PIP Claim

SW83

Hey all,

I have been advised that as it is one year until my claim for PIP ends, that I will again have to complete the forms I initially filled in and possibly have an assessment and will have to undergo this again in a year, when my claim is set to end. However my illnesses have become worse with me being diagnosed with further illnesses (which I have kept the DWP up to date of).

As I am sure with anyone claiming these benefits due to illness, having to complete these quite in depth and invasive forms and undergo these assessments and such cause me great upset and anxiety each time I have to undertake them. I am therefore enquiring if anyone knows if I can make a reapplication for PIP and undertake whatever needs to be done once rather than having to go through this process twice in less than a year?

Any information will be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

nannytone_2

how often you have to complete forms and be reassessed depends entirely on the length of award you are granted.

there is nothing you can do to avoid being reassessed apart from cancelling your claim.

it is a nuisance but one of the biggest issues with DLA was that people went for years ( in my case over 20 years) without being reassessed.
when peoples conditions improved, a significant number of people kept claiming rather than alerting the DWP of the change.

that is one of the major reasons that people are now being assessed regularly

pmlindyloo

SW83 wrote: »

Hey all,

I have been advised that as it is one year until my claim for PIP ends, that I will again have to complete the forms I initially filled in and possibly have an assessment and will have to undergo this again in a year, when my claim is set to end. However my illnesses have become worse with me being diagnosed with further illnesses (which I have kept the DWP up to date of).

As I am sure with anyone claiming these benefits due to illness, having to complete these quite in depth and invasive forms and undergo these assessments and such cause me great upset and anxiety each time I have to undertake them. I am therefore enquiring if anyone knows if I can make a reapplication for PIP and undertake whatever needs to be done once rather than having to go through this process twice in less than a year?

Any information will be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

As Nannytone has said your renewal for PIP usually occurs one year before the actual end date.

The good news is that the PIP renewal form has changed and is now supposedly simpler to complete.

They are going to use the old application plus any new information and evidence that you send.

The idea is that they want to avoid having to do so many face to face assessments and can make a decision based on the old application plus any new evidence/changes.

Have a read of this:

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/9923/#45607

Getting CAB or a welfare adviser to assist can relieve some of the stress but it is supposedly more straightforward.

Since it only came into being in June/\July? this year I doubt that there is much feedback as of yet.

Please let us know how you get on. Do you think that your care/mobility needs have changed/worsened?

Tolly_T

It might be worth getting a letter from your GP when your claim is up for renewal stating your prognosis if you have a condition that is unlikely to change, or likely to get worse. The decision maker has to decide on a period for the award based on the information provided. If they have information from your GP about your prognosis as well as from the disability assessor it will at least make them think. They may ignore it but it's worth a try in order to get a longer award and hopefully less frequent assessments.

SW83

Thank you for your replies.

I totally understand why claimants have to be reassessed but considering the fact my illnesses have worsened and I have kept the DWP up to date on each occasion whether it be a new diagnosis/change of medication/new therapy etc, its seems nonsensical to me to have to be put through this process twice in less than a year (my length of award was for 4 years).

I suffer from agoraphobia (which means I cannot attend the centres these assessments take place in), PTSD (part of which means I suffer from severe distress when having to meet with people or interact with I do not know i.e. unfriendly assessors), depression and anxiety. These forms and assessments cause me further anguish, upset and anxiety not only when they are taking place but during the (usually inordinate) length of time until I receive a decision. My health deteriorates during times of severe or prolonged anxiety with me suffering from episodes of disassociation, hallucinations and delusions and having to be 'hospitalised' on occasion due to this. I have also undergone a number of therapies which have had very little effect and I have been informed that it is felt i require 'longer term care', which I am currently waiting to find out what this care will entail.

Another reason I am so concerned is that my mother, who is physically unwell with a number of degenerative illnesses and a wealth of evidence supporting this from doctors and specialist, was declined PIP when moving from DLA. On attending the assessment with Capita received zero points on her assessment and had to undertake almost a year of appeals and legal wrangling before this was overturned and she was awarded 56 points by HM Courts & Tribunals. Not only does this concern me when someone with as many physical ailments and illnesses as my mother can be declined benefits she is certainly entitled (whereas mine are mental illnesses and not visible or have a physical affect on me as such) but I do not think I am mentally strong enough nor do I have the 'fight' to contest it if my claim is refused.

paragon909

SW83 wrote: »

Thank you for your replies.

I totally understand why claimants have to be reassessed but considering the fact my illnesses have worsened and I have kept the DWP up to date on each occasion whether it be a new diagnosis/change of medication/new therapy etc, its seems nonsensical to me to have to be put through this process twice in less than a year (my length of award was for 4 years).

I suffer from agoraphobia (which means I cannot attend the centres these assessments take place in), PTSD (part of which means I suffer from severe distress when having to meet with people or interact with I do not know i.e. unfriendly assessors), depression and anxiety. These forms and assessments cause me further anguish, upset and anxiety not only when they are taking place but during the (usually inordinate) length of time until I receive a decision. My health deteriorates during times of severe or prolonged anxiety with me suffering from episodes of disassociation, hallucinations and delusions and having to be 'hospitalised' on occasion due to this. I have also undergone a number of therapies which have had very little effect and I have been informed that it is felt i require 'longer term care', which I am currently waiting to find out what this care will entail.

