Fresh Claim help PIP

noobautist

Hey all, at the end of last month/start of April I made a claim for PIP, never have claimed once in my life but at age 20 I believe my condition is too hindering to live with without financial support.

I only yesterday had the following text from DWP:
"Thanks for sending us your 'How your disability affects you' form. We may need you to attend a consultation with a health professional before we make our decision. We'll contact you again if we do. Please call us if any of the details you gave us have changed."

I have also read online face to face assessments are suspended for three months, I also read on the following article here that all new claimants will not be given an award until assessed:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1275095/pip-can-i-get-pip-for-depression/amp


So my question is, am I out of pot luck for the next 3 months or can the next stage be conducted via a telephone or paper based method, sorry all I understand this is new to us all and there could be a lot of answers.

Thanks.

woodbine

It could be paper based more likely atm to be done over the phone, but excluding CV19 from getting that text to assessment can take upto 2 months anyway

noobautist

@woodbine

So even in normal circumstances I'd be lucky to hear back before the end of May?
Perhaps I'm a little overly-eager...

chiarieds

Hi @noobautist - Welcome to the community, & thank you for joining. The text you received was just the standard one they can send, which doesn't reflect the current changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. F2f assessments have certainly been suspended. As mentioned above, you'll likely have a phone assessment if the current situation continues. As things keep changing, it's difficult to advise when this might be.

While you're waiting, just in case you haven't come across this info, please have a look at the following, which may help with your assessment. Please see: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/Scores-for-PIP-Descriptors-2020.pdf

Try & work out which 'descriptors' apply to you, & the points that are allocated.

Keep in touch, please, & let us know how you're doing.

woodbine

noobautist said:

@woodbine

So even in normal circumstances I'd be lucky to hear back before the end of May?
Perhaps I'm a little overly-eager...

It depends how busy they are in your area, I know its not easy but it will be when it will be.

noobautist

chiarieds said:

Hi @noobautist - Welcome to the community, & thank you for joining. The text you received was just the standard one they can send, which doesn't reflect the current changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. F2f assessments have certainly been suspended. As mentioned above, you'll likely have a phone assessment if the current situation continues. As things keep changing, it's difficult to advise when this might be.

While you're waiting, just in case you haven't come across this info, please have a look at the following, which may help with your assessment. Please see: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/Scores-for-PIP-Descriptors-2020.pdf

Try & work out which 'descriptors' apply to you, & the points that are allocated.

Keep in touch, please, & let us know how you're doing.

Thank you for the kind words, nice to see a little community together for similar shared interests, I'll surely check it out,
Thanks!

mikehughescq

New claims will get telephone assessments unless paper is appropriate. 

mikehughescq

New claims will get telephone assessments unless paper is appropriate. 

noobautist

mikehughescq said:

New claims will get telephone assessments unless paper is appropriate. 

Hey, thanks for the reply.

So you're invalidating what the article is suggesting that new claims won't get processed during this time?

Thanks again.

mikehughescq

Your article says 

“ From March 17, 2020, for three months there will be no face-to-face assessments.

The assessment provider that is due to carry out the assessment should contact you to tell you what will happen next and instead, it will be either a paper-based one or carried out over the phone.

If you are making a fresh claim no award will be made without an assessment.”

Nothing there says that new claims won’t be assessed. 

It’s normal that you don’t get an award until you’ve had either a face to face or paper assessment. During lockdown those assessments will be telephone or paper. 

So I guess, no, I’m not contradicting your article. You claim PIP as normal and wait for a telephone or paper assessment.

irishman

noobautist said:

Hey all, at the end of last month/start of April I made a claim for PIP, never have claimed once in my life but at age 20 I believe my condition is too hindering to live with without financial support.

I only yesterday had the following text from DWP:
"Thanks for sending us your 'How your disability affects you' form. We may need you to attend a consultation with a health professional before we make our decision. We'll contact you again if we do. Please call us if any of the details you gave us have changed."

I have also read online face to face assessments are suspended for three months, I also read on the following article here that all new claimants will not be given an award until assessed:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1275095/pip-can-i-get-pip-for-depression/amp


So my question is, am I out of pot luck for the next 3 months or can the next stage be conducted via a telephone or paper based method, sorry all I understand this is new to us all and there could be a lot of answers.

Thanks.



hi,

i live in northern ireland when i got that text - i had a meeting with an accessor literally 3 weeks later face to face. might be easier for you talking on the phone about it. just depends when this CV19 is over but im sure you will get a phone call too.. 

make sure you let us know how you get on!

best wishes #staysafe

noobautist

irishman said:

noobautist said:

Hey all, at the end of last month/start of April I made a claim for PIP, never have claimed once in my life but at age 20 I believe my condition is too hindering to live with without financial support.

I only yesterday had the following text from DWP:
"Thanks for sending us your 'How your disability affects you' form. We may need you to attend a consultation with a health professional before we make our decision. We'll contact you again if we do. Please call us if any of the details you gave us have changed."

I have also read online face to face assessments are suspended for three months, I also read on the following article here that all new claimants will not be given an award until assessed:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1275095/pip-can-i-get-pip-for-depression/amp


So my question is, am I out of pot luck for the next 3 months or can the next stage be conducted via a telephone or paper based method, sorry all I understand this is new to us all and there could be a lot of answers.

Thanks.



hi,

i live in northern ireland when i got that text - i had a meeting with an accessor literally 3 weeks later face to face. might be easier for you talking on the phone about it. just depends when this CV19 is over but im sure you will get a phone call too.. 

make sure you let us know how you get on!

best wishes #staysafe

3 weeks sounds quite optimistic compared to some of the wait times I've heard of, I wish mine is speedy too.

