DLA to PIP Happy Xmas from DWP

We have just had a very unhappy Xmas present from the lovely DWP.

Hi,
My husband has been informed that he is going to be transfer from DLA to PIP.
Please would you kindly tell me the following?

When we make the telephone call for the PIP1 claim, can I speak on his behalf, as my husband is not able to use the phone on his own, due to illness, high medication and he forgets basic things?
As our previous experience of the DWP was that even with my husband’s permission that they would only speak to him.

Can you claim PIP1 online and do I need to prove that I am writing it for him,
Would that go against us claiming online etc.


My husband has more physical problems but also some mental problems but they are not really documented, should I mention this at the time of the phone call.
As later they may say that this was not mentioned at the assessment etc.

My husband’s doctors have changed and nobody can really comment on his current conditions and how it affects him, as several consultants gave up on him over 10 years ago.

As our recent ESA nightmare the GP would only write a simple letter, “He suffers from this, for this length of time, cannot manage on his own”.
And we would also like to include that he cannot travel to the nearest assessment centre (likely to be at least an hour away) and needs a home visit.
But the problem is that GP’s will only if your lucky write the most basic letter.

As we don’t have a lot of documented prove about how his conditions affects his mobility and ability to function, and apart from me nobody else that can comment on his health and abilities.
Is it worth at his stage paying a GP for full medical report of his limitations and how they affect him based on PIP system ( as they may ignore him) or wait until we get a decision back from the PIP2 and than see what action is required. As we don't have much evidence.

Can we also ask that they use his recent ESA form.

Finally on the PIP1 example form, it asks if we can we use your previous DLA information, as this information is over 10 years old and does not reflect his current problems its probably not worth using, as they might use the old information to make assumptions.
Also would that go against his PIP claim in anyway by refusing to use this information.

Sorry for that essay, but as you know its horrible and frustrating time.
Thank you.

Hi and Welcome to the forum, you might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explains where everything is

Welcome to Benefits and Work

I'm sorry that the axe has fallen for your husband

There is no facility to claim PIP online. You can make the initial phone call and DWP should allow you to do this as long as your husband can confirm security details.

Our PIP guide explains what to expect from that phone call and includes a link to a sample form. It does not need a lot of detail at this stage, that will come when the PIP2 arrives for completion.

PIP help for claimants

You are quite right to refuse use of the DLA material if it is now out of date. This will not cause any problem. Indeed, it's possible that this paperwork has been destroyed by now anyway!

You can submit a copy of the ESA report if you wish but you will have to explain how this related to the PIP descriptors as there is little overlap.

You say that you have little supporting evidence. You can try accessing your GP records and copying anything that might be useful - there will probably be a charge for this.

Requesting your medical records

Charging for medical records

If your GP will provide a report, please check what they are going to say before you agree to pay for it! We recommend providing the PIP descriptors, with the points removed, and ask for comments. The descriptors are in the PIP guide.

May I suggest that you bookmark/favourite this on your web browser now so that you can find it easily in future? This will allow you to return with further questions or comments about your husband's PIP without having to start a new topic each time. We ask members to keep everything relating to the same claim in one topic as it helps us enormously - and I hope you will find it useful too

Thank you for your prompt email.

I have to make a telephone call for my husband by the 4th Jan. To fill out the PIP1 form.

Do the DWP use the date of the PIP1 telephone call as the start date for calculating the date for returning the PIP2 form?

As it will probably take at least 3 weeks to get a GP appointment and support letter.

I will probably have to call the DWP by Monday the 19th Dec as the DWP and Royal Mail will hardly function between the 23th Dec and the 3rd of Jan.

Hi,

I have recently gone through this process and can't recommend the B&W guide highly enough. Treat it as a manual and follow it precisely.

However, my journey that I documented in this forum might be of interest to you. You can find it here:

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?view=top...=111335&limitstart=0

I know it is Christmas but you need to use the time wisely in preparing your submission for the PiP2 form. Assuming you just got the letter this week you have 4 weeks to make the call. As soon as you make the call then that date will be the start date of the second four-week period for the PiP2 to be returned. You will see in my thread I only had two and a half weeks to complete that form. I arranged for help filling in the form from AgeUK and they submitted the form for me which was convenient as that office is a receiving station for the DWP, so I knew they had it on time.

Re the doctor's report, I got a strictly factual report based on a copy of the descriptors and this was accepted as justification for a home visit that I requested.

Also, I undertook a 7-day diary as indicated in the guide and I was advised by the assessor that this greatly helped in my assessment. Lastly, as my writing is terrible I typed up all of the answers on separate sheets for each of the descriptors that applied to me.

I hope this is of assistance in your quest.

Kind regards,

Stewart

black2cat wrote: Thank you for your prompt email.

"I have to make a telephone call for my husband by the 4th Jan. To fill out the PIP1 form."

If this is the final date then you could telephone either 29th or 30th December.

"Do the DWP use the date of the PIP1 telephone call as the start date for calculating the date for returning the PIP2 form?"

Yes the date you telephone for the PiP1 is the start date for the 4 week period of the PiP2

"As it will probably take at least 3 weeks to get a GP appointment and support letter."

Make an appointment as soon as you can and you should have enough time.

"I will probably have to call the DWP by Monday the 19th Dec as the DWP and Royal Mail will hardly function between the 23th Dec and the 3rd of Jan.

"

You must make your own decision but this is just a little early as the PiP1 is done over the telephone and the PiP return date will be sometime in January after the bank holidays.