writing an letter of appeal to pip help

Ali_lovesTheUK

Hi all 
I need some help in writing a letter to pip as my claim was turn down. 
I suffer from mental health, I have server anxiety and depression and panic attacks 
I find writing a letter like this is very mentally tiring . and  explaining how my  mental illness effect my everyday life is hard to explain 
I can sometime  go from having extreme anxiety to having a huge panic attack and then feeling extraly depressed all in one day 
I can not go out on my own as this also brings on a panic attack . I have to have a close family member help me plan a journey and I can not go outside of my town as this also bring on more panic and it becomes so very distressing for me . in the draft letter that I have wrote . I want to make some pointers about how wrong  the report is and that in there view just cos I was "able to answer  all of the questions" this is totally untrue at the time of my telephone assessment back in April 2021 I was feeling extremely anxious  and as the telephone assessment when on I could feel a panic attack coming on and that I  tried my best to answer the question the best I could what with my levels of anxiety gone thought the roof . 

here is my draft letter below
Dear PIP 

I'm writing to you to ask you to look again at my claim for PIP 

I feel like like  the report by Jaime   was  inaccurate and untrue . 

At the time of my telephone assessment according to the report by Jaime it seemed that I was able to answer  the questions with out any signs of distress 

this is not the case .  At  the time of my telephone assessment I was trying my best to answer the questions I could but I was  feeling very distress and very anxious and depressed at the time of the assessment and that I find to many questions  can make me feel very mentally tired which then leads to a panic attack . 

Also in the report by Jaime   he has said and I quote "you  only take first line antidepressants and you do not take them every day" Again this is not the case 

I take my medications everyday or as how my GP proscribed them .   Again I must stress that at the time of the telephone assessment Just because that in your view I was able to answer the question  didn't not mean that I didn't not feel very anxious and or felt very panicky , I was feeling very distress at the time of the assessment 

As the report from Jaime , I feel like you have not taking into count my mental illness and how that my mental illness has an impacted on my everyday life 

I'm now going to explain to you how my mental illness effects my everyday life the best I can . 

I can not go with out a day without feeling anxious , depressed or having a panic attacks  . I can sometime feel all 3 in one day 

I cannot go out on my own at all  as this makes me feel extreme anxious and that  end up having a  huge panic attacks that last for more the 1 hour 

This also applies to traveling or planning a journey.  

I hope you can see that I'm trying to prove to them that my mental illness has an impact on my everyday life and that my GP surgery is useless and I'm  very worried  how I'm going to get  evidence  to help support my appeal . I would  be grateful if someone can help me out with writing a letter to pip . I hope someone can help me . 

Ali_lovesTheUK

woodbine said:

hi @Ali_lovesTheUK I assume you have not been awarded PIP and you are doing an MR (mandatory reconsideration?)did you score any points for daily living or mobility?
What you need to do is give examples of where you didn't score points but think you should have and why, giving a couple of real life experiences of when you tried and why you couldn't do them.
Remove all personal references to "Jamie" they aren't interested also remove all to the report being untrue etc.

Hi Woodbine 
No I wasn't not awarded PIP and my score was 0 for both mobility and daily living . the report has so many lies  in my report . maybe it might help if I'm allowed to . upload a copy of the report  i have received 2 weeks ago . maybe that might help you understand where i am with my pip claim ??????

calcotti

This is why I am not in favour of claimants getting their report, although I know many on this site believe otherwise. In my opinion it just encourages a feeling of anger towards what are seen as 'lies' without in any way advancing the claimant's case.

The report is not the decision. The decision is contained in the decision letter. If there are inaccuracies or misunderstandings in the decision letter these can be pointed out and addressed if necessary as part of an MR but the case for getting an award is made by explaining the difficulties one has in respect of competing the specified activities to the required standard. 

Make sure you understand the points system and the test of "Reliably, in a timely fashion, repeatedly and safely".
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

calcotti

woodbine said: I have to say i'm not sure if I agree or disagree with what calcotti says about requesting a copy of the report, it's a bit of a double edged sword.

As I acknowledged, I am aware that many on this forum think getting the report is a good thing. I explained why I take a different view but I am not wishing to assert that I am right and others are wrong.

Ali_lovesTheUK

Ok everyone . I'm sorry it was to much to ask . but I have never done anythink like this and that I don't have anyone to help me  and also doing somethink like this really has a huge impacted on my mental health. I guess I just have to do it on my own . apologies it was too much to ask .

janer1967

It isn't too much yo ask 

Have you had a decision letter yet or just the assessment report ? 

