Has anyone had DWP call after a PIP F2F assessment?

[Yennn]

Hello everyone!

I had a PIP face to face assessment 5 weeks ago and yesterday had the DWP Call me to ask when did my symptoms start..

I thought this was very strange as I had written all information in the form and answered all questions in my assessment.

The women I had on the phone was pretty rude and abrupt too as I asked her which symptoms, as I unfortunately had a lot.

An hour later she called again to ask me if I had any over night hospital stays, and when.

Then continued to say she needed the exact date. I explained I could not remember and she asked me to go find a hospital letter with date, I explained I am currently A wheel chair user and in my bedroom and couldn’t just go down stairs and get her these details I would call her back, could I get her name. Which she just gave me the telephone number to call back.

The phone call baffles me, and already waiting an answer for Pip is already anxious enough, but with this phone call it’s caused me more anxiety. I wonder if this was normal procedure and if any one else has experienced this?

Thank you ☺️

[Hillwoman]

This doesn't sound like normal procedure, and it was unreasonable to expect you to provide such answers off the cuff.

Did you have anyone help you with your PIP application? If so, I would ask for their advice urgently.

[Yennn in reply to Hillwoman]

Hi,

Thanks for replying back to me. I had my sister help me with my application. We done it together. I said to her about it, but she is unsure too. She think it might be a good sign that the called to ask so much means they are considering my application?

I hope so as pip face to face assessment was bad, was so emotional talking about my illness and how it’s effected me.

[Mary-intussuception]

I think they can call to ask questions , but seems strange if you already gave the information. If she calls again and you can't access the info - you could ask her to call you back at an agreed time? See if she accepts that. Or if you call them just give the info she requested to the person who takes the call.

[Yennn in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Thanks for taking your time to reply to my post.

I let the phone advisor know I didn’t have any over night hospital stays but have been admitted to ane and picked up by paramedics and have had numerous hospital appointments to see specialist. She said she only wanted dates of the nights I had over night stay in hospital which I had none. So she said thanks and bye. Now I’m left wondering what the call was about, and just anxious to hear if I will be accepted. I guess I just have to wait It out and hope the letter comes through soon.

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Yennn]

Hopefully it means she was just completing the process of the application and she is satisfied now. You could wait and see or phone to ask when you will hear?

[Yennn in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Thanks Mary, I will give them a ring tomorrow and ask when I will hear back. Thanks for taking the time to reply to me ☺️ Hope you are keeping well.

[shaws]

I think I would put in a written complaint - first about being telephoned - and second of the abrupt and hostile manner you were interrogated with.

Maybe they think all of the 70,000 on this forum are malingerers as well - just enjoying ill-health with no-one coming to our aid.

After all, all of these people who are enquiring if we are entitled or not to assistance, have been told that as long as we take levo at 25mcg or 50mcg (we've had a number recently on these pitiful doses) and TSH is somewhere in range we couldn't possibly have any symptoms so are malingering.

[Rapunzel in reply to shaws]

Word.

So hateful and so ignorant. Just think of the tax$ we could earn the government if our condition was treated correctly instead of being brushed aside by so many for so long.

I hope this has a positive outcome for you, Yennn try not to worry and stress - it does we thyroidies no good at all and will only make things worse...

[Yennn in reply to Rapunzel]

Thank u rapunzel for your message 💛 i will let you know The outcome and post on here. Defo will remain keeping positive 💪🏼 Hope u are doing well too!xx

[Yennn in reply to shaws]

Hey shaw, hw are you keeping? my mum did say I should wrote an complain but I’m just lacking so much energy with the worst migraine that seems to be lasting for weeks with no relief 👹 once I am functioning better I will Defo contact dwp to ask what the call was regarding when all information was submitted. It is honestly a disgrace how people are left so sick not on the right treatment and dosage from doctors and then the whole pip application and process is just stress upon stress 😞 I hope this all changes one sweet day🙏🏽

[bluebug in reply to Yennn]

Can you get your sister or even your mum to write it after giving them basic details? Most organisations/companies delibrately don't answer the details in complaints so it is better to send a short concise one anyway as it is harder for them to wiggle out of answering it.

You need to get the complaint in sooner rather than later and get proof of sending incase you need to appeal.

[Yennn in reply to bluebug]

Hey bluebug, thanks for replying to me.

Unfort my mum doesn’t speak a word of English.. I could ask my sister she is ten years younger than me, think she would struggle

I would need to help with her and right now I am really poorly but once I’m back on feet I will write a short concise letter.my mum think I should leave it for just now incase it causes problems to just wait it out and once health improves to write it then, so others don’t go through the same.

[shaws in reply to Yennn]

Thanks Yenn, I am keeping well, thankfully.

If you put a bit of your background history into your Profile, click on your Avatar and it will take you to a new page, so that members can have a read of your background and won't ask you the same questions.

I am very sorry you are feeling so bad and has your doctor also tested for thyroid antibodies? He should do.

Tick off the clinical symptoms you have and show to GP:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_....

