I have had my PIP assesment

I am currently in the ESA WRAG after being on IB for around 15 years due to agoraphobia /anxiety/depression. I also have back problems that causes me constant moderate to severe pain depending on what I am doing. I had never thought about applying for DLA as I had always thought it was for physical problems only and didn’t think I was physically disabled enough to be eligible. It was only because of this forum that I realised that mental health issues could also be considered.
As my year in the WRAG is coming to an end, and I won’t qualify for IR benefit, I decided to bite the bullet and apply for PIP. I had to think long and hard about applying because of all the stress I knew I was going to have during the process but I eventually applied .
I had my PIP assesment this week . It was done by an ATOS nurse who was extremely sympathetic to my needs during the interview, which was a pleasant change from the ATOS doctors I had seen during my IB medicals. I was in around 1 hour and it was really just telling her, in my own words, how my days panned out. Her computer screen was in front of me at all times and she asked me to add/remove/change anything I wanted to as she typed....... Could she have been assessing me for concentration? Who knows! She also gave me a short physical exam but did not push me if I said I definitely couldn’t do something she asked me to do.
Anyway, at the end she told me that I would hear from The DWP in around 5-6 weeks, adding I could contact them if I had not heard anything.
After reading about so few people having received a decision I doubt that I will hear anything that soon...but fingers crossed.
Good luck to everyone going through the process!

teddybear581 wrote: I am currently in the ESA WRAG after being on IB for around 15 years due to agoraphobia /anxiety/depression. I also have back problems that causes me constant moderate to severe pain depending on what I am doing. I had never thought about applying for DLA as I had always thought it was for physical problems only and didn’t think I was physically disabled enough to be eligible. It was only because of this forum that I realised that mental health issues could also be considered.
As my year in the WRAG is coming to an end, and I won’t qualify for IR benefit, I decided to bite the bullet and apply for PIP. I had to think long and hard about applying because of all the stress I knew I was going to have during the process but I eventually applied .
I had my PIP assesment this week . It was done by an ATOS nurse who was extremely sympathetic to my needs during the interview, which was a pleasant change from the ATOS doctors I had seen during my IB medicals. I was in around 1 hour and it was really just telling her, in my own words, how my days panned out. Her computer screen was in front of me at all times and she asked me to add/remove/change anything I wanted to as she typed....... Could she have been assessing me for concentration? Who knows! She also gave me a short physical exam but did not push me if I said I definitely couldn’t do something she asked me to do.
Anyway, at the end she told me that I would hear from The DWP in around 5-6 weeks, adding I could contact them if I had not heard anything.
After reading about so few people having received a decision I doubt that I will hear anything that soon...but fingers crossed.
Good luck to everyone going through the process!

Hi tb581,

Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback regarding your PIP assessment.

I hope you receive a positive outcome, please keep us updated.

bro58