PIP claim no face to face assessment what does this mean for me? 18 September 2018 at 2:38PM in Disability money matters 12 replies 10.4K views

AnxiousAndy

Hi everyone, I am a 21 year old male who has suffered from life affecting depression, Insomnia and Anxiety for my entire life ( yes I have been diagnosed ) and alcoholism since i was 13. I am being helped through the PIP process by one of my DWP work coaches. On the medical side of things I see a regular psychiatric therapist, A CBT Therapist, Two Addictions councillors and a rotational Psychiatric specialist regularly.. I'm also on high doses of an anti depressant called Mirtazapine (45mg) All this I have been doing consistently since I finally had enough of living my life in fear and abusing alcohol 1.5 - 2 years ago. I should also mention I started a drug called Acamprosate today which is supposed to help with Alcohol cravings. I received special help from an experienced someone at my DWP to fill out the PIP form. We highlighted that due to my anxiety I can't leave the house on foot, I have to be driven by a family member or familiar taxi driver to appointments. I never leave the house for any other reason. My social anxiety is crippling, I've not stepped inside the local super market for 2 years and small corner shops in months in fear of running into people. Speaking one on one to a stranger or someone I don't know very well is bearable but I stutter on my words and unconsciously display obvious signs of anxiety and distress, I just want out of the situation ASAP! My depression is mildly kept under control by the use of Mirtazapine which stabilzes the 'rollercoaster' effect of extreme low and extreme highs of mood swings. I wear and sleep in the same clothes every day as I just don't have the energy or motivation to wash and change, my hygiene has obviously suffered as a result. I feel terrible as I live with my Grandmother who is in no fit state to take care of me, she prepares all my meals for me which I for the most do not eat due to feeling awful all the time, it supresses the apetite.
I mentioned all this plus more in my application form, a few weeks later I received a letter from the DWP saying it required more evidence from the people involved in my care which I assume they got as I received an E-mail from my CBT therapist yesterday saying the DWP had contacted her and asked a few questions then said that I would not require a face to face assessment as they had all the information they needed. While I am relieved I do not need to face them in person it has me worried that without seeing my situation first hand I may not be awarded any, or enough points. I would be happy with simply standard rate on daily living no mobility if possible as I only need enough money to cover the cost of taxi's and paying people to do my shopping for me.
I am understandably terribly worried about the decision to have no face to face as my DWP work coach ( the one who helped me with the PIP form ) said that most applicants will have to do it. I'm by no means severely intellectually or physically handicapped. I have the physical abilities to do whatever most other people can do, but due to my long standing and severely debilitating mental health problems I'm unable to do most 'normal' things. What can I expect from this? Is no face to face a good or bad sign? What are my chances of successfully appealing a no award decision if it comes to that?
Any help would be greatly appreciated folks and sorry this is a bit lengthy..

poppy12345

It doesn't mean anything other than no face 2 face assessment is needed. Hopefully for you it's good news and you'll be awarded. You can ring DWP to ask for a copy of the assessment report, this will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be as they mostly go with the report. Good luck.

AnxiousAndy

Hi thanks for the quick reply on my post! When could I call the DWP to ask for the report? The Assessor ( I assume that's who it was ) said they could do the report with the paper information only just yesterday. Should I wait a week or two?

poppy12345

AnxiousAndy wrote: »

Hi thanks for the quick reply on my post! When could I call the DWP to ask for the report? The Assessor ( I assume that's who it was ) said they could do the report with the paper information only just yesterday. Should I wait a week or two?

I would wait a week. If you put a mobile number down on the form then you should receive a text message when the report is returned. After that you'll receive another when they have all in information they need to make a decision.

AnxiousAndy

Thanks Again Poppy. I know the DWP changed some of the scoring criteria on the mobility so that people with mental health issues are far less likely to score higher than 2 - 4 points but has the Daily living part been affected? If you know, how many % of applicants are successful without appeals?
One of my few friends that I have is getting PIP, I think it's just standard living and they are not as badly affected by mental illness as I am nor use as many services with the NHS, so I'm staying hopeful.

poppy12345

AnxiousAndy wrote: »

Thanks Again Poppy. I know the DWP changed some of the scoring criteria on the mobility so that people with mental health issues are far less likely to score higher than 2 - 4 points but has the Daily living part been affected? If you know, how many % of applicants are successful without appeals?
One of my few friends that I have is getting PIP, I think it's just standard living and they are not as badly affected by mental illness as I am nor use as many services with the NHS, so I'm staying hopeful.

Following and planning a journey descriptors have been changed again last year and they removed the part "for reasons other than pyschological distress so now it's possible to score 12 points in this descriptor but it does depend on how your condition affects you.


As for your friend and you being worse then i'm sorry but you can't compare yourself to anyone else because we're all affected differently, even with the same conditions. Just because a person isn't receiving as much help as another person it doesn't mean they aren't affected as badly.



I have no idea about the percentage for this sorry.

AnxiousAndy

Ah right, thanks for informing me! I don't think I will score anywhere near 12 points on mobility so I'm not expecting to get that part of PIP. I wasn't comparing me to my friend, it was him who actually told me about PIP and thought that I should be able to get it as his words were I seemed more affected in my daily life due to me being unable to leave the house by myself without vehicle transport. I'll keep this thread updated when I receive my award or no award letter.

Lisa777

Hi Andy,


You've got some excellent advise above.


I just wanted to add that Acamprosate (Campral) will only work if you stay totally abstinent. Whilst they won't do any harm if you're still drinking they also have zero effect. That's why the success rate is not very high. People believe if they have one or two drinks it's still ok. I'm sure your medical team has told you that?


Anyway, wishing you success and all the best for the outcome of the claim.

AnxiousAndy

Hey everyone! I received my letter in the mail today.. I am very pleased to say I was awarded Enhanced rate for daily living and standard for mobility. I am pleasantly shocked to say the least, especially without a face2face assessment! My award stands until September 16th 2020

poppy12345

AnxiousAndy wrote: »

Hey everyone! I received my letter in the mail today.. I am very pleased to say I was awarded Enhanced rate for daily living and standard for mobility. I am pleasantly shocked to say the least, especially without a face2face assessment! My award stands until September 16th 2020

Great news! Remember that PIP reviews are done 1 year before the award ends.

AnxiousAndy

Yes my FairStart work coach explained this to me. I'm very fortunate to be dealt with so quickly ( as others having been waiting far longer ) so I will be prepared when the time comes. Thanks for all the help and advice Poppy! Have a nice day
Also to others in a similar position applying for PIP, make sure you have solid evidence and consistent medical assistance from the NHS.. You may not need a F2F either and get a better result than expected like me. Good luck everyone!