Letter Refused From MS Nurse re PIP

Hi

I am applying for PIP for the first time. I recently contacted my MS specialist nurse asking if she could send me a supporting letter as it states that you need to submit letters from health professionals.

However she replied back stating that they did not provide supporting letters for PIP applications!

I am dumbfounded and am at a loss about what to do.

Any advice gratefully received

Well that’s bloody helpful, or not, I mean why can’t she help, mine did, she also came here for a home visit to go through things, also my GP did a letter. I would ask your GP, I mean these people are supposed to there to help, if it was me I’d go back and ask her again, say you really could do with her help.

Jean x

Easiest thing to do is send all hospital letters you have.

If you have consultant letters which you should have been copied into from consultant to GP that will do. Make sure you send copies only though and keep all originals.

Basically anything relevant will do.

It’s not the name of the condition but how your condition affects your daily living which counts.

put any information you have regarding OT, physio, any special equipment that helps you to cope.

examples are: grab rails in the shower

double bannisters so that you can haul yourself upstairs

a bath board to help you get in and out of the bath.

If you have not yet been seen by an Occupational Therapist, ask GP to refer you.

they will walk you through your house asking you to point out where you don’t feel safe.

2 days later they sent local authority to come and instal grab rails.

also talk about how fatigue affects you and your ability to prepare meals.

I noticed one day that just showering and washing/drying my hair made me need to get back in bed.

If you have previously been on DLA the move to PIP doesn’t mean that you are no longer disabled but you have to spell it out for the assessors. So if you are entitled to it you should fight for it.

look at the Benefits and Work site before completing the form, there is a charge but it is well worth it.

the key words on the PIP form are “safely”, “repeatedly” and “in a timely manner”.

Jaydee,

yes the system stinks and the Assessors from the private companies doing the dwp’s work are not fit for purpose.

But you can not blame the consultant for what they have done.

As already stated it’s the symptoms you have and the way your life is affected that score the brownie points not the name of the condition.

You are directing your anger at the wrong person (consultant)

You need to make a formal complaint to the governing body of the profession that your assessor is in regarding your assessment, you also need to complain to the dwp about it and also the company that sent sent the assessor out to see you.

State the assessment was not fit for purpose.

Do not call the assessor a liar or make rude comments just sit down and go through the whole report and bullet point every discriptor that is wrong and why you disagree with it.

Me being angry with the consultant is a seperate issue.He said i am benign MS which i am not benign at all.I said to him if thats the case you have made the dr that said i was spms for 15 yr look very silly.How can anyone go from SPMS to benign MS when i am as disabled as i am i am sorry but anyone would be.Also the assessor kept asking me if i could prove i was SPMS, which with a consultants letter that i already had i could do, but because my latest letter from the new one stated i was benign i did not have a chance and thats why i lost my car.end of.I have someone from a charity helping me try to get my award and even they cant believe the new consultant re diagnosed me as benign.You have to be in my positon to understand just how hard all this is.So dont tell me i am angry with the wrong person.I am angry with the DWP and the rubbish consultant who isnt fit to be called a neuro.

Ah jaydee that’s not good, what’s he basing his diagnoses on ? and if you’re as disabled as you say and I’m not disbelieving you, then why did you lose the car, can you walk a distance, or not ? if not you do right to challenge it. When I had my assessment, which was at home, it was awful to have to justify my disability, I too am SPMS, I actually said to the lady that was doing it, “you come into my home, ask me personal questions, sit there for nearly 2hrs and you think you know about my life, its a joke” and she couldn’t disagree. So I wish you luck, don’t give up and by the way, not sure where you live, but you’re not the only 1 with a neuro that hasn’t a clue, mines the same.

Jean x