunbathing it's taking me to the floor if I'm not allready there , uncouncious with eyes open , on some other planet. Shaking sometimes incontinent sometimes scaring people some hate watching it.... It's a horrible disease where you can be normal one minute and potentially dead ten minutes later if your seizure goes on for that long. But it's difficult for non epileptic professionals to understand. Because they only see you for what you are when they see you , not the state you could be in. I'm sure if you could show them a vid of your seizure activity the decision woukd be made much more quickky

chiarieds

@Brumboy68 - My understanding is that PIP assessors have a better understanding of epilepsy now. Yes, you're right the PIP claim form isn't the easiest thing to help explain your epilepsy, & the severity of it. It's your anecdotal explanation of having gone into status epilepticus that will gain you the points for daily living, because, as you say, you're constantly at risk. It's not easy explaining how badly your disability affects you, but try to get this across. I would like you to get the award you deserve, & it affects all aspects of your life, not just mobility.

I do have a little understanding of epilepsy having worked with children that suffered this when I worked as a physio a long time ago.

I do hope the info I sent will help you. Please kindly let us all know how you get on. My very best wishes to you

mikehughescq

sandyxxx said:

Thanks I've been told to put in for pip as I have macular degeneration in my right eye I have been having injections in my eye but they haven't worked they are going to refere me to the visual impaired  but it keeps getting cancelled for the coronavirus I didn't have much evidence at the time I applied but I'm hoping they ask the hospital for more information 

Wet or dry if you don’t mind me asking? Will make a difference to the PIP claim as will the fact it’s in 1 eye. Is the other eye okay? Are there other health issues join which your PIP claim rests?

Brumboy68

I will let you know chlorides . I'm not expecting anything too exciting in the phone call. I guess their will their will be an eight week to find out result.

sandyxxx

Wet MD been having injections in the eye but they haven't worked got no vision in my eye at all other eye poor vision i have arthritis but not on any medication for it 

chiarieds

Hi @Brumboy68 - You can ring the PIP enquiry line (Tel: 0800 121 4433) about a week after your assessment to ask for a copy of the assessor's report. This will indicate any likely award going off the points given against descriptors at the back of the report. The DWP Decision Maker usually goes with this, tho you'll have to wait for your actual decision letter.

Brumboy68

Do they mail you a copy of the report

chiarieds

Yes, they'll post it out.

mikehughescq

sandyxxx said:

Wet MD been having injections in the eye but they haven't worked got no vision in my eye at all other eye poor vision i have arthritis but not on any medication for it 

Thanks. Sorry for the personal question. VI and disability benefits us a specialist area for me. Done properly you ought to come out with a 10 year award of both components at enhanced rate. I’m guessing there’s no difference between familiar and unfamiliar routes for you (uneven paving; greenery/overhanging greenery etc. out of focus stuff moving across your reduced visual field). Also guessing you’ll have issues with food prep; seeing controls on cookers and microwaves; taking meds; dressing; budgeting; communication; bathing and social engagement. 

Hope someone has registered you as SI too.

sandyxxx

Thanks for your reply yeah all of the above I had an appointment to see the specialist in April but it got cancelled due to this virus next appointment is July .i think that's when I go on the registrar for the blind or visually impaired x

mikehughescq

I know it’s hard but absolutely don’t accept anything less than enhanced rate mobility, standard rate daily living and a 10 year award. I’d aim for enhanced of both. 

It may come as a shock initially if you score less than this - almost no-one thinks to ask for a specific award length for example - but there are ways to remedy it.

sandyxxx

What is si ,? Don't want to sound thick it's just all new to me x

sandyxxx

I have a feeling because I have waited so long they are going to refuse my claim but time will tell 
I hope your right tho 

mikehughescq

Sorry, SI = registered as sight-impaired. Wrongly referred to by many as being registered as partially-sighted. Hasn’t been that for around 20 years.

mikehughescq

sandyxxx said:

I have a feeling because I have waited so long they are going to refuse my claim but time will tell 
I hope your right tho 

If they do it will have nothing to do with the length of time and everything to do with the quality of the claim pack. You shouldn’t take a zero award as an indication that you’re definitely not entitled though. Plenty of people go from zero to enhanced once a case is properly presented. 

sandyxxx

Ah right it's frustrating waiting for someone to call you I can explain better talking than writing it down on paper I get muddled up lol x

Toffee

Got a letter today of dwp mine did not change I am on daily living standard rate.. I have copd firbomaglia mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. Nerve impingement in shoulder.. I do suffer with all dose this sound right what I got ppl please 

mikehughescq

Toffee said:

Got a letter today of dwp mine did not change I am on daily living standard rate.. I have copd firbomaglia mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. Nerve impingement in shoulder.. I do suffer with all dose this sound right what I got ppl please 

Really not possible to say without meeting you; having a long conversation and reviewing all your paperwork. However, your health conditions are irrelevant to the discussion. A person with 10 conditions doesn’t best one with 5. PIP is about functional consequences of conditions. 2 people with the same condition can legitimately have entirely different awards if their conditions impact them differently.

I’d suggest you now need advice.

sandyxxx

I still couldn't get through today on the phone hour and a half on hold then gets cut off on there end wonder if I should just send them a letter would get there quicker than them answering the phone. But I probably wouldn't get a answer 😒

Toffee

Yes I try and get advice it's hard with covid, 19  cause iam on 12 week lock down 

mikehughescq

Toffee said:

Yes I try and get advice it's hard with covid, 19  cause iam on 12 week lock down 

Almost all advice services are still open and offering advice, appointments and representation by email and phone.

Toffee

Thank you I try tomorrow and see what they say thank you do you know off any good ones please that could help me 

mikehughescq

Use https://advicelocal.uk/

Toffee

Thank you so. Much Mikehughesccq