I hope today is not a very bad one and that we're all as well as can be given the change in weather.
I just wanted to write to share my good news. After what seems like an eternity I have been 'granted' PIP, both enhanced rates. To say that I am pleased and relieved does not even begin to sum up how I am feeling.
A special thank you to Sian aka Zebs and Ken, the author, who both sent me invaluable links to help me to understand the process of assessment. I truly do not think it would have been such a positive outcome for me had I not had this help. Thanks so very much to you both.
It's interesting...it has made me realise that although I wasn't aware of it at all, it was important to me that I was believed and my symptoms acknowledged.
To all those out there going through this process - please don't give up. I never thought for one minute that I would have this success. Good luck to everybody going through this.
Take care.
Lyn x
Written by
lynzard
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Many congratulations - You deserve it. Not sure if it's the weather but did what I could this a.m. & have headed back to bed & put the heating on. I Prior to that I was going through other medical probs but had very little fibro pain. Would love the Pips links you were given as I have a home visit imminent - not that I'm holding my breath lol ann
Hi - haven't managed to do anything yet .....life always seems to get in the way.....plus I rarely get a service during the day down here (Devon). Phew had a relatively pain free day - so feeling pretty good. I'm dreadful at pacing - When I can I do (too much) - thing is there's only you to do it!!!!
It's been a extra bad 3-4 months & just not been coping - also my confusion (& I really was) .. ended up being glomerulonephritis - Certainly don't want that again !!!! So even tho' I was managing on my ESA pittance lol I now realise I need more help which is why I'm trying for Pips. Thx for your kind reply - I really appreciate it. Ann
Whilst looking for the other thing found this. Will keep looking. xx
PIP medical assessments
Our instantly downloadable guide to claiming personal independence payment (PIP) will tell you everything you need to know to help you prepare for your medical assessment, including:
How the PIPAT computer software used by health professionals works.
What questions the health professional has to answer in the PA4 Medical Consultation Report form.
What questions you are likely to be asked at your PIP medical.
The questions you may not be asked, but need to make sure you answer anyway.
What ‘informal observations’ the health professional will be making about the way you look and behave during your PIP assessment, but which you won’t be given a chance to comment on.
Your rights in relation to taking notes and recording medicals.
Who gets a home visit and how to ask for one if you need one and it isn’t offered.
To be even better prepared, you can also study our guide to the Best Possible Ways To Challenge A PIP Medical Report. It contains over 50 different grounds for challenging a medical report and will give you a clear idea about the many ways in which a medical can be carried out badly. If you are aware of pitfalls in advance, you have a better chance of either preventing some of the worst practices or making sure that you note them down to use in any future complaint or appeal.
So, give yourself the best possible chance of having an accurate PIP medical assessment by becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant access to all our downloadable resources.
Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PIP medical assessments.
PIP face-to-face medical assessment FAQs
Will I have to have a medical for PIP?
If you claim PIP you are extremely likely to have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment, unless you have a terminal illness.
According to the DWP, at March 2014 around 98% of PIP claimants were being asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.
This is much higher than the 75% that the DWP had expected, mainly because neither Atos nor Capita are succeeding in getting enough medical evidence from claimants health professionals to be able to make decisions on paper evidence alone.
How long does a PIP medical take?
Medical assessments for PIP are taking twice as long on average as the DWP had expected them to. Instead of taking an hour to carry out the medical and write it up afterwards using PIPAT computer software, Atos and Capita health professionals are taking two hours on average.
But the length of time you personally will spend at an assessment will depend very much on what conditions you have and how good at their job the health professional is. We have seen medicals where the claimant was only with the health professional for 20 minutes and others where it was almost two hours.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
The result of the very high proportion of claimants having to have a medical, and the length of time they are taking, is that a massive backlog has built up. In March 2014, Atos and Capita began warning claimants that they might have to wait up to 6 months before they got a medical appointment – let alone a decision.
Who carries out the medical assessment?
