Out of curiosity

My GP was contacted several times for ESA (before migrating to UC). In fact they even got my ESA stopped due to their lack of understanding of my conditions!

However, my GP was never contacted about PIP, not the first time when it went all the way to tribunal, and as far as I know, not the second time when I had a paper based review.

Perhaps the GP has mixed up PIP and ESA/UC? They are often contacted for the out of work benefits, but not for PIP.

Sorry, that was badly worded on my part. I meant they don't often contact GP's for PIP, so doglover's GP might have been confusing it with ESA/UC instead.

They do sometimes contact them for PIP, as in your case, but it is not often, and almost never before or during the first assessment. It sounds like your case was not a standard one due to input from the MP.

With regards to ESA, my first GP was filling in the forms and signing them off for me without a problem, but when she left the practice they then went to a different GP, which is where my problems started. He caused a huge amount of fuss about them, despite multiple emails explaining my conditions etc. Eventually I did get to the surgery and he signed them off but it was a horrendously traumatic experience (that I won't go into) which meant I could never go back to that surgery again. Then 6 months later exactly the same thing, he got more forms and wouldn't sign them off unless he could see me at the surgery. Was never going to be possible for me after the previous experience. Eventually I was forced to attend the Job Centre and go through a full WCA there instead. I could just about manage that at the time, but wouldn't be able to now, so no idea what would happen if I lost UC/LCWRA now.

my GP refused to do a support letter, said dwp will send them a form if they needed to for GP to fill out, they would only provide a summary of whole medical records which noted diagnosis, I added to evidence bundle but probably of no use tbh