So lucky me I’m going through the process of transferring from dla to PIP
firstly they rang to say they would try and do via medical reports so that I didn’t have to have a face to face. Called to chase today and was told I was on the waiting list for a face to face. Asked how long it would be and told they don’t work to time scales!!! Seriously how is that possible. I’m currently waiting for access to work and desperately need to change my car as it’s no longer suitable and can’t do this until I know I’m going to continue to receive my current higher rate. Am slowly going mad with all the stress and just want to go back to work and get some normality back again. Do they not realise that we have lives to live and that most normal people or should I say professionals work to time scales!! Feeling very frustrated with it all
I had a phone call today regarding my PIP transfer from DLA to be told an assessor (assassin ) would be doing a home visit and believe it or not the assassin is a mental health nurse!
What the they know about MS is anyones guess so suspect I can kiss goodbye to any transfer.
yes my original phone call was from a nurse but I don’t think she had much experience of ms as she asked me how long a relapse lasts for. I said how longs a piece of string. Seriously can they not google it before hand to get a basic knowledge of what it is!?! I don’t think they care if the assessor has an understanding and put anyone medical in to do the assessment. Just can’t believe it really. Good luck with it. I hope you get through it without developing a mental health condition in the process!?!
get help from one of the organisations who really know about PIP. i had help from welfare rights and the lady helped me to write it because my handwriting looks like that of a 3 year old. just having someone scribe my answers for me was a huge help. she also picked up on some aspects that i hadn’t realised. such as you end up repeating yourself over and over again. key words for each task is that you have to be able to do it SAFELY, in a TIMELY MANNER and REPEATEDLY. so for example i am able to take a shower but need someone nearby in case i fall. afterwards i need to rest therefore the act of showering which used to take 10 minutes now takes an hour. good luck
I have, today received the date for my appeal a year after they told me to go forth and multiple! I scored zero points the women doing the assessment said I was not affected by my MS in anyway. I am currently freaking out, after waiting so long for it I’m sure they will also laugh at me and give me nothing. I’m really struggling at work, and want to drop a day but I just can’t afford to without getting PIP.
OMG! You must appeal!! have you got an occupational health dept where you work? Might be worth contacting access to work if they can help with anything specific
The lady that did my home PIP assessment was a part time nurse at the cancer dept in my local hospital. She had been cutting her hours down at the hospital gradually over the last few years due to the long hours and shifts that she had been doing for over 25 years. Therefor she decided to apply for a role carrying out PIP assessments, again part time , as it was “far easier and less stressful”, her words not mine ! Her whole medical carrier had been based around caring for patients with cancer. Until she applied for and got a position as a PIP assessor she had no background at all in dealing with someone with a physical disability what so ever. She openly told me this !
Good luck! Remember don’t do that British thing we all do saying things aren’t too bad, really lay it out in full gory details. They will try to trip you up, getting you to pick a pen they’ve dropped or leaving anything they’ve passed you just out of reach. Also if you can’t do the movements they ask you to do, don’t try say you can’t do them. Also after the assessment phone DWP and ask for a copy of the report.
If you can get someone else even someone from the MS society it would be better. You can also ask if you can record the session. I wish I’d done that because my report was so full of inaccuracies. My appeal tribunal is in two weeks and I’m really lucky a lady from the local MS society is coming with me to advocate. I’m sure you’ll be fine, just remember to describe everything as your worse day and don’t get all British and stiff upper lippy!
I don’t think I can get anyone as it’s such short notice. Lucky to get someone to look after the kids. I shall record it though that’s a good idea. Fingers crossed I’ll get a nice assessor if there is such a thing!?!