The majority of health professionals carrying out PIP medicals are physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. There are also some occupational therapists, nurses and, very occasionally, doctors doing assessments.
All health professionals receive around a week’s training in how to carry out assessments, but much of this is about how to use the computer software and how the points system for PIP works.
What happens at the assessment?
Although the DWP claim that PIP medicals are not at all like the work capability assessments for employment and support allowance (ESA), they do seem to be remarkably similar, including the fact that they are computer led.
The medical consists of several parts.
First, the health professional should read any documents relating to your case.
Next, they ask you a series of questions about your condition and about your everyday life. As with ESA, they use drop down lists, multiple choice answers and text boxes to record information on a computer as they go.
Then they may carry out a brief physical examination, checking things like your eyesight, your blood pressure and the range of movement in your limbs, if any of these are relevant to your condition.
Whilst all this is going on they will be making informal observations about the way you look and behave.
Finally, after you have gone, they will list which descriptors (points) they consider apply to you and justify their conclusions.
Will I have to travel far for my assessment?
That depends on which company does the assessments in your area. If you are in a Capita area then you are very likely to have your assessment in your home. If you are in an Atos area then you will only get a home medical if you can convince Atos that there is a strong medical reason why you cannot attend an assessment centre.
How can I best prepare for a medical?
Read our guides, consider how you are going to travel to the medical, think about what evidence it’s vital for the health professional to hear and, if it would help you, write some notes about the most vital issues and take them with you to ensure that you don’t forget anything.
PIP medical assessments
Our instantly downloadable guide to claiming personal independence payment (PIP) will tell you everything you need to know to help you prepare for your medical assessment, including:
How the PIPAT computer software used by health professionals works.
What questions the health professional has to answer in the PA4 Medical Consultation Report form.
What questions you are likely to be asked at your PIP medical.
The questions you may not be asked, but need to make sure you answer anyway.
What ‘informal observations’ the health professional will be making about the way you look and behave during your PIP assessment, but which you won’t be given a chance to comment on.
Your rights in relation to taking notes and recording medicals.
Who gets a home visit and how to ask for one if you need one and it isn’t offered.
To be even better prepared, you can also study our guide to the Best Possible Ways To Challenge A PIP Medical Report. It contains over 50 different grounds for challenging a medical report and will give you a clear idea about the many ways in which a medical can be carried out badly. If you are aware of pitfalls in advance, you have a better chance of either preventing some of the worst practices or making sure that you note them down to use in any future complaint or appeal.
So, give yourself the best possible chance of having an accurate PIP medical assessment by becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant access to all our downloadable resources.
Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PIP medical assessments.
PIP face-to-face medical assessment FAQs
Will I have to have a medical for PIP?
If you claim PIP you are extremely likely to have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment, unless you have a terminal illness.
According to the DWP, at March 2014 around 98% of PIP claimants were being asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.
This is much higher than the 75% that the DWP had expected, mainly because neither Atos nor Capita are succeeding in getting enough medical evidence from claimants health professionals to be able to make decisions on paper evidence alone.
How long does a PIP medical take?
Medical assessments for PIP are taking twice as long on average as the DWP had expected them to. Instead of taking an hour to carry out the medical and write it up afterwards using PIPAT computer software, Atos and Capita health professionals are taking two hours on average.
But the length of time you personally will spend at an assessment will depend very much on what conditions you have and how good at their job the health professional is. We have seen medicals where the claimant was only with the health professional for 20 minutes and others where it was almost two hours.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
The result of the very high proportion of claimants having to have a medical, and the length of time they are taking, is that a massive backlog has built up. In March 2014, Atos and Capita began warning claimants that they might have to wait up to 6 months before they got a medical appointment – let alone a decision.
Who carries out the medical assessment?
The majority of health professionals carrying out PIP medicals are physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. There are also some occupational therapists, nurses and, very occasionally, doctors doing assessments.
All health professionals receive around a week’s training in how to carry out assessments, but much of this is about how to use the computer software and how the points system for PIP works.
