My time has finally come......

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  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,847
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    Ames wrote: »
    I'm quite relieved to read this, OP - I saw the title and thought you were dying!

    Good luck, be as thorough as you can on the forms, and remember that you only tend to hear the nightmare stories, people don't tend to come on websites asking for advice when things have gone well.
    So true that about the stories. I've had 2 PIP assessment in 2.5 years and in all honesty both of them were fine. The HP was really nice, even nicer in the 2nd assessment and even turned the heating up in the room because i said i was cold. Both reports very very truthfull stating exactly what i'd said. The good stories are out there.
  • poppy12345 wrote: »
    You said you don't trust the DWP so why have them help you fill the forms out?
    Because if they do come to the home to help it saves me going out and having to wait weeks and not trusting them to 'forget' the revised date - which they never do!!

    All I am asking is if people think that the DWP will do a good enough job in helping to fill out the form. It would save me an lot of trouble and possible aggravation
  • Ames wrote: »
    I'm quite relieved to read this, OP - I saw the title and thought you were dying!

    Good luck, be as thorough as you can on the forms, and remember that you only tend to hear the nightmare stories, people don't tend to come on websites asking for advice when things have gone well.

    For new PIP claims they only go well for 25% of applicants - a 1 in 4 chance of it going right.. Those moving from DLA to PIP do a bit better at 70%.

    So with new claimants there would be three times as many 'nightmare' stories as good ones. Hence why you read about so many stories on the web.
  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430
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    For new PIP claims they only go well for 25% of applicants - a 1 in 4 chance of it going right.. Those moving from DLA to PIP do a bit better at 70%.

    So with new claimants there would be three times as many 'nightmare' stories as good ones. Hence why you read about so many stories on the web.

    Be interested where you got your stats from

    This

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/577399/pip-statistics-to-october-2016.pdf

    Indicates that 46% of new applicants were awarded PIP. Now, of course it's possible that some were unhappy with the rate they got but whether or not that means "it did not go well" is open to debate. Anyway I'd be very interested in your sources

    This is the rate that it has been running at, approximately, for some time

    Within those who were not awarded PIP it's more than fair to say, in my experience, some clearly did not meet the criteria. Whether that's down to the PIP system or not is open for discussion
  • Its true you never hear the good stuff so I will add mine, firstly I honestly have never had a bad experience with the DWP, I claim ESA in the support group, the assessment for that was fine, the HCP was lovely and kind and it took 2 weeks to get the decision, My husband was retired from work due to Ill health, he applied for ESA, when we went for his assessment I'm afraid he walked out half way through because his assessor was a bit harsh and basically told him to claim JSA, a few days later DWP rang me to say in her opinion it would be best if I had him put on my claim as it would save him all the hassle of claiming JSA and being made to look for work etc, she had actually looked through his notes and read up on his condition so knew the assessor was wrong, he was asked to go for a work focused interview once but the lady saw there was no way he could return to work so put a note on his file and he hasn't been bothered by them in the last 3 years.

    He put in a claim for PIP on 9th Nov 2016, went for his assessment on the 29th Dec, the HCP seemed a bit non caring and clinical but wasnt nasty or anything, we both thought he would be turned down for pip but received the standard rate of both components 2 weeks later with it backdated to the 9th Nov

    Last Tuesday I was shocked to find a payment of £1113 in my account from ESA, when I rang them I was told it was sever disability premium because I get high rate of both care and mobility on DLA and I have a carer but my Husband doesn't have a carer, and it was backdated to 9th Nov, I'd never heard of that benefit nor never told about it so it was a shock to know we could receive it. My ESA has now gone from £152 a week to £278 a week. Plus what we both get in disability payments.

    I've yet to be invited to change from DLA to pip so of course it might all change soon, but I just wanted to say that the DWP are not all bad and if unexpected nice things can happen.
  • NeilCr wrote: »
    Be interested where you got your stats from

    This

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/577399/pip-statistics-to-october-2016.pdf

    Indicates that 46% of new applicants were awarded PIP. Now, of course it's possible that some were unhappy with the rate they got but whether or not that means "it did not go well" is open to debate. Anyway I'd be very interested in your sources

