PIP preliminary phonecall

[Hamble]

Can anyone tell me what happens at the preliminary phone call when you ring and say you want to apply for PIP? I am extremely nervous about having to make the phone call - what questions will I be asked?

[Hidden]

Hi they shouldn't ask you any questions if all you are asking for is the form to complete. I presume that would be why you are ringing?

[Hamble in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply, lilacil. Yes, I have been asked to ring to say that I want to claim PIP, as my DLA is finishing. Is that all it is, they won't try to interview me over the phone?

[mrsmummy in reply to Hamble]

Why not ask someone to ring on your behalf and see what happens?

[Hidden in reply to Hamble]

No not at all. All they will do is send you the form to complete and return to them. Anyone can claim PIP and it is not up to them to decide who can and who can't. Its the decision makers and the DWP who will decide that after your assessment. .

As PIP is different to DLA please get help complete the forms from either CAB or a local disability group. The way the questions are worded is very tricky and how you phrase your replies will decide whether or not you will get it.

For example if they ask do you need help to do a certain thing and you haven't got help just say yes you do but you don't have any help. If they ask you can you do the garden for example then saying 'yes' if you can't in a timely and reasonable manner (ie you are knackered for days after it) will result in you getting no points for that question. You get the picture?

Good luck.

[Hamble in reply to Hidden]

I do, thanks, lilacil. I'm intending to get help to complete the form but it's a bit of a journey and I didn't want to have to go to them just to ask for the form if I didn't need to. I don't have anybody to ring on my behalf mrsmummy.

[Hidden]

If you have a support worker through your local NHS mental health group, they can be a huge help in getting financial aid through PIP, ESA, etc.

If I'd have filled in the forms as I usually would, I'd have got nothing. These people know the "ins and outs", as it were.

Good luck. We're all rooting for ya.

Better the money goes to you than supplying arms to Saudi Arabia, amirite? *imaginary high five*

[furgus]

If you search for sample PIP1 form you should be able to find the form. It's virtually impossible to get them to send this form out but it shows all the information that you will be asked for over the phone.

[Hamble]

I have just rung them now and the recorded message says it takes about 15 mins! Thanks Fergus for the sample pip1 form tip, have checked it out. Thanks Thomas_C for your support and virtual high-five!

[Hamble]

Ok, so made the phone call to DWP, after having been on hold for the CAB for over 30 mins, and been told they wouldn't ask me anything, all I had to do was ask for a form to be sent to me, the initial phone call only took 15 - 20 mins if you want to claim over the phone. Wrong. They did ask me stuff - thanks again to furgus for pointing me in the direction of pip1, I was at least a bit prepared. I also saw my GP today and (not sure on rules on swearing here so ) what a forking waste of time that was. I usually see a different one who's nice and supportive. And because she is nice, it is getting harder to get an appointment to see her - this one, lawks, she didn't know what DLA was, let alone PIP. All she wanted to do was lecture me about using my asthma inhalers. People assume that just because I don't dye my white hair and have MH issues, I'm an idiot. Sorry about rantyness, and if it doesn't make sense - it's because I'm an idiot...........