What happens at the assessment?
Although the DWP claim that PIP medicals are not at all like the work capability assessments for employment and support allowance (ESA), they do seem to be remarkably similar, including the fact that they are computer led.
The medical consists of several parts.
First, the health professional should read any documents relating to your case.
Next, they ask you a series of questions about your condition and about your everyday life. As with ESA, they use drop down lists, multiple choice answers and text boxes to record information on a computer as they go.
Then they may carry out a brief physical examination, checking things like your eyesight, your blood pressure and the range of movement in your limbs, if any of these are relevant to your condition.
Whilst all this is going on they will be making informal observations about the way you look and behave.
Finally, after you have gone, they will list which descriptors (points) they consider apply to you and justify their conclusions.
Will I have to travel far for my assessment?
That depends on which company does the assessments in your area. If you are in a Capita area then you are very likely to have your assessment in your home. If you are in an Atos area then you will only get a home medical if you can convince Atos that there is a strong medical reason why you cannot attend an assessment centre.
How can I best prepare for a medical?
Read our guides, consider how you are going to travel to the medical, think about what evidence it’s vital for the health professional to hear and, if it would help you, write some notes about the most vital issues and take them with you to ensure that you don’t forget anything.
PIP medical assessments
Our instantly downloadable guide to claiming personal independence payment (PIP) will tell you everything you need to know to help you prepare for your medical assessment, including:
How the PIPAT computer software used by health professionals works.
What questions the health professional has to answer in the PA4 Medical Consultation Report form.
What questions you are likely to be asked at your PIP medical.
The questions you may not be asked, but need to make sure you answer anyway.
What ‘informal observations’ the health professional will be making about the way you look and behave during your PIP assessment, but which you won’t be given a chance to comment on.
Your rights in relation to taking notes and recording medicals.
Who gets a home visit and how to ask for one if you need one and it isn’t offered.
To be even better prepared, you can also study our guide to the Best Possible Ways To Challenge A PIP Medical Report. It contains over 50 different grounds for challenging a medical report and will give you a clear idea about the many ways in which a medical can be carried out badly. If you are aware of pitfalls in advance, you have a better chance of either preventing some of the worst practices or making sure that you note them down to use in any future complaint or appeal.
So, give yourself the best possible chance of having an accurate PIP medical assessment by becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant access to all our downloadable resources.
Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PIP medical assessments.
PIP face-to-face medical assessment FAQs
Will I have to have a medical for PIP?
If you claim PIP you are extremely likely to have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment, unless you have a terminal illness.
According to the DWP, at March 2014 around 98% of PIP claimants were being asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.
This is much higher than the 75% that the DWP had expected, mainly because neither Atos nor Capita are succeeding in getting enough medical evidence from claimants health professionals to be able to make decisions on paper evidence alone.
How long does a PIP medical take?
Medical assessments for PIP are taking twice as long on average as the DWP had expected them to. Instead of taking an hour to carry out the medical and write it up afterwards using PIPAT computer software, Atos and Capita health professionals are taking two hours on average.
But the length of time you personally will spend at an assessment will depend very much on what conditions you have and how good at their job the health professional is. We have seen medicals where the claimant was only with the health professional for 20 minutes and others where it was almost two hours.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
The result of the very high proportion of claimants having to have a medical, and the length of time they are taking, is that a massive backlog has built up. In March 2014, Atos and Capita began warning claimants that they might have to wait up to 6 months before they got a medical appointment – let alone a decision.
Who carries out the medical assessment?
The majority of health professionals carrying out PIP medicals are physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. There are also some occupational therapists, nurses and, very occasionally, doctors doing assessments.
All health professionals receive around a week’s training in how to carry out assessments, but much of this is about how to use the computer software and how the points system for PIP works.
What happens at the assessment?
Although the DWP claim that PIP medicals are not at all like the work capability assessments for employment and support allowance (ESA), they do seem to be remarkably similar, including the fact that they are computer led.
The medical consists of several parts.
