PIP renewal

Clouds88

Hello,

I am feeling very anxious about my husbands PIP renewal in a week.

He is on higher rate care and lower rate mobility, and since this has been awarded it has really helped us get by. For example I am his registered carer (gave up my career and work bank only when family can help out with the kids) we have a dog and this is a great source of comfort for my husband and we use PIP to cover his food, insurance ect.

the award was given in ?2021 I think, backdated for a year or however long we were waiting for an assessment and told it would be in place extended until July 2024 so I thought great we don’t have to think about the renewal yet but this interview through the post has come as a bit of a shock.

so my question is, he has had limited involvement in services since getting PIP as the financial aid has meant I’m now managing him essentially. The GP doesn’t care and my husband has no trust in the system as essentially unless he’s feeling suicidal which is rare these days then they just leave him be on his long term high dose medication. 

I’m scared due to not having much new evidence except real world examples of when he has attempted to do things and this has ended up badly that they will take this away. If they cancel his PIP I’ll need to go back to work, we will struggle financially, and my husband will go down hill because he won’t have the support ect that he needs. Has anyone else been in this situation and has any advice?

poppy12345

Clouds88 said:

the award was given in ?2021 I think, backdated for a year or however long we were waiting for an assessment and told it would be in place extended until July 2024 so I thought great we don’t have to think about the renewal yet but this interview through the post has come as a bit of a shock.

I would have expected him to receive a review form in the post to fill in and return before the actual assessment. Did he receive this? 

Based on my own current award due to end in June 2024 i received my review form a couple of weeks ago so would expect him to have received the form at anytime now.

Can you please confirm if he's received a form at all? or was it a text he received to say that his review has started and to expect the form in a couple of weeks.

Spoonie_Turtle

Clouds88 said:

so my question is, he has had limited involvement in services since getting PIP as the financial aid has meant I’m now managing him essentially. The GP doesn’t care and my husband has no trust in the system as essentially unless he’s feeling suicidal which is rare these days then they just leave him be on his long term high dose medication. 

I’m scared due to not having much new evidence except real world examples of when he has attempted to do things and this has ended up badly that they will take this away. If they cancel his PIP I’ll need to go back to work, we will struggle financially, and my husband will go down hill because he won’t have the support ect that he needs. Has anyone else been in this situation and has any advice?

This part specifically, just make it clear to them why there has been little/no professional involvement.  There are loads of us who have little or no help from the medical system because there's nothing they can do (or at least, nothing they can do without making things worse).  Just send the evidence you already have, including past medical involvement and an explanation of why that ended.

Examples of how things went when he tried doing them are great, you just need to show what things he can't do repeatedly, reliably, safely, and/or in a timely manner, and why.

Clouds88

Sorry yes we had the questionnaire in January 2023 and I filled it in like the first one and sent some evidence then. I can give so many examples as I’m with him all the time it’s just the lack of medical Input becabuse like you say there is nothing they can do, he’s been told over and over he’s on max dose meds, they don’t want to change him, try talking therapies (5 therapists later no change) ect

Muttleythefrog

Clouds88 said:

Sorry yes we had the questionnaire in January 2023 and I filled it in like the first one and sent some evidence then. I can give so many examples as I’m with him all the time it’s just the lack of medical Input becabuse like you say there is nothing they can do, he’s been told over and over he’s on max dose meds, they don’t want to change him, try talking therapies (5 therapists later no change) ect

Thanks for confirming as like poppy I wondered if the review form had not been received. The sending of the review form for completion is indicator a review has been triggered. I too am in situation of not having medical input and getting the same award. I think it is important in form submission and in assessment asserting treatments historically tried and if relevant that the reason no input currently provided is lack of option/exhausted options... although if there is ongoing medication then obviously that is information to provide. My evidence is substantially historic around the time I sought treatment and diagnosis but I still use it or more often now the subsequent assessment reports which have utilised and referred to it.

So it sounds like he has an imminent assessment. I hope it goes well. Obviously focus on disablements relevant to descriptors of relevant activities.

As general advice make sure get hold of all assessment reports (including for U/C or ESA if applicable) after assessments as these themselves I tend to use as evidence in future reviews where I agree with them. The fact he has you as his carer is also highly useful for describing and demonstrating disablements and how support is needed/used.

Oh and... normally PIP is reviewed in the final year of award.... they actually tend to add a year onto the 'prognosis' so this can be done. Obviously timelines and reviews are all over the place due to an overwhelmed/backlogged assessment and decision making situation.... I'm in the middle of a review and had to have my award extended a year as indeed it would have run out em.. oh yesterday... so my extension starts today. Focus I understand has been significantly on trying to assess new applications (which have ramped up through Covid times) or those with reported changed disabilities.

naf123

If there has been no change , is it sufficient to state "no change" on the renewal form (esp for lifelong conditions)? That means they will look at the original evidence? 

HillStreetBlues

naf123 said:

If there has been no change , is it sufficient to state "no change" on the renewal form (esp for lifelong conditions)? That means they will look at the original evidence? 

Personally even if I select the no change box I like to give details about the issues I have with that activity.

Muttleythefrog

naf123 said:

If there has been no change , is it sufficient to state "no change" on the renewal form (esp for lifelong conditions)? That means they will look at the original evidence? 

There are people who have done that and had no issues... however there are people who have done that and found a reduced award followed. In my case I got increased points stating no change and describing problems as a different Healthcare Professional looking at the paper evidence reached a different conclusion on some activities given essentially the same evidence... basically they ended up agreeing with me on everything. Best advice seems to be to indicate no change and then restate the relevant problems as if it were a first application and send in any supporting evidence (particularly any new or recent not sent before). If you agree with the previous assessment report I'd be inclined to add that as evidence and say you agree with it too.

Bottom line - give them as little option and reason to give a bad decision.

P.S. Do as much as you can electronically (if necessary pointing to attached printed sheets dated, name, Nino etc added to such) and then repeating a lot of what you've said before can be largely dealt with review to review with minimal further effort.

poppy12345

naf123 said:

If there has been no change , is it sufficient to state "no change" on the renewal form (esp for lifelong conditions)? That means they will look at the original evidence? 

This isn't something i would ever advise. You need to put as much effort in as possible and treat it as a new claim. Not doing so could risk your current award. I'm in the process of my review and filling out the form. I started it a week ago, had an extension until 12th December to return the form. Plenty of time to do what i need to do.

Clouds88

I’m feeling so sick today. His appointment is at 1.30pm. One thing I forgot Is that 2023 was hell and we got approval that he needed his own room due to his mental health and we moved this January so hoping we can use that as evidence. I have to do the school run at 2.40 so hoping it’s finished by then 😩

Muttleythefrog

Clouds88 said:

I’m feeling so sick today. His appointment is at 1.30pm. One thing I forgot Is that 2023 was hell and we got approval that he needed his own room due to his mental health and we moved this January so hoping we can use that as evidence. I have to do the school run at 2.40 so hoping it’s finished by then 😩

All the best.... this is a reassessment which is far more likely to give a sensible outcome than a first assessment.

I would advise... where are we... Tuesday... I would call DWP (number top PIP letters)on Thursday and ask for copy of the assessment report... if they say they don't have it yet then try again next week. It's obvious anxiety and the stress of all this is significant and early sight of the report might help in that regard.