Claiming PIP

[sherlock holmes]

I currently get DLA lower rate for mobility and care. My condition has worsened since I first claimed, and I have recently been put into the support group for ESA without needing a medical assessment.

I have rung DLA and they are sending me out the forms for PIP as my whole entitlement will need to be assessed.

I will be claiming primarily for mental health issues, but also for a physical health condition.

I've heard horror stories about how it's really hard to get PIP for mental health, is that true? Are there any websites that can help me filling out the forms?

I spoke to my CPN today about it and she's happy to support me in claiming PIP and thinks that my condition has worsened since my first claim for DLA.

Thanks

[random.swirls]

Rethink do a fantastic guide that goes into it in depth.

PIP looks at activities of daily living and so it's making your answers fit the questions.

I don't think it's harder to claim but there will be winners and losers. One thing to bear in mind though is that the rates are now standard and enhanced which means in PIP low rate care. No longer exists so it's something to be aware off as if they deemed your condition to not have changed you may find your entitlement is withdrawn.

[sherlock holmes]

I did a PIP self test thing and it said based on my answers I'd be entitled to enhanced care and standard mobility. Obviously it doesn't really mean anything as the decision maker will decide, but I'm a bit more reassured that I should still be entitled to at least something as this may be a route for me to move out of home where I am unhappy and in with my boyfriend (as my ESA will stop when I move in with him)

[MissAnonymous]

Claiming PIP is not a big deal for mental health conditions, in fact because the descriptors are more all encompassing, I personally feel you can use more examples to illustrate your case. Benefits and work is a website that has a lot of guides on it to help disabled people fill in benefit forms. I think the main thing that might change is that some people who got low rate DLA may not reach the threshold for support for the 8 points that would give them PIP. As for explaining your problems, I think its actually easier, as long as you know roughly what you are doing.

I accompanied a friend when she had a PIP medical at home today actually and helped her fill in her PIP form back in July when she started the claim. I've become a bit of a ninja at these things so let me know if you have any questions.

I had a membership earlier this year and so I have one of their PIP guides and I can send it to you if you are interested. I am certain you will find it invaluable. It may not be the most up to date version now, as it was produced in March 2014, and they do update them a couple of times a year sometimes, but it wont be far off.

PM me if you want the guide, it is a PDF so I will have to FB it or email. The self test is the best way to see if you have a chance of claiming, it works directly from the descriptors the benefit is decided upon.

xx

[The One Who]

Try to get a copy of the descriptors; they can be found online quite easily. If you tailor your answer to the descriptors for each category (not always necessarily what you may first think they are looking for!) then it can be quite easy, as long as a medical can support it. Also, when sending in the form try to gather as much evidence as possible, like medical reports or such like.

[sherlock holmes]

I will definitely send in lots of medical reports. But if/when I have the assessment how do they assess my mental health problems? I can't prove anything beyond the medical reports from CMHT etc so I don't know how that works.

They asked me questions n you just answer the best u can do try not to stress

[Epicene]

I sent a lot of reports from all of my MH team, and didn't need to have a fave to face assessment. I get what you mean about not being able to 'prove' it to a stranger in a brief assessment, but I think they would just be looking for your face to face answers to correspond to your previous written application.

[MissAnonymous]

^The more you send in the form the less they will get from a F2F medical and thus the less likely they will ask you to have one, but by and large the vast majority of people do have PIP medicals, someone is just sent to your home address to do it.

The lady who did my friends assessment was lovely though, she was a general nurse who had worked in intensive care and had obviously met a lot of people with mental health problems, including those in crisis. I did make a point of asking what experiance she had with mental health at the beginning of the assessment and she also offered up that she too had personal experiance. She was very nice and easygoing. Try not to worry if you do get asked to have a medical, it was really just a chat about how you cope day to day, and affirms what you write on your form.

[sherlock holmes]

Okay thanks :)