Can somebody help me please.After reading all the comments on pip,it appears people are saying pip do not contact your go.They have contacted my ms nurse is this unusual and if it,why?
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ATOS contacted my GP for a Factual Report. The GPs get paid Ā£33 for this - itās in their contract.
My advice is - know the guidelines. My ESA and PIP were paper-based only - NO face-to-face medical required.
The guidelines on the report they will write on you for PIP is here:
Requirements of a justified report
2.8.23. A properly justified report should contain the following:
ā¢ A brief summary of the individualās health conditions or impairment and their severity
ā¢ A clear explanation of the reasons for the advice contained in the report including areas such as, but not limited to:
o Referencing evidence used to support descriptor choice.
o Explanations where the HPās opinion differs from those of the claimant, carers or other healthcare professionals.
o Clarification of any contradictions, including those arising from the claimantās view of their needs
o Explanation of the HPās choice of evidence.
ā¢ The evidence that underpins the advice and balances:
o History.
o Formal examination.
o Informal observations.
o The HPās knowledge of the disabling effects of the medical conditions.
o Treatment that the claimant receives.
o Any other evidence available.
Best regards JP
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Thank You for that information.They rang them and asked for the info over the phone,no report asked for,just seems worrying to me that people are saying that they never contact the medical advisors,really worried that this has happened as it is not the norm.
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Did you have a face-to-face assessment with ATOS?
No havenāt had anything yet,just informed that they had contacted my ms nurse.
hi did you put any supporting evidence in with your claim formā¦i put a letter in from my ms nurse and my face to face with atos was done in my own home and after all ive read about the bad parts of a pip claim i was awarded the enhanced rate for both daily living and mobility so i cant really fault any part of the process
heres hoping you get the same results.
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I think it totally depends on what you supply them with. If thereās just a question, then a call to your nurse might resolve that piece of outstanding info. If you donāt supply info to substantiate what youāre saying then they arenāt going to go looking for it. Their job is to assess you, so youāre helping yourself by supply any info they might want.
When I requested mandatory reconsideration, I was very detailed and added a further letter that Iād received since the assessment. It was worthwhile for me tho I still had to request a tribunal. I was very lucky in that the DWP phoned me to say theyād re-reviewed my case and sought medical advice - then changed me to the correct levels.
Iāve had my first review and the ATOS guy said heād read thru all the info from my first review so Iām really glad I did it. He was really nice to me and I told him that I felt Iād done myself a disservice by trying so hard to remain so fiercely independent - he got my measure tho, he asked my to do some movementsā¦ then caught me when my legs gave way!
Good luck!
Sonia x
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I think it totally depends on what you supply them with. If thereās just a question, then a call to your nurse might resolve that piece of outstanding info. If you donāt supply info to substantiate what youāre saying then they arenāt going to go looking for it. Their job is to assess you, so youāre helping yourself by supply any info they might want.
When I requested mandatory reconsideration, I was very detailed and added a further letter that Iād received since the assessment. It was worthwhile for me tho I still had to request a tribunal. I was very lucky in that the DWP phoned me to say theyād re-reviewed my case and sought medical advice - then changed me to the correct levels.
Iāve had my first review and the ATOS guy said heād read thru all the info from my first review so Iām really glad I did it. He was really nice to me and I told him that I felt Iād done myself a disservice by trying so hard to remain so fiercely independent - he got my measure tho, he asked my to do some movementsā¦ then caught me when my legs gave way!
Good luck!
Sonia x
They did the same for me - said they were contacting my GP and Nurse and then the DWP wrote last week to say they had all the info they needed, and I need do nothing, just wait for their decision.
I am housebound and can no longer drive so did ask for a home visit - but got none.
So I did not have a face-to-face assessment. Just paper-based assessment and the phone calls.
I did supply a lot of letters and a care plan.
Next week will be week 9 in my assessment process. So, just waiting for the brown envelop to drop through the letter box.
All the best,
PJ.
My PIP award letter said that the decision was based on the form I submitted and the assessorās report. I failed to get high rate mobility because there was no medical evidence to support my statement of difficulties travelling to unfamiliar places. Basically, they didnāt contact any of my HPs. (My PIP application was handled by Capita, btw.)
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Thankyou all just a case of waiting I suppose
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Just had a text today,to say they have all the information they need.They will be writing to me to tell me the decision.
will just have to wait and see,hope not to long just need to get it over with.
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Let it be over: I am in the same space - just waiting for the Decision Makerās brown envelope - week 9.
Will it go on to week 13?
The PIP average is 13 weeks - but I didnāt have a āface-to-faceā assessment, so perhaps it will be speeded up a few weeks. I hope so.
Good luck!
I have my face to face on thurs any advice what kind of thing do they ask ?
Canāt wait,just need it to be over.Thankyou.
Mine was at home. The assessor came 5 minutes early (quite a common strategy I have heard) and observed how I was able to answer the door (OH was upstairs getting dressed so her ātrickā actually worked for me because otherwise she wouldnāt have seen me āwall surfingā). She asked me questions about each of the descriptors and put the answers/her comments into her computer. She decided that she didnāt need to see me walk or tried any strength tests because she could see I would struggle. She noted the aids that I used in her report but she didnāt ask for a tour of inspection! It is clear that I use and need ābigā aids (a collection of wlking sticks and crutches, my scooter, wheelchair are obvious when you come into the house and I was using small aids like a magnifier during the assesment.
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Make sure that you have copies of the application you made and copies of the supporting evidence you submitted. The assessor does have them scanned into their computer but mistakes/confusion can happen. My assessor thought that she didnāt have 1 (vital) report - she did but she been confused because 2 reports looked almost identical in their first pages.
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If at all possible have someone with you during the assesment. My husband was able to prompt me over some questions when I got a bit confused about what was being asked (I can witter on if not stopped!)
My assessor was very good IMHO. She was an OT and seemed to really have āgot itā about MS. Far better than a lot of doctors and nurses I have had dealings with in the past who have no real knowledge/experience of MS and other neurological conditions.
Finally: always remember that you are entitled to request a copy of the assessorās report from the DWP. They will have it about 4-5 days after the assesment and it will tell you how the assesor has scored you on each descriptor. This isnāt definitely how your award will pan out but it is a VERY good indication. The decision is completely a matter for the decision maker at DWP, but it is VERY rare for them to contradict what the assessor tells them.
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