PIP Appeal - Further evidence letters

[Lulu_Lollipop]

Good morning all, I hope all is as well as possible with you. Miserable dark and rainy day here and it's my Mum's 90th. Would love some sunshine.

What I'm here for is for suggestions and advice on how letters should be written when those that know us well provide letters as further evidence for PIP appeals at the tribunal stage.

I submitted my appeal online yesterday and was told that I can send in further evidence such as letters from those that are close to us. Having been rejected 3 times since major brain surgery in 2017 and stroke last year, I could do with knowing what the heck helps as evidence.

On 18 December my job of 34 years ends - dismissal because of ill-health. I am waiting, waiting, waiting for decision about my application for Medical Retirement (rejected twice so far) and I am not eligible for ESA as, even though I've fully contributed National Insurance for 40 years, there was a shortfall in 2018/2019. I paid the shortfall of £307.65 in February this year, but that makes no difference. So, as things stand, I will have zero income after 18 December, which has led to me appealing PIP instead of just accepting their rejection as I have done in the past. Mainly down to the lack of energy I've had, which is just one of the issues I have on a daily basis.

Any advice will be hugely appreciated.

[Marnie22]

Hi. The best advice I have had regarding PIP has been from the Scope helpline. Their number is 0808 800 3333.I hope it all works out for you.

🙂🌸

[Pairofboots]

Hi, extra evidence would be copies of letters from your employer stating that you are being dismissed due to ill health, discharge letters from time in hospital, letters from any discipline such as Occupational Therapist, Physio Therapist, Psychologist, Headway, even your GP. When it comes to evidence the more the better. Push the appeal through to tribunal, unless they offer the benefit to the level you actually require.

[Lulu_Lollipop in reply to Pairofboots]

Thank you. I have pushed through to the tribunal as I've been given nothing at all.

[Pairofboots in reply to Lulu_Lollipop]

Don't be surprised if you have already submitted evidence if the DWP doesn't contact you before the tribunal date with an offer. It is up to you to weigh up if the offer is right. If you do take it to tribunal, take someone who can advocate for you, they don't know to talk as such, just to be there to keep you on track, and ensure you don't become overwhelmed. The tribunal should give you break's to recover and compose yourself. They are not monsters, but they are there to assess you on the worst case scenario. Good luck 🍀.

[sospan]

You will be eligible for Universal Credit instead of ESA. I would try one of the online benefit calculators to assess what you will get

[Lulu_Lollipop in reply to sospan]

Thank you. I'm not eligible for UC as I have my partner living with me.

[sospan in reply to Lulu_Lollipop]

May want to check as you can claim UC in your own right, the amount may be reduced because of total income .

With Universal Credit you may want to go down the "limited capacity to work" route as like a "Blue Badge" it is one of the building blocks to get PIP and vice versa.

Applying for entitlements is especially hard when you aren't at your best through illness or disability. A couple of items, I had claims rejected because I put a date of birth down wrongly. So frustrating and causes even more hardship through delays.

I fully support the notion of one "Entitlement system" where everything from ESA, JSA, Child benefit, income support etc. are all roled into one. However, we seem to lack the right people to be able to make it happen.

[guitarlady]

Hi I've just been reading your post and thought I'd reply with something which I've got for my freind who had a TBI in April last year. I applied for Attendance Allowance which you can do online through the gov.uk website and look up Attendance Allowance. You can claim ASAP as they don't start the payments, about £60 per week until you've had the condition for 6 months. So I'd apply now if you can. 6 months goes pretty quick when you're busy doing other things. My friend is 70 but it's worth checking. It tells you on the site whether anything else you're getting would stop you getting this but my friend's had it since October 2019 and it's now helping towards paying for a carer who comes to help him for 2 hrs twice a week.

Every little helps and a very difficult time for you so get all the help you can. There's always great advice on hear as people have and are going through a similar situation. I've learnt so much as being a carer and friend to my friend not ever having been in this situation before and we're both on our own with no family.

Good luck with everything.

[Lulu_Lollipop in reply to guitarlady]

Ah, Attendance Allowance. Thank you. Never thought of that. Would that mean I would have to apply for it? Or my partner? I'm the one with the health worries. Mind you, my partner has had major health issues too and he's never claimed anything. Got me thinking now. Thanks again.

[guitarlady in reply to Lulu_Lollipop]

Hi, you can apply for the Attendance Allowance yourself online. It tell you how to and if you need anything but your partner could apply for Carer's Allowance too. Neither gets paid if your successful until after 6 months has passed from the claim so the sooner the better. There might be some restrictions if you're claiming other benefits but it tell you this on the website. Hope you get on well with things. Oh I went to Social Services Adult Care team too, you can find them through your council. We have Care Connect here and went through them. We had a assessment done through a social worker for Finance or Care. They go through your finances and let you know how much if any, you'd pay if you needed further health care help so that might be useful too for you. You might be able to ask your employer if you have a pension with them if you can start claiming it early if that's something you'd like to do. Some have restrictions though like your age. You could also go through your local Citizen's Advice too they may be able to help you too with advice.

[Lulu_Lollipop in reply to guitarlady]

Thanks again. I'm currently awaiting the verdict from the pension committee regarding my application for medical retirement seeing as I've been dismissed because of ill-health. If that's rejected again I will apply for my pension anyway. The age we have to be for that is 55 and I am 56 now.

[Dvorak]

Age UK were very helpful with a PIP application I am making on behalf of a friend following brain injury. Also Citizen's Advice website has info on the form, not sure about tribunal but worth a look - good luck

[sealiphone]

PIP is awarded on the basis that you have limitations when it comes to specific activities it also takes in to account if there is a risk involved when trying to perform the activity.

These are the activities

thcitizensadvice.org.uk/Globa... activities

You should aim to provide evidence which can be said to support why a specific task it beyond your capabilities.

Any assessment(S) by a Neuropsychologist or OT would be good along with other medical evidence.

Anybody who either has to assists you or observes your difficulties could also write a statement.

In most cases the Tribunal will question the person in great detail to get a understanding of which activity points are appropriate.

There’s guidance here about PIP and how to appeal.

citizensadvice.org.uk/benef...

[Lulu_Lollipop]

A quick update for you all. I had an unexpected phone call on Friday from a lovely man. He did an independent assessment over the phone after telling me he'd read through my appeal and all the evidence I sent. He said he needed to ask me more questions and the questions were very apt. He seemed to clearly "get" the problems I have. Half an hour after his assessment call he rang back to tell me he'd spoken to the PIP people and my points were changed from 5 and 0 to 10 and 8. He offered standard PIP payments to me and I happily accepted. He did explain that I can still push further to the tribunal stage and I will read through the info that he is sending me in a letter, but I was so relieved to be offered anything at all, I am happy to accept. A nice man, he was. He made sense and I trust his judgement.

Thank you all so much for your help here and the encouragement. First time round when I was rejected for PIP (assessed at home 3 years ago just a few weeks after my brain surgery - I was a pumpkin head!) I simply did not have the energy to even ask for a mandatory reconsideration.

Love and best wishes to you all.