Two assessments at the same time

Dear Advisor,

You helped me so much about eighteen months ago and with your help and a tribunal I got the benefit award that I was entitled to.

But as they say, they never leave you alone but it seems just bad luck that I am to be "moved" ( Please! ) from DLA to PIP AND reassessed for Universal Credit ( Not available for work or work related activity at the same time )

I am a strong person inside and have won the battles before, but because of this I know what hell this is going to be. I don't think I am strong enough to go to two assessments and do two lots of paperwork and potentially/ probably two mandatory reconsiderations and two appeals at the same time.

This is especially true as my physical symptoms have got worse and I have had two further diagnosis of two new health conditions to add to the mix.

Is there anything I can do to stop one of these ( ideally the Universal Credit as it will probably be a complete waste of time ) Will the PIP and the UC talk to each other about me?

Hello Bis,

Thank you for such a prompt reply, and you will see another question regarding the UC dates I have just posted. I just thought it best to ask the two questions separately.

How do I get them to agree that I am a vulnerable person? There is nothing wrong with my mind, but I do have AIDS, Hepatitis C, am diabetic and have arthritis, breathing problems and high blood pressure, so how do I get them to agree that I am physically vulnerable. I am also 60 in a few weeks but am still looking after my father who is 92 and my mother who is 88 ( well supporting my sister who is their carer )

Sometimes I feel that they are hounding me as I haven't had the decency ( in their minds ) to die

Beragon

Beragon,

I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this. My husband has also endured the stress of concurrent reviews (DLA to PIP, and after 7 years of peace, the ESA50). In fact this afternoon I shall be posting the last form to the DWP.

I totally understand all you say. Due to the nature of my husband’s condition I have had to do all the work myself on top of caring, and it has been very challenging. But it is doable. You say you are a strong person and it is this you must draw on. It is hell but if you do a bit each day you will get there. Only a little while ago I posted on here about how I doubted I could do this but I received support and guidance from the good people here, and I got through. You can too.

As BIS says there is a crossover between the two and I harvested a lot of information from PIP (which came first), to fill in the ESA. I also did all the ESA answers as Word documents so I could cut and paste, making relevant changes where necessary. That massively cut down on the stress.

I’ve also written a covering letter that amongst other things, describes the impact of the stress of two reviews.

Remember too that with PIP you can ask for an extension of two weeks so maybe you can prioritise UC, and then borrow from those answers to complete PIP.

I wish you all the best.
And do remember to look after yourself through this.

Hi Beragon
Is there any support near where you live that may be able to help you ? The turn2us website can give you information if you put in your postcode on what advisors are available in your area. You may be able to get support, for example, from a Welfare Rights Team. Some areas have trained officers that can help with form filling. Some have designated days where they provide opportunity for people to visit them(if the person is able) at allocated local places.