    This is the rate that it has been running at, approximately, for some time

    Within those who were not awarded PIP it's more than fair to say, in my experience, some clearly did not meet the criteria. Whether that's down to the PIP system or not is open for discussion
    The last time I looked at the stats it showed that just over 25% received a PIP award for a new claim. I agree that was a while ago and it now stands at 46%.
    So you could say that is a 1 in 2 chance of getting something. Based on that then for every case that has a poor outcome (no award at all) there is another that gets some award.
  • gypsyteeny wrote: »
    Its true you never hear the good stuff so I will add mine, firstly I honestly have never had a bad experience with the DWP, I claim ESA in the support group, the assessment for that was fine, the HCP was lovely and kind and it took 2 weeks to get the decision, My husband was retired from work due to Ill health, he applied for ESA, when we went for his assessment I'm afraid he walked out half way through because his assessor was a bit harsh and basically told him to claim JSA, a few days later DWP rang me to say in her opinion it would be best if I had him put on my claim as it would save him all the hassle of claiming JSA and being made to look for work etc, she had actually looked through his notes and read up on his condition so knew the assessor was wrong, he was asked to go for a work focused interview once but the lady saw there was no way he could return to work so put a note on his file and he hasn't been bothered by them in the last 3 years.

    He put in a claim for PIP on 9th Nov 2016, went for his assessment on the 29th Dec, the HCP seemed a bit non caring and clinical but wasnt nasty or anything, we both thought he would be turned down for pip but received the standard rate of both components 2 weeks later with it backdated to the 9th Nov

    Last Tuesday I was shocked to find a payment of £1113 in my account from ESA, when I rang them I was told it was sever disability premium because I get high rate of both care and mobility on DLA and I have a carer but my Husband doesn't have a carer, and it was backdated to 9th Nov, I'd never heard of that benefit nor never told about it so it was a shock to know we could receive it. My ESA has now gone from £152 a week to £278 a week. Plus what we both get in disability payments.

    I've yet to be invited to change from DLA to pip so of course it might all change soon, but I just wanted to say that the DWP are not all bad and if unexpected nice things can happen.

    This just goes to show that the DWP CAN do what they are paid to do. Unfortunately for many they don't receive that same level of care and compassion. I could go into detail about how I have been treated over the years by the DWP but in doing so would serve no purpose for this thread. Put simply however I have no faith or trust in anything that the DWP say or do.
    I am in the process of being transferred from DLA to PIP and at the age of 67 I fully expect to lose my DLA (High Mobility & Middle Care) and get no PIP award.
    In my opinion anything that the DWP do is a lottery as to whether you receive good or bad service.
  • Stage one has been completed...that is the phonecall, which took place yesterday.

    I don't use the phone, so was a little concerned about this part! However Mum was able to do most of the talking. I just had to state my name and say that I wanted Mum to do all the talking for me...and then listen to two statements being read aloud to me (one to say that they would contact my GP and other agencies....and one to say that to the best of my knowledge everything Mum had said was true.) and acknowledge that I understood and accepted these statements....the whole thing took about 20 or 30 minutes, but was a free call.....Stressful, but not insurmountable.

    Now I just wait for the paperwork to be sent to me.

    The woman on the phone was basically filling out a form on my behalf with basic details....the exact details will be for me/Mum to fill in when the forms are sent to us....it was apparent that the woman was reading from a script....interestingly one of the questions she asked was whether I have any of a list of conditions, including Autism (I am Autistic), so I wonder if this will affect the process.

    One other minor point...the woman asked for my phone number, and Mum offered her own number....the woman seemed slightly surprised that I don't have a phone - and said they won't accept Mum's number...so ALL contact from now will be via post. ...I would have thought that the DWP would prefer to phone as it is quicker!
  • Ames
    Ames Posts: 18,459 Forumite
    Just be aware that they very rarely contact GPs. So don't expect them to have any information that you don't give them yourself.

    They do prefer phone, but if it's your mum's number there'll be confidentiality and possibly data protection issues so they won't be able to use it. If you're as bad as me on the phone it's probably better if everything's in writing, so you get chance to properly read it and think things through before replying.
    Unless I say otherwise 'you' means the general you not you specifically.
  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430
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    The last time I looked at the stats it showed that just over 25% received a PIP award for a new claim. I agree that was a while ago and it now stands at 46%.
    So you could say that is a 1 in 2 chance of getting something. Based on that then for every case that has a poor outcome (no award at all) there is another that gets some award.

    As I say depends on what you describe as a poor outcome

    Some people just don't meet the criteria. Some, to be honest, shouldn't be claiming it - and there are some awful decisions. I think there is a figure of around 60% of decisions overturned at appeal.
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