Has anyone submitted medical evidence with a PIP application? If so, who from and was it helpful? I'm wondering how a medical person who doesn't see people day to day can comment about how RA affects every day life.
PIP Application and Medical Evidence : Has anyone... - NRAS
PIP Application and Medical Evidence
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Winnie53
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I submitted all my letters from various medics and physio along with a copy of all me meds. Made no difference.when my assessor came her review said I could walk had a nice house and dressed well. No mention of my reduced working hours or my struggles with flares and how disabling they are. Just started my appeal.
Winnie53 in reply to
Oh no 😟. Thanks for the info.
in reply to Winnie53
Look on the NRAS site they have a benefit section . Someone posted ( I can’t remember who) enclose RA booklet that explains our disease. I’m going to for my appeal . 75% of cases are successful on appeal. Good luck
Winnie53 in reply to
Thanks I'll do that. Good luck to you too!
Georgiab123 in reply to
Good for you, I’m going through mandatory, the nurse at medical said I was a healthy weight I’m only 7st consultant is getting worried about it now, who do they think clean n shop for people like us my daughter poor thing
Thank you for your reply. Its very helpful advice. Fingers crossed!
in reply to Winnie53
I wish I could cross my fingers LOL! Good luck with the application tho.
dembonesDAMNBONES in reply to
Carefully falling about laughing. 
Hi Winnie, I don’t know how a PIP assessor can tell if you are not stressed or anxious and afreee with you how can they tell etc? That was an insult to me writing it in a report that I wasn’t stressed or anxious. I’d not slept much for a month and had a RA flare due to all this . She did, however, get the physical side of things spot on. She was a nurse and was very experienced with patients’ joints and mobility/immobility. No one can really comment correctly on how you are if they don’t know you or see you/treat you regularly but they make an “assessment” based on what they see that day and also what you tell them, and the written evidence you submit in your questionnaire. That’s as good as it is with the face to face. Difficult.
I’m going to post separately about my PIP face to face, but will tell you that I didn’t have anyone from the DWP/I independent assessors contact my GP or rheumatologist requesting supporting evidence as the DWP and the assessing nurse at the face to face said there was enough evidence in my questionnaire. I added a separate detailed letter of many things not ashes in their questionnaire when returning it to the DWP and a list of my joints and their restrictions and condition. I will detail more on my own post in case it helps anyone who is about to go through the PIP process, but will say here that the DWP and the PIP nurse said my questionnaire was so comprehensive with the information I gave them that they didn’t need to obtain further evidence. DWP have been very helpful on the phone and extremely supportive. Good luck. x
Mine said they had doctors report which they didn’t, they have now iv paid for one of my GP
You shouldn’t have to pay for one!!
Got to pay in our town for all doctors letters
That’s not fair if some charge and some don’t. I would be willing to pay for anything like they if it helped me.
That’s it I hope it helps me
Thank you so much. That's really helpful. I'll check out your post too. You should be an advisor!
Thank you! I would if I could! I did p/t voluntary work for a disabled organisation for 14 years. We all had disabilities and conditions so understood how hard it was for everyone. It was one lovely lady and great friend there who encouraged me to apply for DLA and since then I have encouraged others. x
That's wonderful. I have had excellent support from voluntary organisations that has been life changing for me. Sounds dramatic but it's true. Thanks again.
My occupational therapist at hospital gave me a letter to support my application. It described the level of inflammation and the difficulties that gave me in day to day living. I think that it was a really big help.
Some really positive responses here. I think it is hit and miss if you get a good assessor it makes all the difference. Hope you get one.
Hi , yes, Work and Benefits Website urge everyone to submit medical evidence ; submitted GP evidence myself whom also supporting my request for home visit this time. ( still waiting to hear back )
Winnie53, yes i think it best to submit all the relevant information you have, all outlined above in the responses. But remember the DWP assessing you are not medically trained or anything like it, they have at best a few relevant words they can say (often mispronounced and misspelled, one I had said she wouldn't try to pronounce the term ...and then laughed...I didn't....), it is a very safe bet to say no medical knowledge of RD.
Remember to focus on your bad days, and very importantly, the unpredictability of RD. Up one day down the next and the difficulty of planning anything. It is also useful to mention any aids you use, electric tin openers, only filling a cup of tea as the kettle is too heavy, and anything else you do.
I also keep a daily journal. I have it going back 2 and half years now, since I had really poor quality medical care. It unquestionably shows deterioration in my health and RD condition. and only takes around 30 seconds to do each evening , sleep, mobility, activity, overall health, state of joints (A, B, C, D for each) and an overall grade for the day (A, B, C, D), short space for comments, which I don't always need to add. I take this with me and submit a photocopy. This journal has been crucial for gaining PIP, ESA and being listened to by all, and protects me from poor quality services. It is difficult to ignore. It's never too late to start one. Best wishes.
My assessor was a nurse with extensive knowledge in rheumatology so guess I got a good one which is fortunate as last time I had an assessment c.2010 I got a woman who was an administrator.
Your experience sound positive, but the governments own report on the assement process was very negative. Most assessors have no medical knowledge, their 'training' inadequate, one in ten reports were so poorly written or had so many spelling mistakes they had to be sent back to be rewritten. A significant proportion of the assessors were drop outs from nurse/physio/medical training. Some had not even completed one year, yet were registered as an assessor with nurse/physio/medic training. I believe they now get minimal training in mental health issues, but remember it takes years to be skilled at identifying depression in some people, not a few hours input. Many still are not trained in such issues. Many more are brought in with no medical experience at all...none...with all their bias and misunderstandings. How can you even begin to assess someones ability to work or not, when you don't even know what xxxxx medical condition is ?
I have no respect , nor faith in anyone who is not aware of the complexity of my condition, the issues, problems, treatment, limitations, restrictions...not even being able to pronounce and spell medical words is totally unacceptable to me. I took the opportunity to correct every mistake, so my assessor gave up and laughed. I made my views known through my body language. She was appalling, not as a person , I don't know her, as an assessor. If I was assessing her she would have failed miserably. Back to start, must try harder and all that. Rant over.
That was an awful experience for you and I would have corrected her too as she should have known how to spell things etc and tbh that person should not be allowed to assess. Fortunately my assessor this time was very intelligent and educated. She got everything I said to her and didn’t need explanations. The previous one I had about ten years ago ... I have to say she was an airhead! Not a clue.
I sent 2 letters from each Dr and consultant. I did wait 14 weeks tho. x
Get one off doctor even if you’ve got to pay, I didn’t wish I had just sent one for mandatory
Thanks to everyone who replied to my query. You've all been very helpful. I will definitely get some medival evidence. Feel much better about things now 🙂
Hi one thing I’ve realised is that nobody knows what the pain is like unless they suffer from this awful desease.
I’m on Benepaly and Methotrexate and I seem to go one step forward and 5 steps back. I’m so tired of constant pain and struggling to do simples things like making the bed or doing a bit of housework I’m having to double up on painkillers Neurophen and paracetamol why don’t these drugs do what the consultant say they will do I’m even trying Tumeric now to see if that helps
Is anyone else having the same problem
HELP PLEASE
Yes exactly the same ! One step forward and five back just about covers it ! Simple tasks are a nightmare I've been switched over to several different biologicals, none of which have worked, so only on methotrexate at the moment, pain killers don't even touch it and still waiting for the next step meanwhile surviving on the dreaded steroid hit. Hope the turmeric is helping you, I asked at last Rheumy app about it, they just said no evidence to support it helping and it can react with some drugs ....so still waiting on next drugs to take !
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