Awaiting decision

apples

Hi

I have been reading the pip posts so not going to start with how long etc

just a brief bit I submitted my forms on the 20th April I had a phone assessment on the 4th July then received a txt message from dwp that they had received the report from the health care provider and I’ll get my decision within 8 weeks, this was on the 18th July….tense time it makes my anxiety worse waiting

anyway my question is at the end of the assessment the nurse repeated that if I don’t get the decision I am looking for to appeal as there are no limits to the amount of appeals I can do, not sure if that’s right but not sure what to read into when she said appeal the decision if it’s not right

i had cab helping me with the forms as I don’t understand them due to my mental health

so any advice from you guys ? 

Thanks

poppy123456

The person that did you're assessment is correct, if you're not happy once the decision is made you can challenge that decision by first requesting the Mandatory Reconsideration. (MR) I wouldn't read too much into it because it would be impossible to speculate anything at this stage.

Decision timescales are anything up to 12 weeks, rather than the 8 weeks you were told.

Alex_Alumni

Hello @apples thanks for your query, and for explaining what's been happening.

I always find Turn2Us has a good overview of the different stages of the process, when you feel you'd like to challenge a PIP decision.

You can check the decision, ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR), and if that isn't successful, appeal to Tribunal.

There is a time limit on asking for an MR or an appeal to Tribunal, so please bear this in mind.

You could also complain about the decision, tell your MP, or apply for Judicial Review.

I hope it won't be too long a wait to hear back about your decision, normally with the backlogs at the moment it takes between 2-12 weeks, sometimes longer. I wish you all the best for a positive result, and whatever happens we'll be here to support you with the next steps of the process.

Let us know if we've missed anything, and enjoy having a look around the forum

apples

Thank you for the replies I will keep you updated once I receive their decision 

apples

Just a quick question, I done a self assessment on the benefits and work site but does anyone know where else I would be able to do one ?

poppy123456

The PIP self test is not very reliable unless you fully understand the descriptors and what they mean and a lot of people don’t. There are no other self tests that I know of. 

There’s nothing more you can do until the decision is made. You can challenge the decision once you receive it, if you’re not happy.

apples

Thanks poppy 

Biblioklept

Best thing is to read through the descriptors and points and if there's any where you're not sure whether they apply to you, ask about them here and people can discuss or help explain what they mean.

Although I found the pip self test pretty accurate for me and eye opening too. 

apples

I just rang pip as the wait was driving my anxiety crazy and they said a letter was sent to me on the 29th July

he read part of the letter out to me over the phone and I didn’t get it, he said we can’t award you pip for daily living nor for mobility and that when I receive the letter read through it and I have until the 29th august to review it 

poppy123456

If the letter says "we can't award you PIP" it means you've been refused. Once you get the decision letter it will tell you if you scored any points in any of the descriptors.

If you disagree with the decision you can request the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR). It's better to put this in writing stating where and why you think you should have scored those points. Giving a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies to you.

You may also want to get some expert advice before going any further to check whether it's possible to score enough points needed for an award before requesting the MR. Please use the link above to check what advice agency is local to you.

apples

Thanks Teddybear12 I looked at the link and it just lists cab who helped me with the initial claim

do I need to request the report from the healthcare professional ?

apples

Thanks poppy123456 I checked the link but only cab are listed and as previously said they helped with my initial claim

poppy123456

You don’t need the assessment report to write the MR letter. All it does is cause a distraction to what you really need to do at this stage. 

The most likely outcome of the MR is the decision will remain the same. Timescales are between 2-12 weeks. 

apples

Thanks poppy not sure I can go through with a tribunal 

L_Volunteer

We hear you @apples. You need to do what's best for you. What are your thoughts behind not going through with a tribunal versus going through with a tribunal? We are all here for you and listening to you 

apples

Hi @ L_Volunteer 

when I received the letter telling me my appointment for the assessment I couldn’t relax then while I was having the assessment I kept stuttering due to my anxiety that I don’t think I could put myself through tribunal as I find it hard talking to people

poppy123456

apples said:

Thanks poppy not sure I can go through with a tribunal 

Tribunals are a lot more understanding than the health assessment providers and DWP. If you think you qualify then the only thing to do is challenge it. 

apples

Thanks @poppy123456 and @Teddybear12

hopefully the letter will be here soon I just hope that when it does arrive I can understand it lol

i’m not so much upset more disappointed that I have to wait for the MR decision which in turn makes me anxious

I don’t think I will be as bad if the tribunal was by telephone rather than face to face but you don’t get a choice do you ?

bg844

The majority at this time are telephone too. I think it’s a great idea for people who struggle to mobilise or have serious MH issues.
You never know even if you did appeal and it’d play on your mind if you didn’t’ so I always encourage anyone to. DWP might lapse it beforehand (extremely rare, but can happen).

Let’s hope for a positive MR.

apples

Thank you @Teddybear12 and @bg844

L_Volunteer

If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to let us know @apples. We are all here for you