Hi, my name is DuckDad!

DuckDad

My son has non healing **** fistulas, originally diagnosed as Crohn’s disease. We found out about ESA and he’s in the Support Group funding now, but only recently heard about PIP.

My son was due his PIP assessment this week, but he had to cancel as he’s currently in hospital. On phoning DWP they asked for ward and doctors names etc and then said they’d try just a paper based assessment now. 

The problem I see, is our consultants and nurses (for daily wound packing) all say they can’t comment on how his fistulas effect him as they don’t see him at home. 

I should be very confident if DWP just phoned the consultants etc, but I assume they did and yet still felt an assessment was necessary. Given it’s now just paper based, I’m concerned about the result. 

Still, we’re much more worried about the ongoing condition and hoped for operations. We’re just used to hospital comms between departments and with GP being fairly poor. I’ve learnt to keep extensive notes. 

Just sharing. 

poppy123456

They very rarely contact anyone for any evidence. If there's enough of information to do a paper based assessment they will but they are rare.

There's more chance of an award with a paper based assessment and i've only heard of a couple of people be refused through this.

If they complete the paper based assessment once the decision is made if you're not happy you can challenge that decision by first requesting the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR)

If he's in hospital for more than 28 days then PIP is suspended, they day you go in and come home are not counted for those 28 days. https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Going-into-Hospital-and-benefits/Benefits-that-stop-being-paid-if-you-go-into-hospi

Wishing your son well!

DuckDad

Very kind of you, thank you. 

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @DuckDad. It is the very least you deserve.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can do anything else to help. We are all here for you and listening to you 

DuckDad

To help others, I thought I’d share an update on our progress with the PIP process for a first time applicant.

After 10weeks from the submission of the form, 3 weeks since confirmation that the assessment will be paper based, my son received a text today saying he’s been awarded PIP and that he’ll receive a letter in 2 weeks time explaining the details. 

So our process has been relatively straightforward and seems to be a fair outcome, without need for further reconsideration. 12 weeks still seems a long time, but I appreciate for many others it’s been far longer. 

Tori_Scope

Great news @duckdad Thank you for letting us know! Fingers crossed the letter will arrive soon. 

How are you and your son getting on?

DuckDad

We’ve been through a difficult time, during and after some recent surgery but now have provision for acute care at home, so hopefully things will get better. The PIP award just takes some of the stress away and I can now investigate the blue badge process to ease future hospital appointments and eventually a slow return to life, that’s not just defined by medical care.

DuckDad

Further progress, we received the letter yesterday and a back payment will be made on Monday. 

So end to end, the first call prior to even receiving the form was at end August and completion to payment was by mid November. 

With the enhanced mobility award, applying for the blue badge took minutes. It’s just a wait for the evidence to be checked and blue badge to be printed and sent. Hopefully, it’ll be received in time for the next round of hospital tests and consultant appointments, making life just a little bit easier. 

Thankfully, our overall experience was pretty good. 

In retrospect, the only issues were finding out about the existence of benefits such as ESA and PIP in the first place, feeling like there should be read across evidence from ESA to PIP and of course, still the total time it takes, even when going well. 

Tori_Scope

Thank you for the update @duckdad! That all sounds pretty positive  

How's the help at home coming along?

DuckDad

Thank you. As for the help at home, the NHS employ a private company called Sciensus, Healthcare at Home. The nurses have all proven to more specialist to the care he needs and very good. In theory it’s 24/7 but thankfully we’ve not needed anymore than the daily visit. 

I’d highly recommend them if offered, compared to staying in hospital. 

Tori_Scope

That sounds great @duckdad  

L_Volunteer

It made my day to hear the nurses have all proven to more specialist to the care he needs and very good @DuckDad. Thank you for sharing this with us. 

It sounds really positive and potentially a relief too! I am sure sharing your experiences will be invaluable to people experiencing similar things too