medical evidence

silver lining wrote: Hi., I have not yet received a letter regarding the change from DLA to PIP but want to be ready for when I do..Please can you advice what medical information I am allowed to ask for from my GP Consultant and Shoulder and Hip surgeons..I asked once before for ESA .autonomy received a letter from my GP and cOnsultant and no proof of appointments procedures acorns x rays ..Many thanks .

Start with a formal diagnosis, it's not a pre-requisite but you'll avoid a lot of explanation if you have one.

Next you are looking for information to support you in regard to the PIP Descriptors, at the simplest level you want comments that support your meeting them in a general way, for some doctors this is all that you will get. For example; X has problems walking due to their Arthritis or due to Y's depression they are struggling with personal care.

If you can, you then want to give more detailed responses, but it is likely that your doctors will only be able to do so by you explaining how you are effected or because they have specifically tested you, the latter will apply more to physical problems and the former to mental health ones.

So, again as examples, due to X's Arthritis in their hips and knees their walking is severely restricted and from my observations I would not expect them to be able to walk more than 10m without severe pain at any time.

Or, I have discussed Y's depression in depth with them, they clearly have problems with their personal care, bathing is at best once a month and they only dress when leaving the house, wearing their pyjamas for significant periods between changes of clothing.

The closer the comments relate to the Descriptors the better, but be cautious of leading them in their comments, it's probably impossible to completely avoid "Z tells me that they are effected...", simply because much of the information your doctors will need can only come from you, but the less it is mentioned the better.

Basically what you are looking for is

Condition -> symptoms -> how you are effected

Consistency is the key.

Gordon