Another reason I am so concerned is that my mother, who is physically unwell with a number of degenerative illnesses and a wealth of evidence supporting this from doctors and specialist, was declined PIP when moving from DLA. On attending the assessment with Capita received zero points on her assessment and had to undertake almost a year of appeals and legal wrangling before this was overturned and she was awarded 56 points by HM Courts & Tribunals. Not only does this concern me when someone with as many physical ailments and illnesses as my mother can be declined benefits she is certainly entitled (whereas mine are mental illnesses and not visible or have a physical affect on me as such) but I do not think I am mentally strong enough nor do I have the 'fight' to contest it if my claim is refused.

Maybe you should just wait till your called for a renewal instead of jumping the gun and causing your anxiety to get worse, Because all you will do is sit and sit and think of the worst possible outcomes, You will then have heart palpitations where the breath feels like its being sucked out of you, You will then get tension headaches and you might feel your having a heart attack when you aren't.... You might even get more depressed then you won't sleep at nights thinking about it. Then you will need sleeper....

I wouldn't base your claim and results on other peoples outcome as this just makes you worse.

SW83

paragon909 wrote: »

Maybe you should just wait till your called for a renewal instead of jumping the gun and causing your anxiety to get worse, Because all you will do is sit and sit and think of the worst possible outcomes, You will then have heart palpitations where the breath feels like its being sucked out of you, You will then get tension headaches and you might feel your having a heart attack when you aren't.... You might even get more depressed then you won't sleep at nights thinking about it. Then you will need sleeper....

I wouldn't base your claim and results on other peoples outcome as this just makes you worse.

Apologies, but I am not 'jumping the gun' as you say. If you know anything about mental health, you would understand my feeling like this and my 'preparing for the worst' is inherently due to my illnesses. Although I appreciate others advising me not to worry, saying this to a mentally ill person is like telling someone in a wheelchair to get up and walk.

Also, FYI the reason I am posting is because I am currently in the process of renewal.

Alice_Walker

SW83 wrote: »

Apologies, but I am not 'jumping the gun' as you say. If you know anything about mental health, you would understand my feeling like this and my 'preparing for the worst' is inherently due to my illnesses. Although I apreciate others advising me not to worry, this is like telling someone in a wheelchair to get up and walk, it is almost impossible.

Did you have to appeal your previous award? Have you supporting evidence from the professionals involved in your care?

It is understandable that you are anxious but focusing on someone else's experience is not going to help, especially when their case is entirely different to yours. I also would not assume all assessors are unfriendly, most are perfectly pleasant.

You're looking at the worst case scenario. Take a step back and try to rationalise the situation.

Tolly_T

Hi, I'm a bit confused. You said your award was for four years and that you are now due for renewal because it's a year to the end of your award. That is fairly normal. Who told you that it's possible that you'll have to undergo it all in a year when your current award is due to end? As far as I'm aware you will be reassessed now and hopefully given a new award, with a new end date several years from now. The end date of your current award will no longer be relevant, you shouldn't be called for another assessment at that point.

SW83

Alice_Walker wrote: »

Did you have to appeal your previous award? Have you supporting evidence from the professionals involved in your care?

It is understandable that you are anxious but focusing on someone else's experience is not going to help, especially when their case is entirely different to yours. I also would not assume all assessors are unfriendly, most are perfectly pleasant.

You're looking at the worst case scenario. Take a step back and try to rationalise the situation.

Perhaps this was the wrong forum for me to post in regarding this issue. I appreciate the comments regarding the renewal but no one should advise me how to feel or act as due to my illnesses I have very little control over this.

No, I didnt have to appeal this the first time however at the time my illnesses were new to me and was receiving assistance from my doctors/therapists etc. However due to the fact my illnesses have worsened to the point where I cannot leave my home, struggle to communicate with people I do not know etc. any help I have been given has been limited (such as cognitive behavioural therapy via telephone) due to the fact most therapies require me to either attend a location or meet with people I do not know, which is almost an impossibility. When professionals have attended my home for therapies, they have left after a short while due to the adverse reaction I have when having to interact with others.

Apologies if you felt that I was speaking ill of assessors. Again, I am going on my own experience and those I have encountered have been relatively unfriendly and rude.

Many thanks to those who have provided me with relevant information.

SW83

Tolly_T wrote: »

Hi, I'm a bit confused. You said your award was for four years and that you are now due for renewal because it's a year to the end of your award. That is fairly normal. Who told you that it's possible that you'll have to undergo it all in a year when your current award is due to end? As far as I'm aware you will be reassessed now and hopefully given a new award, with a new end date several years from now. The end date of your current award will no longer be relevant, you shouldn't be called for another assessment at that point.

Many thanks for this. That was the clarification I needed.