Yes the brown envelop Lots of members bringing this up May I let you know you can get help to complete the form from Admi Also on line company’s can help The Samaritans will help I will tell you that you must fill it in as your worst day Study the form before you fill it in Take a photo copy fill copy in in pencil first Be very carful of what you put of how far you can walk Get as much medical evidence as possible to send in to pip Be to the point but be truth-full Remember these people are paid not too give you anything and they are still as hard as nails You really got to lay it on the line how bad you are ! So Iv tried to help a bit any thing else please ask me All you real fibro suffers be happy try to live your life don’t let the b——— get you down xxxx
Pip forms: Yes the brown envelop Lots... - Fibromyalgia Acti...
Pip forms
I've actually have seen people say "not to fill it in based on your worst days", I think it's because if they come and assess you and you aren't having a "worst day" then they can turn around to you and say you are fine and decline your claim, I think it's based on how you are a majority of the time?
Not sure the Samaritans would have the time to help with forms?
Personally, I've used Fightback and Welfare Rights for advice and help with forms. CAB and other advice centres in your local area are also good options.
That is correct you must not just base it on your worse day as, as you say it it fluctuating and you could face issues in the future. Also, please do not write 'good' & 'bad' days as the assessor seems to think 'good' days are fit and healthy - I would say it is much better to write that your symptoms range from mild, moderate to severe and explain that activity worsens symptoms of fatigue and pain limiting your ability to achieve daily activities of living. This way you are explaining the symptoms always affect your daily life and that on severe days this means you are more disabled or find them extremely debilitating and therefore not able to do tasks X, Y and Z. 
You could also say that 5 days out of 7 you experience severe symptoms or put it into a percentage to explain that the majority of the time if this is the case and that mild symptoms occur very infrequently.
You said it better than me Em x
I'm ok, I get other people to fill mine out lol, there is no way I can concentrate on a form long enough to be able to fill it in, so Fightback did the ESA50 and Welfare Rights did my PIP review XD
Yes getting support or advise from the knowledgeable people is the best way forward
Fightback4Justice did my forms too Wf2k. For Dla and PIP changeover peace of mind was good. They also attended my f2f. They run on donations and charge expenses worth every penny x good luck
Brilliant Mdaisy x
Thank You very much for your kind praise
Thank you As I said I’m here to help people c
Ok go in there hoping and skipping whistling and singing don’t you get these people don’t want to help you that Emma-you had Agro yourself some ago you musty remember that I got a friend who used to carry the assessments and he was insrutcted by Atos to swrewtinize the patients I told you they even yo used to work out how far you was wakling so as to mark you down
It's not a disco is it?!!!! All members need do is tell the assessor exactly how it affects you all the time but the condition on occasion can fluctuate from mild to extremely severe debilitating sometimes disabling symptoms. Explaining that you are disabled by the condition 75%, 80% or whatever percentage it affects you is the main thing. Members should tell the truth and explain how it affects your activities of daily living. We are all trying to help members who are trying to claim benefits and hopefully this advice is helpful
There is plenty of help out the Samaritans do help I went to them first
Samaritans are not used for advise for PIP/ESA though I'm afraid but can be a listening ear if low, depressed, experiencing feelings of deliberate self harm or feeling distressed/suicidal. It is much better to contact the FMAUK Benefits Advisor if you would like advise for forms as Janet can supply guides and as you say there are many sites that can offer benefits advise all included in the following link (the same I provided above )
I agree but a member got turned down the other week because they looked too good Attos pay there staff not to put you through Even to the point of how many mts from the road to wear you actually sit down they work it out Samaritans were a great help to Me I just went to There office they was brilliant, On my second interview with Attos I was in a really bad way I mean really ! But Attos said I looked good and healthy If you take the line of no it’s not your worse Day you will get no we’re As I said these people’s are Not trained medical staff in fact all they are is a person who are general staff who work for Atos no health training is required.
Hi
Just so you are aware
DWP has provided guidance stating that PIP health professionals, who are made up of occupational therapists, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics and doctors, are now required to share their specific professional background on the PIP report form.
“Capita has communicated this requirement to its employees and will continue to enforce it.”
So, if your assessor doesn’t reveal their qualification, please contact Capita and we’re sure they’ll be happy to put things right.
At the start of the assessment thay should inform you thier name and professional background .
I attend a few assessment and each one I have attended this has happened
How many more times have I got to say the Samaritans help me fill for form in !