I think you would benefit from some expert advice and suggest you contact welfare rights 

calcotti

DWP have misunderstand the impact my health has on my ability to carry out the various activities the majority of the time and as a result I consider the award to be incorrect - or words to that effect - seems enough to get an appeal lodged.

calcotti

Look for advice/support https://advicelocal.uk
Otherwise address your comments to the descriptors as advised in my earlier reply. Do not focus on attacking the report,

Cher_Alumni

Hi @Ali_lovesTheUK How are you doing today?  If you have time to read the email we sent you and get back to us, that would be lovely, but there's absolutely no pressure.  

I understand PIP can feel like a daunting process but I hope the advice you've received on this thread has helped break down what you need to do in manageable chunks. 

• If you get the decision letter and it confirms that you've not been awarded the component(s) you expect, then you can request a mandatory reconsideration (MR) using the above phrasing suggestions if you do this via letter/form.
• Familiarising yourself with the PIP activities/descriptors and outlining what you believe you should have scored is important.  Equally, giving examples of the last time you attempted the activities and were not able to do them reliably (including when/where/who was there/what happened/consequences) will illustrate how your impairment affects you.
• Avoid focusing on the assessors report, although I understand it is frustrating, your efforts are best channeled into evidencing how you meet specific PIP descriptors.
• If you need any help (you don't have to do this alone) you can ask us any questions or seek free local advice via the Advice Local website hyperlinked by @calcotti

Please let us know how you get on and good luck.  

Ali_lovesTheUK

Cher_Scope said:

Hi @Ali_lovesTheUK How are you doing today?  If you have time to read the email we sent you and get back to us, that would be lovely, but there's absolutely no pressure.  

I understand PIP can feel like a daunting process but I hope the advice you've received on this thread has helped break down what you need to do in manageable chunks. 

• If you get the decision letter and it confirms that you've not been awarded the component(s) you expect, then you can request a mandatory reconsideration (MR) using the above phrasing suggestions if you do this via letter/form.
• Familiarising yourself with the PIP activities/descriptors and outlining what you believe you should have scored is important.  Equally, giving examples of the last time you attempted the activities and were not able to do them reliably (including when/where/who was there/what happened/consequences) will illustrate how your impairment affects you.
• Avoid focusing on the assessors report, although I understand it is frustrating, your efforts are best channeled into evidencing how you meet specific PIP descriptors.
• If you need any help (you don't have to do this alone) you can ask us any questions or seek free local advice via the Advice Local website hyperlinked by @calcotti

Please let us know how you get on and good luck.  

Hi Cher 
Thanks for your  helpful reply . 
I just wondering where I would find the email that you sent as I can not find it . 
Also does scope have a template letter I might be able to use as some sort of guide . 

Ross_Alumni

Hello @Ali_lovesTheUK

The email will be from community@scope.org.uk, the name of the sender should say "Community".

I have resent the email to you. 

Regarding the template, you can access a manditory reconsideration request form on Gov.uk here.

Ali_lovesTheUK

I have received the email . thanks ross _scope for resending it . It is what i was very worried about as I don;t have any mental health  support other then My GP surgery  and there are useless when it come to getting document to proof my medication I'm taking and any other document I might need for my PIP appeal . Also does my appeal have to be in writing as I would feel more better explain everything over the phone. sorry but I'm so confused to know what to do for the best and my time for my PIP appeal is running out and I would like to get this sort out as it really have a impact on my mental health . can anyone give me advice on what I should do as I don't have any mental health support other then my GP  

Ali_lovesTheUK

Hi all 
Just wanted to give you an updated . I have tried to get in contact with PIP by to ask them to look at my claim again , I know this might not be the best options but Time is running short and that I want to get this sorted out and also I find writing letters to people like DWP./PIP very difficult indeed . As I have said I have been in contact  PIP by phone . and wasted 40 minutes getting no where like I have said I know this is not the best option but my deadline is fast closing in and I want to get this sorted out asap. Does any one know if I can appeal by phone ????

Ali_lovesTheUK

Hi all 
I been trying to get documentation from my local GP surgery but they have said I need to book a telephone appointment with the doctor in order to get the require documents , this  it what I was told last week , since then all this week I have tried to get a telephone appointment with the doctors and everytime I phone them they keep saying " sorry we fully booked" how can I get the documents to proof my mental illness to PIP when my doctor surgery doesn't want to help me and I keep getting shut out my local GP surgery . what do I do in this situation apart from sending PIP a letter ????