What is your experience of the PIP Application from part 1 to receiving a decision?
I applied for part 1 of PIP Application by telephone early May 2017. I posted Part 2 How your Disability Affects You on 12th May and enclosed several items of evidence to confirm PPMS, double incontinence, mashed food plus various medical reports and assessments over the past few years.
Can anyone give an idea of how long it will take for an assessment and then how long for the decision?
The form appears to say an assessment is NOT always needed if the assessors have enough information, but most websites indicate that everyone, except terminally ill patients, has to either attend or have a home visit assessment.
I have no reason to doubt my application should be successful but that little niggle seems to increase as each long day goes by.
Hi Christie,I too have PPMS and as my MS had got worse I decided to apply for the higher level of PIP as I already had higher mobility,I had sent my care plan from my Social Worker and a letter from my MS nurse.I was expecting a home visit but I did not require this as I was awarded ‘on going’ award for PIP ,letter said it would be ten years before I would be invited to reapply.I think the key is to send quality supporting information from key people i.e. Social worker,MS nurse,OT,doctor etc.when you phone the DWP pip line I think it mentions all applications are dealt within six weeks,I could be wrong here.
For me, PIP form sent 30th January. I had a phone call from them to clarify how much therapy / rehab support I had (basically it seemed they wanted to give me more points, not take them away) on 21 February. Then on 10th March I received the award letter. Full PIP for both Care and Mobility, for 10 years.
I definitely think it’s the evidence you send with the form that makes the difference.
“Can anyone give an idea of how long it will take for an assessment and then how long for the decision?”
The whole PIP process for me was 11 weeks.
I’m SPMS and supplied an up to date MS Nurse Care Plan, GP letter of support for PIP, all documented social care given by relatives plus other doctors letters etc.,. 7 in total.
I wrote my own social care report 4,300 words long - cut it up - and pasted it on to the form. It was very detailed.
Week 3 - I got a letter that they were contacting my GP and MS Nurse.
Week 5 - They had enough info to make a decision based upon the info I provided and that supplied by my GP, and so would not need a face to face assessment.
I am told just 3% do not see anyone from ATOS and have a desk top assessment - because full recent evidence is given of assessments by healthcare professionals on social care needs.
I underline social care - not the condition - but the level of care needed.
Oh and Chrisssie, it sounds like you have covered the bases with your claim. Hopefully yours will be a desk decision.
The whole process is an absolute mind bender though. While you’re waiting for the process to start you wait for the post each day, then (if you’re me) physically slow yourself down doing the form, partly to make sure you are doing it right by reading and editing. Like PJday, I typed my response to each question, but I didn’t physically cut and paste, I attached the whole document, listing each question.
Then once you’ve sent the form off, you immediately start dreading the post each day.
And it goes on.
Its a stress machine. I feel very bad for those people who are turned down. I hate the thought that there are just insufficient welfare rights advisors to properly assist people with their claims.
If the poxy government (and I’m not pointing fingers here, PIP was a Labour brainchild I believe, fine tuned by the Tories with a little Lib Dem cheerleading!) could spend some of the money they claimed to be attempting to save, on welfare benefits advice, I wouldn’t despise them so much.
Just like their new plans to means test winter fuel. If they provided support for pensioners to claim their rightful benefits, it would be something I personally would agree with. But they don’t, so once again, the poorest members of our society pay the price.
Cheers all. Your responses have reassured me so I hope to know by mid July 2017.
I completed the form and typed Additional Info pages with cross references. Plus sent photo copies of the speech\swallow therapist report, a soc.services assesment & an occ. therapist report plus gp & hospital letters & dvla revoking my licence.I
Well done Chrissie. It’s a hell of a job, but you can relax for a couple of weeks before you start fretting again.
I’d say my fingers will be crossed for you, but to be honest, I hardly think you need it, you do seem to have covered all the bases and provided all relevant evidence. Instead, I shall hope like mad that your claim is rubber stamped without you needing an assessment.
Hi Chrissie, I have received my PIP award today, enhanced on both. I’m SPMS, walking wounded so to speak. I do have problems with arthritis as well, but the assessor could clearly see I struggle. I had to face her on my own as well, OH had to go to his mum who was poorly & it was too late for me to ask anyone else. I had a home assessment. You seem to have done everything I did, as long as you have sent tonnes of evidence, even if you get a face to face sure you will be fine. Mine has been awarded as ongoing. I don’t use a wheelchair all the time, although I have to be with someone to Drs etc. I was so stressed it has brought on a relapse, it took 2 weeks from the day of the assessment. Try not to get too stressed, easier said than done, believe me I know, I was nearly sick this morning when my OH handed me the letter, took me over an hour to look at it. Horrible thing all this, I’m still in shock to be honest, not sank in, whole thing has took it’s toll, don’t know whether to smile or cry, I’m 1 of the lucky 1s, least it’s done, but I am absolutely wreaked by it all. Good luck with it & take care Tracey x
“Horrible thing all this, I’m still in shock to be honest, not sank in, whole thing has took it’s toll, don’t know whether to smile or cry, I’m 1 of the lucky 1s, least it’s done, but I am absolutely wreaked by it all.”