May I ask how did the Samaritans help you fill in the form please? Did they go over every single question with you ? Or did they help you in some other ? was this done over the phone or did you have to go to their office and sit down with someone while they helped you fill in the form ? It would be helpful if you could answer these questions. Because the Samaritans are not known for giving this kind of service. Thank you.
I went in there made an appointment we went through the-form in which I had copied
Then I went back the next day and they had mad all the inquires to . Gov . Uk fibromyalgia and SM generally helped. me complete the form this was. 6 years ago At my first MEDICAL by Capita this was done by an capita I don’t no what his job description was Prior to this I was miss diagnosed with RLS I think that any member who is saying they have fibromyalgia wether it being mild or severe SOULD BE DIAGNOSED IM sorry but as Iv said fibromyalgia is servers pain to the body not a tickle to the back
Yes I did that Also call 0300 999 0055 (10am - 12 Monday and Friday) for benefits advise Another one is turntous.org.ukAnd onother one is on is disabilityrights .uk. org There is Also an a line on this forum get help and you can not walk more than 20 mtrs
EDIT to add time information for the benefits helpline.
All this information about useful websites alongside the Charity FMAUK Benefit Advisor contact details can be found via this link;
healthunlocked.com/fibromya...
If members are asking about benefits, please kindly ask them to look in the pinned posts to find this post entitled 'FAQ - I'm currently trying to claim ESA/PIP or UC, can you provide any advice please?' - or of course if you like you can share the link above if tech savvy
Hope this helps
Emma
I normally try and explain how I am on an average day, but also explain how it differs on my worse days and my better days.
Also I use the term 'the majority of the time' when describing fluctuating symptoms.
As said getting diagnosed is the main priority for any on who thinks they MAY have the decease fibromyalgia is not a tickle to you body it’s very painful disabling condition and requires medication to help you get through the day a sleep As much as we welcome any person on the forum this is a fibromyalgia site not a doctors surgery
Hidden I appreciate what you are trying to say but your message comes across as less than welcoming of those that are in the initial diagnosis stages and unsure of how their body is reacting.
Also the diagnosis of fibro is chronic pain in all 4 quadrants of your body. Chronic means the length of time you have the pain ie. more than 3 - 6 months and not the severity of the pain. So using a pain score of 1-10 then someone with chronic pain and a score of 1 would potentially qualify as having fibro. Also I know of people that cannot take meds or manage without them and they still have fibro.
We need to remember to not judge other people through the view that our own condition gives us of the condition.
PIP is about you abilities not your illness, medication or disability. Reading the PIP application form you have to focus on the descriptors and give several examples for each descriptor that applies to you as to why you are unable to do, complete each of the descriptors in a safely, repeatable and timely manner. Sending in medical evidence will comfirm your diagnosis, illnesses or disability but not disclosing how they affect you in relation to the PIP descriptors.
Yes I agree but you still have to take a list of medication with you Plus you have to have actual doctors letters to back up your claim One of these letters must say you have been DIAGNOSED WITH FIBROMYALGIA
No, you are wrong, you DO NOT need a letter saying you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, or any other condition for that matter.
yes, if you have letters which can back up what you say, that will certainly help, but you DO NOT need a letter saying you have been diagnosed.
I know of 3 people in my own home town who were recently awarded PIP, and none of them had a letter saying they had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
So are you say you have not got fibromyalgia but you got awarded pip for what then rumitizuim or generals disability
Hidden , not once did I mention that I don't have fibromyalgia.
Nor did I mention that I get PIP !!!
What I said was this …… I know 3 people in my home town where I live who have recently been awarded PIP. I did NOT say what their conditions were ….. what I DID say was that they did not have a letter from their GP saying they had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Now, as it happens, all 3 of them do have fibromyalgia, and all 3 have been told this by their GP's , but none of them had a letter from their GP saying they had been diagnosed with it.
I was NOT referring to myself !!!
Gp can’t are unable to diagnose fibromyalgia has to be Done at the hospital by a rumatoligest If you get diagnosed by law a letter will go to your doctor and a copy to you I assuming your here to help us with advise then If so thank you we need help we are in pain so thank you I’m a loving and caring man who has fibromyalgia all over my body I’m bed fodder a lot of the time
A Gp CAN arrange for all the necessary blood tests etc to rule out other possible conditions and make a fibromyalgia diagnosis. In fact, in many health board areas GPs are being encouraged to make the diagnosis at primary care level and only refer the more complex cases onto secondary care.
