Hi, my name is mykiddies3!

mykiddies3

Hello! I have a query! I have applied for pip for my daughter who is 16! She’s been getting dla since she was 8 so this is the first time for a while doing forms etc! Anyway we put the forms in one the 31st of October and hadn’t heard anything until I received a phone call on the 22nd of December from a nurse from pip? She said that she didn’t need to do a telephone assessment and has done a paper based assessment as she had all she needed! But needed to ask a couple of questions! One question was does my daughter know how to read? Also Does my daughter know when she is hungry? And finally does my daughter know she is going to faint before she does? So does this mean the assessment has been done now? I was expecting a telephone assessment as this is what a previous letter had said would happen? 

Thankyou 

mykiddies3

Sorry I’d like to add that my daughter has autism/sensory processing disorder and she has selective mutism! She also faints in situations where she is stressed/ and due to food related issues resulting in anaemia 

thanks

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

Most people do have telephone assessments, which have replaced face to face assessments since Covid began. Paper based assessments are rare but it's still possible. If they have enough information to do a paper based assessment they will and it does sound like this is what they've done, although we can only guess.

Once a report has been written it's returned to DWP and then a decision maker will take a look at that as well as all the evidence (although they mostly go with the report) then make a decision based on the recommendations in the report.

If you live in the UK you can ring DWP to request a copy of the report to be sent to you. They will only send you a copy if they've received both copies back from the health assessment providers. When you receive it, you can compare the dots in the boxes against the PIP descriptors online to see what score, if any is recommended and then you'll be able to work out if there's an award recommended. As advised, they mostly go with the report, although you'll still need to wait for the decision to be made.

DWP/PIP open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday and i always find as soon as they open is the best time to ring. Actually i rang them on Monday morning and it took them just 3 minutes to answer the phone. Give them a ring tomorrow once they open and ask if the report has been returned.

If it hasn't then you can ring the health assessment providers to ask what's happening with her claim.

Her DLA will continue until a decision's been made on the PIP. If successfully awarded, there's no backdated money and the PIP payments will start about 7 weeks after the decision's been made.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

mykiddies3

Ok Thankyou! I was surprised that she phoned tbh! I had no appointment arranged or anything? She just said that she was a nurse  and a pip assessor and understands everything on the form? She just needEd to clarify a couple of things? 

I will try ringing in the morning! I hope it’s better than the 1hr and 20 mins I was on the phone just to make sure they’d received the form ?

Thankyou again ?

janer1967

Hi try ringing when they first open as its usually a bit easier to get 

mykiddies3

I have tried looking up about paper based assessments? But they mostly say this is when they have either not enough evidence to award a claim? Or they have enough to? Not sure if this is right? I’m a bit worried now tho! As I found the form quite hard to explain about my daughter? It’s easier to witness her behaviours if you know what I mean? So I did want to have a chance to explain a bit more on the phone! Not sure if that is making sense? Sorry ?

mykiddies3

Thankyou! I will do ? although the post situation where I live is a nightmare at the moment! we are receiving post every 3 weeks ? so it might take a while to receive it ? 

poppy123456

mykiddies3 said:

I have tried looking up about paper based assessments? But they mostly say this is when they have either not enough evidence to award a claim?

I'm not sure exactly what you read. Paper based assessments are rare but they are definitely possible. My daughters last PIP review she had a paper based assessment. Sometimes they ring just to ask you a few quick questions to see if they can get the information needed, if they do then they'll complete the assessment report and send it to DWP.

mykiddies3

Ok Thankyou all so much for your help! Much appreciated!

Tori_Scope

Hello and welcome to the community @mykiddies3

I'm glad you were able to get the advice you needed last night. Just to let you know, I've moved your post into our PIP category, and renamed it slightly so that other members will be able to find it more easily. 

Please feel free to stick around and get involved with any of our other recent discussions, and also be sure to update us when you hear back! 

mykiddies3

Ok so sorry! Didn’t realise there was different categories? 

Thankyou for your help ?

Tori_Scope

No problem @mykiddies3! 

You can see the full list of categories of discussion we host here. 

mykiddies3

Hello everyone! I have requested a copy of the assessment! They lady seemed really nice! But she said she was working from home and would have to get her grandson to print it out and send it tomorrow as she doesn’t know how to print?? Anyone else had an answer like this? As I found it a little strange? ? I phoned yesterday so assuming she would of sent it today? Or even not till Monday now? 

Thankyou 
 

poppy123456

A lot of DWP call centre staff have been working from home since the start of lockdown number 1 so i'd say it's highly possible. Although saying she doesn't know how to print something off is a little odd.

mykiddies3

Yes I find that bit odd too? I assumed they would just click something on their laptop/computer and it would just generate a copy to send out through pips own posting system? I’m now wondering whether to ring them again on Monday to clarify? Don’t want them to think I’m just annoying them by ringing all the time though ?

mykiddies3

Also while I’m on here I was wondering if you had any experience or if anyone else has regarding fainting episodes! My daughter has these and they are basically down to her eating problems associated with autism (she’s vegetarian and only eats pasta cheese potatoes rice etc) the hospital are doing tests at the min like ecgs! To rule out other things! She doesn’t eat anything else and will not for the life of me try anything else! She’s had these episodes since she was 3 as that is when her eating habits got worse! When the assessor phoned she asked if she is incontinent? I said she is only when she faints? I’m not sure if fainting fits in with any of the descriptors for pip? Do you know if it does atall? Before I sent the form off I hadn’t even heard of these descriptors before ? but I’ve been reading a lot on here and heard so much about them now 

sorry for the long message ? 

thanks 

poppy123456

The PIP descriptors are here. I'm surprised you didn't look at those before filling out the form. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

I think it will depend whether she has a warning of some kind before she faints so it will come down to a risk factor and part of safety.

mykiddies3

Thankyou! I’m surprised I didn’t look either ? tbh I’ve only ever dealt  with DLA forms! I just assumed that my daughter would have an assessment and that would be how they get to find out more about her?  I’ve put down a great deal on her forms and sent in a little evidence as I’d seen it’s best not to send in too much? But as I’ve said earlier on they have done a paper based assessment and just phoned to ask 2 or 3 questions to clarify
hopefully I’ve Put enough information on the forms 

thanks again 

mykiddies3

I phoned again this morning as I was worried about the lady saying she would get her grandson to print out the report! Turns out they didn’t send it ? so she said today she will send it out today! Hopefully they have done it this time ?

Tori_Scope

That's frustrating @mykiddies3. Fingers crossed! It's a good job you checked. 

mykiddies3

Hello! I’ve had the assessment report back today! That was actually very quick ? Is anyone available to ask about the dots that are ticked and descriptors please? 

Thankyou