TRANSFER FROM IB TO ESA AND PIP CLAIM

Hi Gordon,

I managed to get my additional information in for my ESA and thank you very much for your help...

The next thing is I have a hospital appointment tomorrow and when I previously saw the consultant she agreed to do me a letter for PIP.

I need a letter for the ESA claim and a letter for my PIP claim.

So is it best if I ask for two letters? As the descriptors are different I don’t think the two could be combined? Also as one claim can affect another is it best if I keep these separate anyway?

Secondly, so my evidence has gone in for the ESA nearly 5wks after the deadline, I spoke to someone and they are running behind, he was vague but said it could take 8wks before they would look at it but depends on the area. But for argument sake they could look at it before then and I’d like medical support on my file when they do, especially as with the ESA transfer if there’s enough evidence then there is a possibility that I might not need a medical.

Tomorrow I’ve got to ring for an appointment for my PIP assessment and would imagine that it will be within the next three weeks, so it might well be that with this letter I will be taking it with me to the assessment. Incidently with a new PIP claim do new claimants always get a medical despite what evidence they put in?

I think the turnaround for letters from the hospital is two weeks ish – I’m just wondering which letter is priority for me? I think both are but I’m a little concerned about asking for two letters in a short-time scale. However, I won’t see the consultant after this appointment for about another 3-6 months so I need to discuss them both tomorrow because of this.

Also last time I saw her I had already mentioned the PIP and she wanted me to send my additional info to her so she could have a look at it and write a letter of support for me. I read in the ESA guide that if it goes to appeal that you can be asked how you got your medical support but this was not mentioned in the PIP and that it is best to be seen by the consultant rather than write to them. So I left my PIP after reading that and didn’t send my additional info to her but I will see her tomorrow about it.

So if she wants me to leave my additional info with her is it ok to do this. I feel a bit pressured stressed as well as discussing the latest about my condition, I will have to discuss about letters for two claims in an appointment slot, so I suppose it would help from both sides if I could leave something with her.

Please could you advise me how best to proceed??

Many thanks

Angelcake

Hi Gordon,

do you mean I could leave my additional info with her or do you mean just the descriptors.

I'm getting very anxious thinking about it as it's going to be really complicated for her/confusing looking at two as like you say the descriptors are similar but different. Also my ESA information was 13 pages in the end!! and my PIP is about 6 I think, so it is a lot of work but I haven't got time to write a shortened version as my app is tomorrow.

So I think maybe I should ask her maybe to do one of them first before she looks at the other one - which do you think is my priority the ESA or the PIP going off what I said in my previous post.

Please could you advise I'm getting into a bit of a panic about it.

thanks
AC

Hi there,

Continuing on with what's happening, I've got my PIP assessment tomorrow (first application) and I'm feeling very anxious to say the least about qualifying, the ordeal of the assessment and being able to communicate my condition fully. As I will feel really stressed and worried that with the computerised questions and the stress that I will panic and not express how my condition affects me to the fullest degree.

I have some questions/issues if that's ok...

Firstly in my additional info that was handed in I wrote a lot of in depth info of how my condition affects me and worried that I will not be able to cover this in the assessment - can you refer to it or are you expected to just reel off all the information off the top of your head?

I asked my endocrinologist to write me two letters one for PIP and one for ESA but what she has done is one letter and said that she cannot really comment on the descriptors but she has said that I am significantly functionally impaired with my condition and that I struggle with daily activities,changes and social situations and that I have said that my quality of life is significantly affected. She has gone into depth about the problems we have had controlling the illness and stabilising this over years with medication and this is still not sorted out.

...but what she has done is put ESA on both letters, however, as I've mentioned in the above paragraph she has spoke about my condition in a broader context rather than going into the descriptors on the PIP and ESA.

There is no time for me now to get it changed to PIP for tomorrow - so from what I've said do you think it will be ok to hand this letter in even though it mentions 'I cannot comment on the ESA descriptors'?? I think that overall the letter is suitable for either the claims apart from this. Do I mention to the assessor that the consultant has written ESA instead of PIP by mistake??

On another issue my worry of qualifying for the claims in an asssessment situation is exasperated by the fact that even though I am I am told by people that I look very well and I have also learnt to present myself well from my previous employment history. Will this bias/influence my assessment?? I know I currently feel very anxious and have been in the lead up to the assessment.

Also, the fact that I need an assessment for PIP does this bear any influence on whether there is doubt that I qualify or is it the norm that first PIP applications usually get an assessment. My disability advisor has said that they have probably decided already before I even get there, is this true? I did hand in already a G.P letter and tomorrow I will be bringing a more in-depth G.P and letter from endocrinologist.

I've tried my best with it and like most people on here I would imagine, it's been an enormous struggle doing all of this process whilst trying to cope with illness.

I guess my main concerns now is tomorrow and I how I am going to cope with expressing my how my illlness affects me within the constraints of a computerised programme and that issue that I look well does not help things.

thank you in advance