PIP Appln

My wife has higher rate DLA.She is now being asked to apply for PIP. She was diagnosed back in 2005. Her condition has got steadily worse.She also has other ailments. Do you give advice as to how she should complete the form

[Dizzytwo Moderator]

Hi there, no I am sorry we don't help with filling out forms. You could try speaking with someone at cab. I am sure others will come and offer other services that may help with the form filling. Good luck and I hope all go's smoothly with the transition from DLA to PIP.

Momo

[Blue1927]

Hi, have a look at the Benefits and Work website. I found their guidance notes extremely helpful. You do have to pay but worth it as they go over each question in a lot of detail.

[releasethemagic]

You will find guidance in my previous post here healthunlocked.com/fibromya...

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

You can contact our benefits helpline for guidelines on completing forms, but we are unable to help with actually completing them

0300 999 0055 (Mon, Wed, Fri 10.00-12.00) or email [e-mail]

[Greenpeace]

Hi, all good advice given in the above posts.

The thing to keep in mind is it’s not the Medical Conditions that you have that gets you pip, it’s how they affect you in your day to day living. Please give plenty of detail.

Good luck.

GP. 😊😊

[Flyby7]

Just put how conditions effect your wife and they are getting worse and try and send medical evidence with it

[Farmerboy]

Hello and welcome, firstly remember DLA and PIP are two different benefits and totally different criteria for claiming and being awarding the benefit. PIP is about how you function on a daily basis in relation to the PIP descriptors safely, repeatedly and in a timely manner for 50% of your daily life. Try doing a self test on the benefits and works site being honest with your self as the answers given in your application form will have to be justified at your assessment. Send in an up to date Medical conditions history with copies of any diagnosis and all other medical reports from health professionals the most recent the better. Read as much as you can about the terminology that is used by the assessment health professionals so you can write in your wife’s application answers using terminology to stress your wife’s abilities in preforming the PIP descriptors.

[bluebell99]

If it is at all possible, photocopy the forms and use the copies to write her answers in. This way she can add or rub out information without messing up the originals. There are bound to be mistakes the first time and reading through you and she will remember what she forgot to put in!

I do advise helping your wife with this form as it can be overwhelming to do on your own.

Also take your time, collect all your evidence, repeat prescriptions etc.

If there are copies of your wife's original DLA form, familiarise yourself with the answers and where her condition has changed since then.

If she is registered with your doctor's surgery online, look at your wife's medical record and click on Documents. You will find letters of referral , outpatients reports and specialists letters. Click on Problems, current and major and minor past. Be selective in what you download and copy, you don't want anything that doesn't relate! It will not cost anything to do this.

If she is not registered she could ask the receptionist to give you copies of anything relevant but your wife may be charged for doctors' letters.

If the boxes you fill in seem too small, (they usually are!) use a blank piece of paper, add the information in more detail, number it the same as the questions and send with the form.

PIP is all about how her condition affects your wife's life, describe how often and to what severity doing a particular task is. If she needs help to shower or dress even if only occasionally, that needs to be noted. Also if she needs help in preparing food, writing or cutting up meals. Explain how it is on her worst days, it may feel as though you are exaggerating but needs must, particularly if her mobility is poor. It seems that if you can claim her conditions affects her more than three days a week it adds weight to the claim. It is not only physical information they need, it is also mental. If she is severely depressed or anxious about leaving the home that should be noted, as well as how side effects from medication may mean she cannot properly plan or think things through.

The fact that you will be helping her adds weight to her application, remember to sign that you have helped her or indeed filled the whole form in on her behalf and at her request.

Finally make a photocopy of the filled in forms and any extra sheets before sending off.

Proof of posting costs nothing in the Post Office, just ask and keep the slip in case there is a dispute about not sending it in time. Some people send it by Registered Post but I personally do not think that is necessary and is extra cost, it is up to you.

Good luck!

[Prettyhackedoff]

Hi .. make sure your wife says how her illnesses affect her daily life .. so write everything she has down but must put in words exactly how these things affect her every day & she should be ok .

[Topcat64]

Seek help from the citizens advice, dont fill it out with out there help!