First, the health professional should read any documents relating to your case.
Next, they ask you a series of questions about your condition and about your everyday life. As with ESA, they use drop down lists, multiple choice answers and text boxes to record information on a computer as they go.
Then they may carry out a brief physical examination, checking things like your eyesight, your blood pressure and the range of movement in your limbs, if any of these are relevant to your condition.
Whilst all this is going on they will be making informal observations about the way you look and behave.
Finally, after you have gone, they will list which descriptors (points) they consider apply to you and justify their conclusions.
Will I have to travel far for my assessment?
That depends on which company does the assessments in your area. If you are in a Capita area then you are very likely to have your assessment in your home. If you are in an Atos area then you will only get a home medical if you can convince Atos that there is a strong medical reason why you cannot attend an assessment centre.
How can I best prepare for a medical?
Read our guides, consider how you are going to travel to the medical, think about what evidence it’s vital for the health professional to hear and, if it would help you, write some notes about the most vital issues and take them with you to ensure that you don’t forget anything.
PIP medical assessments
Our instantly downloadable guide to claiming personal independence payment (PIP) will tell you everything you need to know to help you prepare for your medical assessment, including:
How the PIPAT computer software used by health professionals works.
What questions the health professional has to answer in the PA4 Medical Consultation Report form.
What questions you are likely to be asked at your PIP medical.
The questions you may not be asked, but need to make sure you answer anyway.
What ‘informal observations’ the health professional will be making about the way you look and behave during your PIP assessment, but which you won’t be given a chance to comment on.
Your rights in relation to taking notes and recording medicals.
Who gets a home visit and how to ask for one if you need one and it isn’t offered.
To be even better prepared, you can also study our guide to the Best Possible Ways To Challenge A PIP Medical Report. It contains over 50 different grounds for challenging a medical report and will give you a clear idea about the many ways in which a medical can be carried out badly. If you are aware of pitfalls in advance, you have a better chance of either preventing some of the worst practices or making sure that you note them down to use in any future complaint or appeal.
So, give yourself the best possible chance of having an accurate PIP medical assessment by becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant access to all our downloadable resources.
Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PIP medical assessments.
PIP face-to-face medical assessment FAQs
Will I have to have a medical for PIP?
If you claim PIP you are extremely likely to have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment, unless you have a terminal illness.
According to the DWP, at March 2014 around 98% of PIP claimants were being asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.
This is much higher than the 75% that the DWP had expected, mainly because neither Atos nor Capita are succeeding in getting enough medical evidence from claimants health professionals to be able to make decisions on paper evidence alone.
How long does a PIP medical take?
Medical assessments for PIP are taking twice as long on average as the DWP had expected them to. Instead of taking an hour to carry out the medical and write it up afterwards using PIPAT computer software, Atos and Capita health professionals are taking two hours on average.
But the length of time you personally will spend at an assessment will depend very much on what conditions you have and how good at their job the health professional is. We have seen medicals where the claimant was only with the health professional for 20 minutes and others where it was almost two hours.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
The result of the very high proportion of claimants having to have a medical, and the length of time they are taking, is that a massive backlog has built up. In March 2014, Atos and Capita began warning claimants that they might have to wait up to 6 months before they got a medical appointment – let alone a decision.
Who carries out the medical assessment?
The majority of health professionals carrying out PIP medicals are physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. There are also some occupational therapists, nurses and, very occasionally, doctors doing assessments.
All health professionals receive around a week’s training in how to carry out assessments, but much of this is about how to use the computer software and how the points system for PIP works.
What happens at the assessment?
Although the DWP claim that PIP medicals are not at all like the work capability assessments for employment and support allowance (ESA), they do seem to be remarkably similar, including the fact that they are computer led.
The medical consists of several parts.
First, the health professional should read any documents relating to your case.
Next, they ask you a series of questions about your condition and about your everyday life. As with ESA, they use drop down lists, multiple choice answers and text boxes to record information on a computer as they go.
