PIP- Not recieved a review report.

Mzenth

Hello, My husband had his phone assessment for his PIP renewal on the 18th October.
We still haven't heard anything or received a report back.
Does no report mean bad news for his renewal? 

many thanks
Ella

janer1967

Hi and welcome you have to request a copy of the report by ringing DWP they dont just send them 

If you dont request one then you will just get the decision letter which can take a while estimated about 8 weeks but could be later or less just depends on backlog 

Mzenth

Oh thank you! After reading all these posts, I thought they automatically sent them out. Its his 1st review in 4 years so its all new to us. Thanks again 

janer1967

Your welcome let us know the outcome 

poppy123456

They have never automatically sent the report out to you, even when the decision is made. They open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and the number to ring to request the report is 0800 121 4433.

This also only applies if you live in the UK. N. Ireland are different and they don't send the report until the decision's been made.

woodbine

Its always a good idea to phone as soon as they open before they get busy.

Tori_Scope

Welcome to the community @Mzenth I hope the above advice has cleared that up for you. Let us know how you get on with the call! 

mikehughescq

This is going to sound a little odd but bear with me. It shouldn’t come as a shock but it wouldn’t surprise me if it does.

Most of you will know I advocate for anecdotal evidence over medical in most but not all instances. Most will also know I advocate for highlighting no more than two or three obvious issues with the HCP report as getting PIP requires a focus on the strengths and weaknesses of your own evidence rather than the HCP report. 

So, bearing all that in mind, why bother getting the HCP report immediately after the assessment? There’s simply no need for it. It can be a relief for those who see it recommend an award but for everyone else - the significant minority - it simply magnifies anxiety and produces a desire to forensically destroy the report line by line. In other words obtaining it at that point encourages exactly the sort of approach which results in no award.

On a practical level it’s not needed for a mandatory reconsideration as nothing is. A request within the month compels DWP to look again at the decision and requires no new evidence despite their repeated and ongoing assertions to the contrary. If you head off to appeal then “I disagree with the HCPs report” is something we’ve already agreed as the weakest approach and you’re going to get a copy in the appeal papers anyway. 

In blunt terms then, obtaining the HCP report immediately after the assessment is probably the biggest single indicator a challenge to the imminent decision is going to fail unless there’s an intervention of some kind to redirect the focus. 

Just to reinforce this point, I can’t think of a single WRA/WRO of my acquaintance who advises, or recommends, to their clients that they can or should obtain the report. We all know the option is there. Almost none of us mention it. 

poppy123456

mikehughescq said:

Just to reinforce this point, I can’t think of a single WRA/WRO of my acquaintance who advises, or recommends, to their clients that they can or should obtain the report. We all know the option is there. Almost none of us mention it. 

This is just it. Other than yourself, i'm not aware of any other members that are a WRA/WRO. Most of the members that advise here do so based on their own experience, so in your words "lay people." Although, i've always appreciated your advice and have learnt a lot from you.

My personal preference will always be to request the report, it makes me feel less anxious. One of the most asked questions on an internet forum is "how long does X take" even when they most likely know it's an impossible question to answr,  they still ask it. I think it's entirely up to the individual person whether they choose to request the report, some do and some don't.

Girl_No1

@mikehughescq I'm new on this site, but have been on other sites that offer advice to those claiming, or considering claiming, PIP.  I followed the advice from other sites, and requested a copy of the Assessor's report.  I was told they'd send it.  It never arrived.  I only ever received the DMs letter.

Aside from the paranoia that, perhaps, a neighbour now has possesion of said Assessor's report , I think the fact I did not receive the Assessor's report worked to my advantage for precisely the reasons you outlined. 

Without doubt, I'd have wanted to "challenge" every minor inconsistency, every "nuance" (real or imagined) I would read into (perhaps) innocent or generally accurate/fair comments. 

I definitely found using only the DM's letter allowed me to better focus on the areas where I genuinely felt "aggrieved" and underscored.   Hopefully, this will assist the reviewing DM to focus too?

I fully appreciate I'm in the fortunate position of not relying solely on any PIP payments to survive, but I'd suggest if people are prone to stress/anxiety/depression, then maybe waiting for, and responding to, the DMs letter may be less stress-inducing?   And, as you say, allow better focus if they feel a Mandatory Reconsideration is necessary once they know the outcome.   

I also know the timescale is very tight for MR and some people may want "a head start" in preparing for a Mandatory Reconsider.  However,  I also know a lot of people are like me and need a deadline on which to focus otherwise something may just never get done.  

Just the thoughts of a newbie - both to the site and the world of DWP.  

Ross_Scope

Thanks for your thoughts @Girl_No1, that world of DWP can be a confusing one for sure  

I hope you're managing to find your way around the community okay.

Girl_No1

@Ross_Scope yes thanks, I'm finding my way around and grateful for the friendly welcome extended by everyone.   

Ross_Scope

Lovely to hear @Girl_No1  

Mzenth

Called them today just to see if they had any update. Was only on hold for 30 mins at 1pm today, that surprised me the most! Got told everything was in the post but nothing had changed, still on the same ‘band’ and it will be reviewed again in 4 years ☺️ So much weight off our shoulders. We will be doing a MR for mobility but that’s one less thing to worry about. 

Thanks again everyone! ☺️

Tori_Scope

Great, thank you for the update @Mzenth