[paula1967]

If you are on Facebook go on to 4up, they will help you x

[AmySholay]

Contact the Disability law Service,(dls.org.uk). They can send you a: How to apply for a PIP appeal form. This has lots of useful advice for applicants filling out a pip form for the first time, as well as how to appeal a decision from a face to face assessment. More details on the individual descriptors and the points they carry can be found on the following website: pipinfo.net

Sit down with your wife once the PIP application form arrives, read through it together carefully and take your time. Write a practice copy before filling in the proper form.

Look through and discuss with her each individual descriptor, the help your wife needs in each area, what her difficulties are and what support you or others provide her with. Does her difficulties vary day by day, does this effect the help she needs etc.Say what she needs help with and why. Give good, clear examples and keep your statements precise. Send any photocopies of your supporting medical evidence back with the completed form.

See if you can find statements or evidence in your documents that back up what your saying on your form.

Expect a face to face assessment not be fair, honest or care about your wife or her condition. They will not listen to what you have to say. Though pretending they are. The assessor will judge you on your appearance, your education, how well you speak and by a very limited and set criteria that works to very narrow government set targets and guidelines only. The assessor is not your friend but there simply to deny you the benefits you are potentially due. So answer verbally like on your form, honestly but without being too elaborate in your answers.

I had two face to face assessments and was treated atrociously by both assessors each time.Neither of whom were doctors but felt they had greater knowledge and standing than medical doctors. Both times my assessors ignored my evidence provided and my entire medical history.

So if you don't feel the decision is fair or correct once you've sent off your pip form and perhaps had a face to face assessment. Then do appeal their decision. First ask for a manditory consideration.Take it to a tribunal hearing if necessary. Many decisions are adjusted or overturned here. Don't give up easily because that's what they are hoping for.

I hope this information is in someway helpful. And good luck!

[Sandy247]

Hello, the thing you have to remember with PIP is that DWP are not interested in what you suffer from or the medication you take for it [except where they ask those questions] what they ARE interested in is HOW your condition/illness affects you and the things you do everyday. When filling in the form try and remember the times when it has affected your wife the worst and write those down. If she only writes down when she is having a good days, DWP will think that this is how she is all of the time.

I would definitely copy the form onceit is completed. You then have something to guide you should you disagree with their decision and need to appeal.

Please do not think that as your wife had a Higher Rate of DLA that she will automatically get the higher rate of PIP. As pointed out in an earlier answer, these are two completely different benefits and DWP use different criteria when assessing your wife's claim.

What I would definitely advise, is that when your wife answers the 'Additional Information' question [usually near the end of the questionnairre] she describes a day in her life, for example, when she wakes up she is very stiff and does her pain starts straight away, name the areas where the pain is i.e. all joints or independent ones like elbows, hips, shoulders. She will then have to say how, because of the stiffness and pain she needs your help to get her out of bad as she cannot do this by herself. This is how she needs to continue does she need your help to walk to the bathroom, does she was herself?, who dresses her and if it is her, how long does it take and is it painful? Can she use buttons and zips or does everything have to be 'pull on''? She needs to go into detail like this [remembering that it should be written using her worst days as examples] Everything needs to be mentioned from who makes the meals, does she have difficulty eating, does she spend a lot of time asleep, how does she fill in the hours of the day - reading, watching TV or sleeping? Does her mood change as the day progresses? You must note down everything you can think of that she does that is in some way hampered by her condition. This will take a long time. I don't know how long you have to complete that form but I would divide the questions by the number of days you have minus one week, and then try and complete then in that time. The final week is for going over the form again and changing anything that neds to be changed. You will need lots of information so one the things I found handy was drawing a stick man of me. Then next to each part of my body I noted how I was affected i.e. next to my head I wrote 'Migraines', 'Fibro-fog', headaches, 'Racing mind', 'unable to concentrate' etc etc This will help when your wife comes to write about it. It's also helpful to have the picture of the stick man handy so that you can add information any time of the day.

I hope this is helpful.

I wish your wife all the luck in the World. Take care and stay safe.