Then they may carry out a brief physical examination, checking things like your eyesight, your blood pressure and the range of movement in your limbs, if any of these are relevant to your condition.
Whilst all this is going on they will be making informal observations about the way you look and behave.
Finally, after you have gone, they will list which descriptors (points) they consider apply to you and justify their conclusions.
Will I have to travel far for my assessment?
That depends on which company does the assessments in your area. If you are in a Capita area then you are very likely to have your assessment in your home. If you are in an Atos area then you will only get a home medical if you can convince Atos that there is a strong medical reason why you cannot attend an assessment centre.
How can I best prepare for a medical?
Read our guides, consider how you are going to travel to the medical, think about what evidence it’s vital for the health professional to hear and, if it would help you, write some notes about the most vital issues and take them with you to ensure that you don’t forget anything.
PIP medical assessments
Our instantly downloadable guide to claiming personal independence payment (PIP) will tell you everything you need to know to help you prepare for your medical assessment, including:
How the PIPAT computer software used by health professionals works.
What questions the health professional has to answer in the PA4 Medical Consultation Report form.
What questions you are likely to be asked at your PIP medical.
The questions you may not be asked, but need to make sure you answer anyway.
What ‘informal observations’ the health professional will be making about the way you look and behave during your PIP assessment, but which you won’t be given a chance to comment on.
Your rights in relation to taking notes and recording medicals.
Who gets a home visit and how to ask for one if you need one and it isn’t offered.
To be even better prepared, you can also study our guide to the Best Possible Ways To Challenge A PIP Medical Report. It contains over 50 different grounds for challenging a medical report and will give you a clear idea about the many ways in which a medical can be carried out badly. If you are aware of pitfalls in advance, you have a better chance of either preventing some of the worst practices or making sure that you note them down to use in any future complaint or appeal.
So, give yourself the best possible chance of having an accurate PIP medical assessment by becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant access to all our downloadable resources.
Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PIP medical assessments.
PIP face-to-face medical assessment FAQs
Will I have to have a medical for PIP?
If you claim PIP you are extremely likely to have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment, unless you have a terminal illness.
According to the DWP, at March 2014 around 98% of PIP claimants were being asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.
This is much higher than the 75% that the DWP had expected, mainly because neither Atos nor Capita are succeeding in getting enough medical evidence from claimants health professionals to be able to make decisions on paper evidence alone.
How long does a PIP medical take?
Medical assessments for PIP are taking twice as long on average as the DWP had expected them to. Instead of taking an hour to carry out the medical and write it up afterwards using PIPAT computer software, Atos and Capita health professionals are taking two hours on average.
But the length of time you personally will spend at an assessment will depend very much on what conditions you have and how good at their job the health professional is. We have seen medicals where the claimant was only with the health professional for 20 minutes and others where it was almost two hours.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
The result of the very high proportion of claimants having to have a medical, and the length of time they are taking, is that a massive backlog has built up. In March 2014, Atos and Capita began warning claimants that they might have to wait up to 6 months before they got a medical appointment – let alone a decision.
Who carries out the medical assessment?
The majority of health professionals carrying out PIP medicals are physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. There are also some occupational therapists, nurses and, very occasionally, doctors doing assessments.
All health professionals receive around a week’s training in how to carry out assessments, but much of this is about how to use the computer software and how the points system for PIP works.
What happens at the assessment?
Although the DWP claim that PIP medicals are not at all like the work capability assessments for employment and support allowance (ESA), they do seem to be remarkably similar, including the fact that they are computer led.
The medical consists of several parts.
First, the health professional should read any documents relating to your case.
Next, they ask you a series of questions about your condition and about your everyday life. As with ESA, they use drop down lists, multiple choice answers and text boxes to record information on a computer as they go.
Then they may carry out a brief physical examination, checking things like your eyesight, your blood pressure and the range of movement in your limbs, if any of these are relevant to your condition.
Whilst all this is going on they will be making informal observations about the way you look and behave.
