Hi all, I'm having a second go at applying for PIP. I asked for the electronic version of the application form to be sent to me and the agent I spoke to gave a very incoherent answer - the paper version then arrived. I simply cant complete the form due to my handwriting deteriorating due to the combination of severe pain in hands and laxity (I have hEDS as well as fibro). I have been trying to call DWP back for over a week now, waiting up to an hour and/or getting cut off - that in itself is an absolute disgrace but I wondered before I try writing to them by letter, if anyone has successfully argued to be allowed to type their response rather than write it?? Or am I wasting my time even asking? It is a great example of a system that is absolutely set up to discourage people and make it difficult to the point where I'm sure many just give up. I'm pretty fed up with DWP - can you tell!???
TIA for any advice...
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Winter_night
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Hi I have just completed an electronic version of the pip. The DWP even gave me a 2 week extension to fill it in. It was my first time applying.
I waited to speak to telephone advisor for quite a while. The advisor had a strong foreign accent and I asked her several times to repeat the questions. The advisor asked if I wanted to do a paper or electronic version of pip. The link to the pip was sent very quickly. She was quite helpful. I must have been lucky.
I found the pip very time consuming to fill in but better than doing it by hand. Especially if there were repetitive bits as I could copy and paste. I did a section a time and saved it and came back to it a while later. My husband helped me with what to say as I have fibromyalgia and get a lot of brain fog and my brain goes on holiday then. Just hope it gets the desired results.
I hope you manage to get the electronic version. Good luck!
Buboo this is really helpful - thank you! I’ll update on my progress should I manage to achieve the equivalent of scaling Everest on one foot and with my eyes closed and actually succeed with getting some PIP… 😅
Hazel_Angelstar thank you, I really appreciate this as I never realised I could do that - the form says ‘complete with a pen’. The whole thing is madness but I’m determined not to give up! 👍🏻
I agree with Hazel in that you can simply type your answers (also useful as you can change the font size, then print), then paste them onto the form, or print out separately as she advised.
I got my son to write up my answers, stating at the end of the form that he had done so, as I also have difficulty with handwriting (I also have hEDS, as well as an old injury to my right arm & wrist). So, there are options. As with any PIP application, you can ring & ask for an extension, & 2 weeks is automatically given. Try ringing first thing in the morning (9am), to hopefully get through somewhat quicker.
Nice to 'meet' you with you too! You might also like to have a look at the EDS Support UK's website: ehlers-danlos.org/ & the GP's toolkit is particularly helpful: gptoolkit.ehlers-danlos.org/
With your PIP form, first have a look again at the activities/descriptors that are looked at, & how they're assessed: gov.uk/government/publicati...
Then give a couple of recent, detailed examples as to the difficulty you face for each applicable descriptor, i.e. when did it happen, where, what happened, did anyone see this, & were there any consequences to attempting/doing an activity?
Say if you can't do an activity 'reliably,' i.e. safely, to an acceptable standard, repeat as often as one would reasonably expect, or if it takes you much longer than someone without a disability. See 'reliability' mentioned in the link above.
thank you CM1EDSUK - I have used the online EDS resources a lot and don’t know what I’d have done without them as there’s so little support for people like us in understanding our condition. I’m going to save your message and refer back to it when I finally get the electronic form!
I don’t know about electronically filling the form for PIP but I’m certain that you are allowed to get your spouse, a friend, a carer or someone trustworthy to fill it in for you but you must specify it on your remarks at the end of the form… Any queries contact citizen advice bureau, they are normally very helpful. I hope that answers your queries, warm regards,
Hi, I also struggle with handwriting due to pain in my hands and poor concentration. I received a paper copy also. So, I typed up my response on my laptop, printed each section out and stapled the relevant page to the specific question. Hope this helps. Good luck!
I have recently applied for pip also, I have had the same struggle getting through to them, over an hour waiting time for a 2 minute conversation.
Regards to the forms, I asked them to be sent by email, which they did no problem; both times when I’ve spoken to the agents they’ve been really lovely. Sorry to hear you’ve had a bad experience
Hi, either type your answer but sign the form and clip it in, post back together or as happened to a friend, he has dyslexia as well as other problems and got an appointment without sending the form back. He said that the lady doing the assessment said don't worry and filled the form out for him during the assessment over the phone.It must have been ok, as he was awarded and he said on a few things, she pointed out that the way he needed to do it meant there was a restriction when he said he could do it. The example he gave was that he can go to the loo, but she said as he needed to hold the sink/radiator to pull himself up it was a restriction. Good luck however you do it. Hugs xx
I also asked for the online application, but the agent said that because previously I applied with a paper form, she can not send me the electronic one now. Does not make sense, but...
Ask someone to fill in the form for you and if embarrassed on something - fill it yourself.
Also, I found helpful to use a notebook, each question has it's own pages - fill everything in and afterwards compose your sentences.
I think that is probably what’s happened in my case Polly-S because I applied 18 months ago (unsuccessfully) and I was able to hand write back then. It seems daft that would mean I have to do it in writing again when my hands are the area that have worsened since then!! It’s surely disability discrimination (ironically) to not allow an alternative means of submitting to someone who’s no longer able to write 😅 I’m going to type it up and attach it and hope for the best I think!
My thoughts exactly - it's kind of discrimination.
About handwriting - till 5 years ago I had calligraphic handwriting, now even I can't read afterwards what is there on the paper 😳 😅 But the typing is hard too...
The foggy brain is on strike too...
Took me 5 months to get confident there are enough collected thoughs and to make the call to PIP ...
Please, use the guides to fill the forms properly and ensure that they will not low score you.
Benefits and work is wonderful website, full of information.
In my earlier post you will find links to useful guides on how to present your information to best effect on the PIP application healthunlocked.com/fibromya...
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Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
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