Thanks for the great insight, stay safe.

dynasty30

I made a fresh claim on the 13th of January and just received a text yesterday saying to phone the number provided to arrange a telephone assessment it took 4 months nearly to get from the telephone claim to assessment mines is on Monday 11th of May,even phoning them I was nervous and the guy I got wasn’t very pleasant and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be the one to carry it out as he said earliest I have is Monday the 11th 😐

noobautist

dynasty30 said:

I made a fresh claim on the 13th of January and just received a text yesterday saying to phone the number provided to arrange a telephone assessment it took 4 months nearly to get from the telephone claim to assessment mines is on Monday 11th of May,even phoning them I was nervous and the guy I got wasn’t very pleasant and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be the one to carry it out as he said earliest I have is Monday the 11th 😐

May I enquire what region you're in? I believe its location dependent and how busy your particular area is at the time of applying.
I live in South Wales and everyone who I've spoke to as of yet have had considerably reduced wait times.

xcalibrate

I made a fresh claim on 18th Feb. I had a paper based assessment and I received my decision letter 29th April. Just over 9 weeks from start to finish. I’m in the North West.

irishman

I live in Northern Ireland I claimed around jan got a text message around March. So I rang up to see if i could get it Earlier and I did thankfully face to face so they could see how hard it is for me to walk with this sciatica/back (I’m awaiting a back operation) plus where I had to go was literally 5 mile away from me.

maybe it is whatever region your from. 

irishman

xcalibrate said:

I made a fresh claim on 18th Feb. I had a paper based assessment and I received my decision letter 29th April. Just over 9 weeks from start to finish. I’m in the North West.

No face to face or nothing? I had the paper thing too but had to go face to face for a meeting. 

But thankfully I got my decision letter at the end of March so I’m happy.

xcalibrate

No f2f at all. They phoned my Care Coordinator but I had no contact with them. Decision letter came 29th April and I was awarded PIP.

dynasty30

noobautist said:

dynasty30 said:

I made a fresh claim on the 13th of January and just received a text yesterday saying to phone the number provided to arrange a telephone assessment it took 4 months nearly to get from the telephone claim to assessment mines is on Monday 11th of May,even phoning them I was nervous and the guy I got wasn’t very pleasant and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be the one to carry it out as he said earliest I have is Monday the 11th 😐

May I enquire what region you're in? I believe its location dependent and how busy your particular area is at the time of applying.
I live in South Wales and everyone who I've spoke to as of yet have had considerably reduced wait times.

dynasty30

hi I’m in the very far north of Scotland at the very top of the map 😊

noobautist

Hey all,
Just a quick update I was just given a phone appointment for next monday for my phone assessment, not really feeling nervous I'm more concerned about the wait AFTER the call is conducted to know whether or not I'll get it, but all in all I think that was scheduled relatively quick.

chiarieds

Hi @noobautist - Forgot to mention you can ring to ask for a copy of your assessment report about a week later. The points will give an indication of any likely award. You ring the PIP Enquiry number: Telephone: 0800 121 4433

You will still have to wait for the actual decision letter however.

noobautist

chiarieds said:

Hi @noobautist - Forgot to mention you can ring to ask for a copy of your assessment report about a week later. The points will give an indication of any likely award. You ring the PIP Enquiry number: Telephone: 0800 121 4433

You will still have to wait for the actual decision letter however.

Thanks Chiarieds, I found that quite informative.
I'm a little surprised they can actually conduct this assessment via phone, it's simply word of mouth.
What preventative measures are in place to stop any old numpty with no official diagnoses' applying and getting their grant?

mikehughescq

They don’t need “preventative measures” as such. On a claim you have to prove entitlement rather than they prove you’re not entitled. It’s very easy to forget that what you say in a telephone assessment is compared to what your claim pack says; which professionals you see; the specific types and levels of your meds; whether you assert you have problems with an activity or have provided detailed anecdotal examples and so on. 

dynasty30

noobautist said:

Hey all,
Just a quick update I was just given a phone appointment for next monday for my phone assessment, not really feeling nervous I'm more concerned about the wait AFTER the call is conducted to know whether or not I'll get it, but all in all I think that was scheduled relatively quick.

Same day as mine,good luck 😊

noobautist

dynasty30 said:

noobautist said:

Hey all,
Just a quick update I was just given a phone appointment for next monday for my phone assessment, not really feeling nervous I'm more concerned about the wait AFTER the call is conducted to know whether or not I'll get it, but all in all I think that was scheduled relatively quick.

Same day as mine,good luck 😊

Thank you very much,
may things go well for you too:)

snoopy1

Hi, I am new t this group 
Like others I'm in this waiting game too.

Adrian_Scope

Welcome to the community @snoopy1.

snoopy1

Hi and thank you for allowing me to join this group

noobautist

chiarieds said:

Hi @noobautist - Forgot to mention you can ring to ask for a copy of your assessment report about a week later. The points will give an indication of any likely award. You ring the PIP Enquiry number: Telephone: 0800 121 4433

You will still have to wait for the actual decision letter however.

So I got the letter, the woman basically marked me 0 points for every descriptor, saying I was more then capable of cognitive ability and that my speech is eloquent and because I am learning to drive this shows a good example of working memory, she basically made her own decisions based off of what I told her in the telephone interview as opposed to the written assessment, I'm almost certain I will appeal the minute I get my letter but I have no idea how to go about it, I'm frustated because I've waited so long in financial disaster just to be spat in the face by the woman assessing me,
I'm livid.