But the most important thing we - MS PIPers have all learnt is - evidence.
CARE EVIDENCE IS ESSENTIAL
The PIP form is a social care and mobility needs analysis report. So, less about the actual medical condition, but more about how the condition affects your ability to performs daily living tasks or get from A to B. Basically - how dependent you are on carers. Thus evidence of care is essential.
Signed statements of care given by professional or informal carers and relatives, either paid or unpaid.
All of these social care documents provide excellent evidence on how much help you get or need to manage daily tasks covered by PIP - this evidence must be included with your PIP form.
Thanks Pjday, & for the advice as well prior to putting in the form. Definitely get help from CAB, lady I met was absolutely brilliant, I will be sending flowers Tuesday. Evidence, evidence, evidence can’t be stressed enough. I think the assessor that came to me was pretty well informed, via my paperwork, & the reason they requested a face to face was because I had said I was only an occasional wheelchair user, mainly for hospital etc & could walk short distances (pretty short granted, but never the less, walking). I scored 23 points for daily living, 16 points for mobility. I am hoping to sleep a little better tonight, at least the dread of the post has gone. Good luck to all on this PIP obstacle course, like many helped me on here, anything I can pass on to anyone in this subject, feel free to ask & I will do my best Tracey x
I’m so pleased for you. I know how stressed it’s made you. It’s a total bustard that we have to celebrate being this disabled. So a double edged sword really. But I’m very happy you got the right decision.
And PJday is absolutely right. Relevant evidence to back up your statements is essential.
Thanks Sue. Bittersweet success I suppose, like you say, double edged sword. I’m glad it’s over, but a little drained to put it mildly, heartfelt good luck to all doing this bloody thing Tracey x
Well MANY THANKS to you wonderful people. The assessor came to my house yesterdat, a young man who works for Capita, but medical qualified as occy heath therapust. He knew his stuff but I got in a bit of a state that brought tremors & shakes so bad, I was drinking half a pint of juice from a pint glass, to save spillage.
Too early to count my chickens, but he seemed to answer the questions as it took so long to stop my shakes, tremors & word finding. I was honest and he actually told me he could clearly see the communication problems, risks of being in my own and observed instability when I stood.
Don’t shoot me but until last week I worked on the PIP Enquiry line as a customer advisor. (I don’t anymore as I asked to reduce my hours and was declined despite their own OH report supporting my request. I took it all the way to Appeal and was still declined so I have left as I am unable to work full time and was being forced to-just a bit of backround as to how their own staff are treated.They said they couldn’t help because I don’t have a diagnosis!)
Currently it is taking on average 14 weeks for a reassessment/review and 13 weeks for a new claim.There are no time scales for Mandatory Reconsiderations. Once the claim is received (this takes 7-10 working days from when it was posted) they are generally sent off pretty much straight away to the AP.The AP part of the process is taking on average 8 weeks to get an appointment for an assessment and they are taking 2 weeks on average to come back to DWP.Once the AP report comes back to DWP the average time scale for a decision is approx 2 weeks.
Yes the more relevant information supplied the better and no not everyone has to attend an assessment but the vast majority do so assume that an assessment will be required (It is more likely to be people with mental health issues who will not cope well with an assessment that have a paper based assessment)
Once you have received a decision it will be backdated to the date that you requested the form so long as you meet the qualifying criteria.
Hope that helps (might as well put my knowledge to good use now i am unemployed!!)
Fair play Belle, pretty sure a lot of people are going to much appreciate your info. You’ve been through it, what a bunch of b******s!! The NHS didn’t do me any favours with my job either, you would think they would be a tad more understanding wouldn’t you, apparently not! Tracey x
Thanks Tracey. you’re not wrong! You just assume that these big organisations will look after their employees but it’s just not true.I spent my time telling people that ‘we are more interested in how your illness and disability affects you than a diagnosis/name’ however when it came to me they weren’t interested as I do not have a diagnosois.It is ridiculous! My colleagues were astounded that they would rather lose me than reduce my hours!
That sounds brilliant Chrissie. Not that you had to physically fall apart in order for the assessor to see the effect your PPMS has on you. But good that at the very least he could see the difficulties you face in order to live your life.
Touch wood it will all come through quickly and you’ll get the (correct) decision soon.