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A few basic questions about PIP right now

NoOne
NoOne Community member Posts: 43 Courageous
Having read the current PIP decision time is about 12 weeks, I phoned DWP to ask why I haven't heard anything at all from them, as this coming week marks 12 weeks from return of my PIP Renewal Form. They said they sent my form to the Assessor in November last year. Now hitting 12 weeks and lockdown end in sight I am...pheww...exhausted at the thought of having a face to face instead..

So the things concerning me here are...

* Does the assessor have a certain time to contact me?
* How are they contacting - phone or letter or both, in what order and in what time?
* How many times will they phone or write before they 'give up'?
* How long have you got from them contacting you initially till they do the assessment to prepare yourself for it?

I just want to know what the heck is going on and what to expect. I am worried they have phoned or written and I've not known (yeah mental health things).


Comments

  • cupcake88
    cupcake88 Posts: 1,273 Pioneering
    edited February 2021
    Hi there I haven’t had a review yeh but my whole pip process took just over 5 months from the applying tip the decision . But that was a first time application. 

    I’m gonna guess that Maybe they could be really busy in your area but don’t quote me on that there are other members on hear who could help you more with your question . I would give them a call or ask some one to call on behalf of you . Did you win your pip by tribunal or was it first time threw application ?


  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    Currently assessments will not be face to face. In most cases they will be by telephone, sometimes a paper based assessment is possible..
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome 

    It is the assessment company that the delay is with so it may be worth contacting them 

    You will be notified by letter or text of an assessment appointment and will be given approx a week notice 

    All assessments are phone or paper based currently and no plans to resume f2f currently 

    You can rearrange an appt only once after that if you dont attend your file will be returned to DWP 

    Your timeline isnt unusual there are huge backlogs in some areas 

    All just a waiting game when does your current award end ? The reason they start reviews 6 months in advance of award end is to allow enough time for it to be completed 

    Have you been given an extension due to covid at all most people fave who hot their award through DWP rather than at tribunal 
  • NoOne
    NoOne Community member Posts: 43 Courageous
    cupcake88 said:
    Hi there I haven’t had a review yeh but my whole pip process took just over 5 months from the applying tip the decision . But that was a first time application. 

    I’m gonna guess that Maybe they could be really busy in your area but don’t quote me on that there are other members on hear who could help you more with your question . I would give them a call or ask some one to call on behalf of you . Did you win your pip by tribunal or was it first time threw application ?


    It was just the usual Form through the post. I came onto PIP from DLA. Never had a tribuneral. Not that I didn't have anything to complain about because IMO they cut my PIP money last time unfairly when I don't think they should have, but I don't like dealing with people so let it slide. Would prefer a better head state than £x per week.

  • NoOne
    NoOne Community member Posts: 43 Courageous
    calcotti said:
    Currently assessments will not be face to face. In most cases they will be by telephone, sometimes a paper based assessment is possible..

    Hi, would that paper based assessment be my renewal form I already sent in or a subsequent form? Do they just telephone out the blue?
  • NoOne
    NoOne Community member Posts: 43 Courageous
    janer1967 said:
    Hi and welcome 

    It is the assessment company that the delay is with so it may be worth contacting them 

    You will be notified by letter or text of an assessment appointment and will be given approx a week notice 

    All assessments are phone or paper based currently and no plans to resume f2f currently 

    You can rearrange an appt only once after that if you dont attend your file will be returned to DWP 

    Your timeline isnt unusual there are huge backlogs in some areas 

    All just a waiting game when does your current award end ? The reason they start reviews 6 months in advance of award end is to allow enough time for it to be completed 

    Have you been given an extension due to covid at all most people fave who hot their award through DWP rather than at tribunal 

    Hello :) You give good information!

    Well it hopefully isn't text because I have no idea if my 'mobile number' was up to date, if I even gave one. Typically I used it so infrequently the network recycles my number to someone else.

    If letter that is my big big worry because in the DWP letter I'm sure it said "What happens next. We will contact you". So like I might have said, I was looking for brown envelopes. Now I have been looking through unopened letters (I don't like opening mail so have unopened letters stuffed all over) with my heart in my mouth incase they sent me a letter I didn't open. So far I've not found anything. I dread to think they have written already. I know I should phone them since I spoke to the DWP but always wimp out.

    I'm in Greater Manchester. And my PIP ends early-mid June. And yes it was extended to that due to Covid. It should (!) be an easy renewal as nothing has changed and there is no 'evidence' as I've never seen the doctor since my last PIP, and there is nothing physical to see / test / examine. So does that still sound right with the time scale here?

    I hope covid has made the face to face assessment get assessed so people who have social problems, or at least mental health problems, can in future be assessed over the phone.
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Just because nothing has changed you need to treat the review like a new application and give as much detail as possible 

    If you extension is till june you have plenty if time to get it all sorted 

    If you didnt put your mobile number on the form they will write to you 

    If you are concerned you have missed something give them a call so it can be sorted b4 award ends 

    Paper based assessment is where they make a decision on the evidence you have sent in meaning your review form .
    Sometimes if paper based they do call put of blue to ask a few questions 


  • NoOne
    NoOne Community member Posts: 43 Courageous
    janer1967 said:
    Just because nothing has changed you need to treat the review like a new application and give as much detail as possible 

    If you extension is till june you have plenty if time to get it all sorted 

    If you didnt put your mobile number on the form they will write to you 

    If you are concerned you have missed something give them a call so it can be sorted b4 award ends 

    Paper based assessment is where they make a decision on the evidence you have sent in meaning your review form .
    Sometimes if paper based they do call put of blue to ask a few questions 



    Oh, OK thanks. I did put details down, more than the four or so lines they allowed on the form. Every morning I lay in bed feeling ill to some extent about the idea of phoning them and what they will say. Urgh. I hope they find I've given then enough info now and fingers crossed I don't need to speak to them. My plate is more than full at the mo.
  • NoOne
    NoOne Community member Posts: 43 Courageous
    If you are in GM then you have lots of options for professional advice. You would be better served by that than a forum if you have lots of questions. That's exactly the sort of thing duty welfare rights advice lines are for. 

    I honesty don't know much about any of that, and for a particular reason I don't want to say, don't want to engage with things like that. And I don't have any friends to help. So, uh, kind a stuck but I feel better on here, and the info I've got has helped me quite a bit emotionally because I was sure too much time had passed and something bad was going to happen. Might still happen, but now I'm no longer sure it will.
  • dmwors
    dmwors Community member Posts: 33 Courageous
    Hi
    Have just read your post and as am quite close to your area and am in same position as you, was wondering if you had contacted them or had a letter/phone call etc. Thanks x

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