I thought was a fibromyalgia forum and your saying you illness conditions are required I do know if you have cancer or ms you get awarded imeadiatly
"I thought was a fibromyalgia forum and your saying you illness conditions are required I do know if you have cancer or ms you get awarded imeadiatly"
you do not get PIP automatically if you have cancer. from macmillan site: macmillan.org.uk/informatio...
"To qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you must be aged 16 to 64 and have problems moving around or caring for yourself. You must have had these problems for 3 months and expect them to last for more than 9 months. You can claim PIP whether you are working or not."
Hidden I know you are trying to help but your understanding of the details is sometimes off
here is a written question from parliament from yesterday which I think is very appropriate.
"Peter Grant Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Europe), Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Exiting the European Union)
Last year, my constituent with cerebral palsy was awarded £55 a week in personal independence payment. She was then diagnosed as having fibromyalgia, an incurable and often severely debilitating condition. She was summoned for reassessment and the private profit-driven company this Government choose to make such assessments decided that she is healthier with fibromyalgia than she was without and stopped her benefit in its entirety. That leaves her £2,900 per year worse off than she was before, literally punishing my constituent for being ill. How do the Government possibly hope to justify such a travesty of justice?"
OMG the answer Des they can't justify it in any way shape or form. After all even with the Fibro the person still has cerebral palsy. It's like saying if you have cancer then get fibro your cancer is still not life threatening because the Fibro makes it better. Unbelievable or maybe not. These days I guess we shouldn't be surprised at anything. So sad xx
Yes Dizzy you are right my love This is a fibromyalgia forum and we now have members to help who have other conditions and are making pip clams If you have fibromyalgia in its worse form you don’t have to go to the interviews faking your worse day Idident mean that If your in high pain and suffering the agent can see that As Mdaisy said you need to explain your self correctly if possible 😍
As Iv said these Atos and Capita company’s who drain our system of money The employees when test us are paid very well to not give you anything they are there to save the government revenue If you was in your coffin you would get two points for being dead 💀
Yea I know that’s just me I agree of all what you say 😘
My Son had a friend who had lung cancer, he ended up having a lung removed from what I can remember, he tried to get benefits and they declined, fighting for it caused him a lot of stress. He was in remission at one point but sadly that wasn't for long, I believe the stress caused by the DWP didn't help, the poor lad ended up passing away in his early 20's, his partner had not long had twins.
Yea I agree this does happen bet Macmillan are a lot of help now sorry for your loss
Haveing cancer or MS does not give you the right to PIP. You will only get PIP if you are terminally ill with 6 months to live, PIP is about your abilities not your diagnosis, medications or illnesses even if you have proof of hospital reports ect. If you can not justify the answers you submitted in your application from at your acessment and meet the PIP descriptors then you are not entitled or will be awarded PIP.
Well my sister in law got fourth grade cancer and she went to McMillan she was award full payment and got anew Carr Mcmillian heed her do your wrong there I think And you do get full support if you have ms don’t understand we’re your coming from sorry
I was diagnosed with MS had all the proof ect but as I was still partly mobile and could still partly look after myself I was awarded low rate on both counts of PIP but 12 months later when I reported a change in circumstances and had a second face to face acessment I was awarded enhanced mobility not to get a car as I had and still have my own car, like many moving from DLA to PIP don’t meet the PIP descriptors in the Mobiloty part and have to hand back their mobility car.
You're dead right there Juggzy.....I'm still waiting for a reply to my claim and when I rang to enquire how things were going, they said they were running 12 weeks behind. It's a disgrace in my humble opinion.
All the best
Flossie 20
The reason they are behind is because they are looking back at all the balls ups they made and not providing help to poor people who need it the most and was turned away when they should not have been
The trouble is I'm applying for the renewal of my blue badge and have been since November. They want the latest information on my ability/mobility BEFORE they renew my card. As I still haven't received any notification of my application for higher PIP payments I can't get a blue badge therefore I'm stuck on all levels. My application for the renewal of my blue badge is now being returned and I will have to reapply when all the information is received. Now what about that for progress oh and yet another long wait.
Getting your blue badge renewed is another stressful thing you have to deal with So make sure all of you that you keep you doctors visits up to date I suffer from seriousness pain all over my body I Have Asthma Pulsating tinnitus And can Barley walk bit capita said I was fine and in a happy mood
Terrible.....what a bad situation to be in and one feels so confused and alone. Xxx
just be careful there is plenty of help here good luck
Have you requested a copy of your acessment report. On receiving it it will give you an indication of what your award may should be but you still have to wait for the official award letter notification.