If your last blood test for thyroid hormones was not at the very earliest time, fasting (you can drink water) your other results may not have been accurate. Ask if you can have another blood test for TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

If you have antibodies they attack the thyroid gland - they also wax and wane - sometimes making you feel hyper and other times hypo. You should be prescribed thyroid hormones if antibodies are present, even if your other results are o.k.

[Yennn in reply to shaws]

Hello, glad u are doing well☺️ I will update my profile. Thank you. I went back to see my new gl after changing practises. .. and boy was he not for checking thyroids or listening to my low ranges he said there is nothing wrong concerning my thyroid as tsh levels aee in range he will not check my thyriod anti bodies and he will not do further testing. I just have to wait it to see the socialist which is rheumatologist and neurologist. I had the check list everything tick off, and he still wasn’t interested said the lab would bounce back to refuse to do the test as my previous one were “normal” so now I am waiting pip and to be able to pay and get my own test. I also got checked for Lyme disease and then three days later got a letter for infectious disease. So far I have no name for my dx all I have are symptoms. I started fainting upon standing and from sitting up and read about pots. I started takin my own heart rate and got results resting 66bpm to standin 118bpm on a good day I will go back to gp again with this info and see. I get anxious goin to c him as last time he was so irate with me wanting the antibody test and I kept goin on and quoting I had researched. He is the only gp in this practise if I change I need to have a electricity letter or council tax in my name to register to the other ones. But unfort I have had to move back to my parents and everything is in their names.

My work has contact best doctors practise and he is the names gp I gave av to stick with him for now😬

[Valarian]

It doesn’t sound like the normal process, but they may just be after clarification. For example, in the section of the form where they ask about overnight hospital stays, did you mention the times you’d been picked up by paramedics, but NOT been kept in overnight ? This particular section is supposed to be about overnight stays, so they may have thought the dates had been omitted. The intention of the call may have been sensible, but it sounds as though the person’s manner was lacking in sympathy for the level of stress the PIP application process can cause, and the realities of disability

There is a complaints process gov.uk/government/organisat..., and it may in any case be best to keep any communication relating to your complaint in writing, focusing on the additional stress caused by the phone call , the person’s manner, and the harassment of repeat phone calls in a short timeframe to someone who is obviously disabled/unwell.

If you don’t get your PIP, or don’t get the amount you were expecting, it would be worth thinking about asking an organisation like Citizens Advice to help you challenge the decision. They would probably help you make a complaint too. If you are awarded a reduced amount, challenging the decision may result in no award at all, so this needs to be done with care. In preparation for any challenge, request a copy of the full medical assessment report. The Citizens Advice website also provides helpful guidance on the process, and on completing the main PIP form.

citizensadvice.org.uk/benef...

citizensadvice.org.uk/benef...

If you do contact DWP by phone, make a note of the date and time of the call, and the name of the person you speak to. Most inbound calls are recorded, and if something goes wrong, having this information will make it easier to request a transcript of the call under Freedom of Information rules.

[Yennn in reply to Valarian]

Thank you for all ur amazing information and taking the time to give me it! Thank you!

I posted on another forum, someone gave me advice to say if they are asking about hospital stay it is because when u stay in hospital care u don’t get the pip payment for the duration of time. they said it was a good thing u got the call as they are working out when ur symptoms started to back date it and any reductions of payments. To hold off complaining until I receive the answer. I got a brown enevelop today and my heart was literally pounding , was a letter from them to stay they have my details and are considering my application no need to contact them. I will hold off for now.

Thank you so much for helping me☺️

[Valarian in reply to Yennn]

They won't normally backdate it beyond the date of your application, so it's only hospital stays since then that can affect the backdated award.

It's still worth mentioning other relevant hospital stays, as these can help build the picture of your condition.

[Yennn in reply to Valarian]

Ah I see, wonder why she was asking me when my symptoms First started and when I got diagnosed. I haven’t had any over night hospital stays. Only been picked up by paramedics and taken to ane for few hours. Once I told her that she said ok thanks and bye.

Then recieved a letter from pip today to say they have all they need to make a decision and they will contact me.

[cwill]

Join Benefits and Work. They give members detailed advice on all aspects of the process. And keep good records, what was said and action demanded of you although all was included in the original application and the F2F assessment.

[Yennn in reply to cwill]

Thank you very much for this information☺️

[Yennn]

Hey guys! Hope u are all!

I just wanted to update you’s And say thank you for replying and giving me help!

I was accepted for Pip. I have money in my bank account from them. Don’t have a letter yet to state which rate I got, but I wanted to let you know and say big thank you! ☺️

[Valarian in reply to Yennn]

The weekly rate for the daily living part of PIP is either £55.65 or £83.10, and for the mobility part of PIP either £22 or £58. They can be awarded in any combination, including a zero award for either part.

If you are claiming other benefits including ESA, working tax credit and Housing benefit, it’s worth contacting DWP and/or the council as appropriate, to check whether the PIP award entitles you to any further premiums. You may also be entitled to pay reduced council tax.

Depending on the amount of points you are awarded for “moving around”, you may be able to apply for a disabled person’s railcard and /or bus pass, or reduced road tax. You might also be able to apply for a Blue Badge, but the barrier for this is quite high - typically at least 8 points for ‘moving around’ on your PIP Decision Letter.