Finally, after you have gone, they will list which descriptors (points) they consider apply to you and justify their conclusions.
Will I have to travel far for my assessment?
That depends on which company does the assessments in your area. If you are in a Capita area then you are very likely to have your assessment in your home. If you are in an Atos area then you will only get a home medical if you can convince Atos that there is a strong medical reason why you cannot attend an assessment centre.
How can I best prepare for a medical?
Read our guides, consider how you are going to travel to the medical, think about what evidence it’s vital for the health professional to hear and, if it would help you, write some notes about the most vital issues and take them with you to ensure that you don’t forget anything.
PIP medical assessments
Our instantly downloadable guide to claiming personal independence payment (PIP) will tell you everything you need to know to help you prepare for your medical assessment, including:
How the PIPAT computer software used by health professionals works.
What questions the health professional has to answer in the PA4 Medical Consultation Report form.
What questions you are likely to be asked at your PIP medical.
The questions you may not be asked, but need to make sure you answer anyway.
What ‘informal observations’ the health professional will be making about the way you look and behave during your PIP assessment, but which you won’t be given a chance to comment on.
Your rights in relation to taking notes and recording medicals.
Who gets a home visit and how to ask for one if you need one and it isn’t offered.
To be even better prepared, you can also study our guide to the Best Possible Ways To Challenge A PIP Medical Report. It contains over 50 different grounds for challenging a medical report and will give you a clear idea about the many ways in which a medical can be carried out badly. If you are aware of pitfalls in advance, you have a better chance of either preventing some of the worst practices or making sure that you note them down to use in any future complaint or appeal.
So, give yourself the best possible chance of having an accurate PIP medical assessment by becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant access to all our downloadable resources.
Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PIP medical assessments.
PIP face-to-face medical assessment FAQs
Will I have to have a medical for PIP?
If you claim PIP you are extremely likely to have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment, unless you have a terminal illness.
According to the DWP, at March 2014 around 98% of PIP claimants were being asked to attend a face-to-face assessment.
This is much higher than the 75% that the DWP had expected, mainly because neither Atos nor Capita are succeeding in getting enough medical evidence from claimants health professionals to be able to make decisions on paper evidence alone.
How long does a PIP medical take?
Medical assessments for PIP are taking twice as long on average as the DWP had expected them to. Instead of taking an hour to carry out the medical and write it up afterwards using PIPAT computer software, Atos and Capita health professionals are taking two hours on average.
But the length of time you personally will spend at an assessment will depend very much on what conditions you have and how good at their job the health professional is. We have seen medicals where the claimant was only with the health professional for 20 minutes and others where it was almost two hours.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
The result of the very high proportion of claimants having to have a medical, and the length of time they are taking, is that a massive backlog has built up. In March 2014, Atos and Capita began warning claimants that they might have to wait up to 6 months before they got a medical appointment – let alone a decision.
Who carries out the medical assessment?
The majority of health professionals carrying out PIP medicals are physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. There are also some occupational therapists, nurses and, very occasionally, doctors doing assessments.
All health professionals receive around a week’s training in how to carry out assessments, but much of this is about how to use the computer software and how the points system for PIP works.
What happens at the assessment?
Although the DWP claim that PIP medicals are not at all like the work capability assessments for employment and support allowance (ESA), they do seem to be remarkably similar, including the fact that they are computer led.
The medical consists of several parts.
First, the health professional should read any documents relating to your case.
Next, they ask you a series of questions about your condition and about your everyday life. As with ESA, they use drop down lists, multiple choice answers and text boxes to record information on a computer as they go.
Then they may carry out a brief physical examination, checking things like your eyesight, your blood pressure and the range of movement in your limbs, if any of these are relevant to your condition.
Whilst all this is going on they will be making informal observations about the way you look and behave.
Finally, after you have gone, they will list which descriptors (points) they consider apply to you and justify their conclusions.
Will I have to travel far for my assessment?