Thank you very much for taking the trouble to let me know this. I didn't have a clue and will certainly now ask for the assessment. Ever hopeful of course. Thanks again. X
Don't try and bring the Descriptors you are being assessed against to your problems. The Descriptors are defined in law and there is no flexibility in what they say, rather, you need to explain your problems in terms that match those Descriptors, if you can, try and echo the wording and phraseology used in the Descriptors.
Secondly, those assessing you will lack imagination and see problems as fitting into neat pigeon holes which is rarely the reality that most claimants face. So you need to lead them to your problems and explain in detail how you are affected and why, use 2 or 3 examples of what happens or happened when you try each activity.
Lastly, don't forget that you need to complete the activities reliably and on the majority of days so it is not a case of your categorically being unable to do something.
I am really so grateful to you for your sound advice which I will most definitely try to remember and carry out. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. X
No not going down that road I’m fine All ok thank any wYDWAP ARE HERE TO HELP I BELIEVE
The cab or local community hub can help with filling in the form...there are questions which are repeated ..read it carefully ..and yes fill it in as it's your worst day
It is advised that you should not base it on your worse day as, as you say it it fluctuating and you could face issues in the future. Also, please do not write 'good' & 'bad'days as the assessor seems to think 'good' days are fit and healthy - I would say it is much better to write that your symptoms range from mild, moderate to severe and explain that activity worsens symptoms of fatigue and pain limiting your ability to achieve daily activities of living. See full reply above
Some people Mdiasy are sh-t scared to go to these medicals and fall to pieces You Can’t expect these people to be able to explain there iLLness in detail Just getting there is an ordeal in its self
Firstly this post is called PIP Forms so I am sharing advice about how best to fill in forms. Secondly I understand how people feel having had assessments myself. Thirdly an assessment is the best place to further explain the information on the form. I fully understand that unfortunately some members have had bad experiences at these assessments due to the system or assessor. If this is the case proper channels of complaint should be followed and/or appeal, I am aware this is added stress but the fault lies that the system not fit for purpose.
All we can do is advise the best we can and signpost to Janet, FMAUK Benefits Advisor. Finally, everyone here is trying to help other members to get the best advice including myself. I truly understand the difficulties that people experience having been on this community for nearly 7 years and all Admin try our best to support members
You and me and
Many others can explain how we feel and mention specifically
How we fell
But many other can
Not Madaisy. . There are a lot of me
Members here. That are terafide about these interviews
Yes and that's why we are giving the advice we are and also trying to support plus signpost to the Benefits Advisor for guides.
You do a great job thank you Mdsisy When I said worse day I meant you have to be I think diagnosed and really ill other wise there’s no point in going
It is helpful to have a diagnosis but not everyone will have one but can describe their symptoms and send any diagnosis letter at a later date - as others have mentioned above
Don't try and bring the Descriptors you are being assessed against to your problems. The Descriptors are defined in law and there is no flexibility in what they say, rather, you need to explain your problems in terms that match those Descriptors, if you can, try and echo the wording and phraseology used in the Descriptors.
Secondly, those assessing you will lack imagination and see problems as fitting into neat pigeon holes which is rarely the reality that most claimants face. So you need to lead them to your problems and explain in detail how you are affected and why, use 2 or 3 examples of what happens or happened when you try each activity.
Lastly, don't forget that you need to complete the activities reliably and on the majority of days so it is not a case of your categorically being unable to do something.
As I have said if you look smart are hop sloping and jumping at your medical you will get no we’re these people are highly trained not To pay you any thing if they can get away with it
If your ILL most days anyway just do. That I just told the truth
Thank you. I'm going to ring them again to try to find out what's happening!! Need all the luck I can get.
Flossie. X
If you have a real on going iLLness you should be ok good luck.
Oh I definitely have.....thanks x
Well I rang PIP directly and spoke to a very nice lady. She informed me my forms were received just YESTERDAY from the DWP. I sent the forms off on the 2nd of December. Does this mean if I am awarded a higher amount it WILL NOT be backdated. Help please and thanks in anticipation. X
I thought they Always back dated what was owing ?
We shall just have to wait and see Juggzy. x
Yea let’s see
They always pay back dated monies that are owed and this is explained in your award notification letter, the amount owed and the start date of your regular payments and the length of your award.
Filling in Benefit Forms PIP, UC50
Work Capability assessment forms ??
