I applied for PIP in Dec 21. I've been told it's been sent back, but heard nothing. What can I do?

cupcake22

Hi all,
I applied for PIP in Dec 21, l called them after the 12 week wait and they told me to wait until 16 weeks had past. I called them again, and they told me it had passed over to the department who makes the decision. I called the department who told me they were waiting on my medical report to come back. I was also told to call the consultant/doctors to send it back which would speed up my case. I have been told it has been sent back, but lve heard nothing.
What more can l do?
Cupcake x

Alex_Alumni

Hello there @cupcake22 and welcome  

I have been told it has been sent back

Just so I understand fully can you explain what you mean here? Do you mean the medical report?

If you are concerned, you can call the PIP enquiry line, but I can't guarantee they'll be able to tell you how things are going, as they don't work within the DWP, they're at a call centre.

I'm sorry it's all taking so long, but it sounds as though you'll be getting a decision soon hopefully.

Let us know if you've got other questions, or there's anything else you need a hand with.

Alex

cupcake22

Hi,
I told the person who makes the award that l couldn't guarantee l wouldn't be able to have a telephone interview as l was too ill for most of the time. I was told because of the treatment l receive, l would be assessed on my medical report. They have my report, but still lve heard nothing 

Alex_Alumni

Hi @cupcake22

Thanks for explaining that for us, I would see about giving them a call, or having someone call on your behalf, just to explain that you'd like an update as you haven't heard anything for a while. 

I've just moved your comment into this discussion so it's easier for everyone to follow, and you can find all your answers in one place

cupcake22

Thank you Alex. Everything is like a maze to me right now

Alex_Alumni

That's okay, it takes time to get to know how things work, but if you feel unsure about anything, please don't hesitate to reach out  

If you'd like to have a look around the forum, you can get to know everyone at the coffee lounge, where you can chat and play games. You can also browse different topics for discussion in our categories page. 

poppy123456

Most people have assessments when claiming PIP, this could either be by telephone, video call or face to face at an assessment centre. Paper based assessments are rare but possible.

cupcake22 said:

they told me it had passed over to the department who makes the decision. I called the department who told me they were waiting on my medical report to come back.

If you mean your file was sent to the health assessment providers then they don't make decisions. Only a decision maker from DWP can do this.

It's not unusual for the whole process to take about 10 months, sometimes longer. Nothing more you can do but wait.

If an assessment is needed you will be contacted.

cupcake22

Sorry, l meant my medical report has been sent back to the decision maker from the DWP. I was wondering what/will happen next. I am desperate to hear something/anything as the travel to hospital for treatment is 10 miles drive and l visit at least twice a week sometimes its 4! I am struggling financially and need help

Alex_Alumni

Hi again @cupcake22, thanks for explaining, I'm sorry to hear you've been struggling financially. 

Citizens Advice has lots of advice and information on help and support if you're struggling with the cost of living, which you might find useful to read.

Did you know about the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme? If you're referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). Use the link above to see the details about who is able to claim. 

Is there anything in particular you're struggling with? If you are having worries about energy costs, Scope offers a Disability Energy Support Service:

The team can help and talk you through a wide range of topics related to your energy and water needs, including:

• managing energy and water debt
• changing your meter
• energy and water efficiency
• accessing benefits, grants, and trusts
• free fuel vouchers (conditions apply)
• contacting or complaining to your supplier
• understanding your gas and electricity bills
• understanding how to use your heating systems
• support registering with the Priority Services Register

Let me know if I've missed anything, or something doesn't make sense, and I'll see how I can help further.

cupcake22

Hi @AlexW_Scope . l cannot and lm not claiming anything you mentioned as my husband had a kidney removed 2 years ago and now has end stage renal failure, is claiming  PIP but they have only awarded the the lower rate which they only gave after he was turned down and asked them to look at it again. He has been pensioned off through ill health and lve been told l don't qualify to claim UC as he gets too much. Our mortgage takes up most of his pension and what is left, is for gas, electric, food and petrol. Every month is a nightmare for us. At least if l had something/anything coming in, it would ease some of the financial pressure 

poppy123456

cupcake22 said:

Sorry, l meant my medical report has been sent back to the decision maker from the DWP. I was wondering what/will happen next. I am desperate to hear something/anything as the travel to hospital for treatment is 10 miles drive and l visit at least twice a week sometimes its 4! I am struggling financially and need help

Now the report has been returned to DWP decision timescale is between 2-12 weeks. If successfully awarded, if it's first time claim and you're not transferring from DLA then money usually goes into your bank before the decision letter is received.

All you can do now is wait. Hopefully not too much longer.

cupcake22

Hi @poppy123456, thank you for your response. My worry is that l have had no form of assessment as yet as my treatment doesn't guarantee l will be able to respond when needed. I was told that l would be assessed on my medical report alone, but how true is this? 

poppy123456

If the assessment report has been returned to DWP then it means you've had a paper based assessment because there was enough of evidence to complete this without any assessment. It's rare but can happen.

In my opinion this can only be a good thing. I've had personal experience with a few paper based assessments for PIP and all 3 have been successfully awarded.

Once the decisions been made, if you're not happy you can of course challenge that decision by first requesting the Mandatory Reconsideration.