I’m newly diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, awaiting an appointment with the CFS/ME consultant, and have hypothyroidism, emotional intensity difficulties, depression, anxiety.
I’m having a right nightmare with the PIP claim form and wondered if anyone had any tips for filling it in? Any resources like websites or guidance you found useful? Has anyone else typed their answers to explanation questions and attached to their form?
UPDATE: I have now telephoned DWP and they confirmed they would accept typed responses to the ‘Extra Information’ questions, so long as I hand write in the boxes in the booklet ‘PLEASE SEE ATTACHED RESPONSE, I CANNOT HANDWRITE AT LENGTH DUE TO ONGOING PAIN ISSUES’ or something like that and include the responses with the other documents when returning. They did say that the typed responses must have at least my name and national insurance number and state which question the answer correlates to.
Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to reply and given really helpful advice!
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tridgles5000
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Look at Benefits and Work website. They also give you a dummy form so you can see how many points you should be awarded. Remember, it is not the diagnosis or the name of the disease or illness, but now it affects you, and what you can or can't do that is important. You can also contact the CAB or benefits welfare officer at your local council.
You are able to type the answers and attached them to your form l stuck my answers in the boxes if you decide not to stick them in the boxes make sure you put in box see additional sheets of paper in boxes also put your name national insurance number on each sheet just in case it comes apart from your form
Hello! That’s really brilliant news, thank you so much for sharing your experience, it’s made me feel much better about typing out my responses. Those question boxes really don’t give enough space to provide lots of details, and my hands get quite tired and painful after handwriting for not very long at the moment. Thank you Shanpa69
Your absolutely welcomed!! I totally understand l have the same problem with pains in hands and also concentration or if you want to change your answers slightly . Those boxes are designed to make you write a small amount so don’t get a full picture l had my PIP assessment last September so l understand the pressure but remember to write what your days are like at its worse as we get so used to our condition ls that it becomes normal but what we are going through is not normal as someone else suggests the benefit ls and works website is great and have some good tools to support you take care tridgles5000
Hello and welcome, when filling in the PIP application form give truthful real life situations of what happened or happens when you try or attempt to do the PIP descriptor you are writing about. If as for a lot of people the space provided on the application form is no sufficient for your answers then you are allowed to send in additional information on separate pages making sure you give your NI number and name on the top of each page and mark each response numbered to the same question as per the application form. Remember that the information you send will have to be justified at your face to face assessment. Make copies of the information sent for future use and incase it gets lost missed laid.
Hello Farmerboy. Thank you very much for replying, and thank you for highlighting the need to keep copies and be mindful of what you write and will need to say at an assessment. Thank you so much
Benefits and work website excellent. It's a subscription around £12 if I remember right. Download the packs for pip read through the pointers they give you. Explains well what information is needed to get points you need. Updated regularly so good upto date information.
Please try and get a benefit advisor to help it’s so complicated to fill in yourself .there usually in health centres some one at local comunity hall or somewhere but defiantly get help from a professional try on lint local benefit or welfare office .benefit and work is the best place to help tells you what type of thing you need its nineteen pounds per yr membership but it’s one of the best
Hello! Thank you for those suggestions, I didn’t really think about getting some guidance from an advisor, so I’ll definitely be reaching out to different people today. And it sounds like the Benefit and Work paid membership has helped a few people so I’ll look into that. Thanks Janettewhitelaw
Your welcome it’s just they advise you always to get help filling the form in and to get someone to go with you .you can take a family member or a friend they won’t ask them to speak just you but it looks better if you take someone for support .
I typed all my answers onto sheets of paper and just put on the form that I was unable to write for long periods and due to my conditions made frequent mistakes if I did. Make sure you put your NI number and name on each sheet. If you send photographs please ensure they are dated as they will question when they were taken. Never send original letters always photocopies. Do not rush the form. Best advice is to answer a question a day fully. Download a copy of the PIP descriptors and match your answers to the relevant points in your case. Always send it recorded delivery.
Hello! That’s all really helpful, and I didn’t think about taking photos with a date stamp before so that’s really useful! Thanks for sharing your experience with me Badbessie
Hi I have fibromyalgia, CFS/ME been using citizens Advice for Help for a lotof years but get refused every time & have to take it to tribunal to win I am just waiting a date at the moment they don't like to help us..
Hello Fibo! Thank you for sharing your experience with applying for PIP, I am sorry to hear that you have experienced that, and I hope you have success at your tribunal!
I’m sure it’s been said already, but unlike DLA , PIP is about how your health conditions effect you doing each descriptive.
Last year I had PIP assessment for 2nd time, had no problems first time got the equivalent to what I had in DLA.
I was very lucky that they were doing a pilot scheme in my area & offered people the choice to have their assessment recorded on DVD & then you receive a copy by Securicor a few days later, I said yes without hesitation.
I went to assessment with my sister & hoped that as they were being recorded I’d get a fair assessor as I had 1st time. But the lady, nurse rolled her eyes, cut me off & was pretty rude throughout but thought that’s ok as long as she’s truthful. But had a feeeling I’d be assessed incorrectly, from Pip standard daily living & enhanced getting around, which is used for hand controlled Motability car which I’ve had from scheme for 22 years, I was taken off daily living, which me t a huge chunk of money lost not only from pip standard but also the enhanced disability premium that gets added to my ELA, she also said I only needed standard getting around which would mean I would lose my car. I immediately put in for Mandatory Reconcilliation, which took twice as long as normal as they had to get a special team with clearance to look at dvd etc.
I went through dvd & found 40 times when she had written my answer wrong or said I could do something I couldn’t, worst of this was when she said do a squat, I said I’m not refusing to do it, I cannot do it without excrucisiating pain, I had both knee caps removed in 1996, due to them wearing away, so tendons are joined together.
I went through the list and picked out the 6 worse “inaccuracies” as I put them and was eventually given back the rates I had been on.
Benefits & Work helpguides are great, you can get from our site, I believe the ladies name was Janet & she will email you a copy without the cost, I’m sure someone will put contact details up.
If you are getting close to your return by date for forms, you can ring up & get an extension which I had to, as have hand problems & writing or typing is painful after a short while.
Sorry for this rambling reply lol good luck with your application Karen
Hello Karen. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and for sharing your experience with me, I really appreciate your insight. It sounds like you had a truly shocking experience, and I am really glad that you had the DVD to help you evidence where she’d been incorrect! Thank you for recommending the work & benefits resource, I’ll be getting into that! Thank you so much! Thea x
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