That depends on which company does the assessments in your area. If you are in a Capita area then you are very likely to have your assessment in your home. If you are in an Atos area then you will only get a home medical if you can convince Atos that there is a strong medical reason why you cannot attend an assessment centre.
How can I best prepare for a medical?
Read our guides, consider how you are going to travel to the medical, think about what evidence it’s vital for the health professional to hear and, if it would help you, write some notes about the most vital issues and take them with y
Hi Lyn, I'm so so pleased for you on this, and how great that our admin team have helped you with your application, which has proved to be successful. You must be heaving a great sigh of relief that this is now sorted out
Thats great news. So pleased for you. As for it being important that you are believed, that i fully agree with. it is the reason that i have put myself through a mental health test and am now waiting to see a specialist.
I posted the letter to Tribunal Services this morning telling them that i have now been assessed as having cognative problems and that i will send in a report as soon as i can so please put this on hold.
I dont think that i would have bothered if they had not told me that i did not have any physical or mental illness that would cause cognative problems.That is what made me see red.
I feel that i have to keep fighting just to get the point across that fibro Fog is real.
I think since the mental health test my GP is now taking more of an interest. The last time i asked him about vitamin B12 he brushed me off saying that it was fine.
Then last week he asked the receptionist to arrange blood tests. I thought it was my regular kidney function so it was a surprise that it was full bloods plus vit B12 .
I filled my paperwork out beginning of February 2014. Received by DWP by the 21/2/14. Received by ATOS 26/2/14. Finally in the 36 week, I have my assessment booked. The 30/10/14.
I initially asked for the paperwork to apply for PIP in January this year. By the time I got it all together to make the application it was April so it took 6/7 months after this before I got the face to face assessment. However, it could have ended up being a lot longer but I decided to call the PIP dept. Initially they said there were no appointments available and that I would have to wait but then suddenly the guy I spoke to said that there was an apt available the following week 2hrs away by car. I snapped up the opportunity. I get the impression that you do have to wait a minimum of 6 months but I would definiteely give them a call after a few months. I really wasn't expecting to get an apt, just wanted to kow how much longer I might have to wait so it was well worth calling. The people I have spoken to on the phone have been really warm and helpful.
I really hope you won't have to wait too long and that today is not too bad for you.
I had the same, up until the 29/9/14 there were no appointments after a call to ATOS. After 15 minutes, I got a call, we have an appointment for the 30/10/14, which without hesitation I said I will take it. How ever they pay .25p/mile towards the costs of a taxi. A taxi for me to do a round trip is 8 miles at £11 each way totalling a cost of £22. I work it out, I will be refunded a whole £2.00 :).
Well done , I understand how difficult it is to keep putting ourselves through this ordeal but its nice to see that occasionally it pays off !
I applied for PIP in February this year and have just yesterday, I was turned down despite a reconsideration , which was a carbon copy of my original decision . I now feel I have no energy or motivation to continue , I feel battered to the point of curling up in bed and staying there .
Would it be possible for the links you used to be shared ?
I am so very sorry to hear that. I can fully understand that you don't feel like fighting any more but perhaps after taking some time to lick your wounds you might feel strong enough to 'have another go'. Maybe once you have the link that I got off Ken you may feel a bit more confident. Somebody else also asked for the link that I had but I don't seem to be able to find that particular message. If you ask 'The Author' and 'Zebs' they should be able to forward what you need. I really do feel for you. If you need to PM me for any reason please feel free.
I came across this today thought everyone that needs to attend a PIP assessment should read this. My only guess, is due to the backlog, they know a lot of people will be getting back payments. This way, they won't pay out as much. I am awaiting neurophysio, in a wheelchair due to severe numbness in both legs.
Oh my lord!! Thanks for this robby. It's all so frustrating and very worrying for people like you who are due to have assessment. Did you manage to get the link that Ken (the author) sent to me?
Take care and try not to worry too much. Easy for me to say I know.
Got my PIP assessment today. Can you all keep me in Prayers. Seems I am back to the Orthopaedic for my feet, as I can not walk. GP says I have Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease
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