Dla to pip

jj20

Yeah I think so too.  Do you get Indefinate award on pip too or are they just shorter ones now?  I'm glad it went well for you though but I become a nervous wreck when having any dealings with the dwp.  My anxiety levels go through the roof and my memory problems worsen as I end up rambling or forgetting things and get muddled up which is not good when trying to explain my situation.  Can you have someone with you to aid you when being questioned?   Did you need to have upto date medical back up? The descriptors seem similar to the old dla ones in that they ask about mobility and care needs and how you struggle and what help you need so not much has changed in my situation except I have several more health conditions to add to my list.  

teaselMay

Here you go bit more about the assessment https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-assessment/ . I know what you mean about DWP and stress, each time I get a notification of message in my UC journal my heart sinks, even though there's never been an issue it's always just admin stuff or most recently a routine review. DWP has that effect doesn't it.

My medical evidence was quite out of date, things are not going to get better and so that was fine.

With PIP they call it ongoing, the award letter says something along the lines of "awarded for an ongoing period not to be reviewed before [ten years time]"

Spoonie_Turtle

'Ongoing' PIP awards, the longest possible, are 10 years.  (I don't quite know what happens upon review, others here will.)

You can have someone with you in the assessment.

It doesn't matter too much about medical evidence being old, you just explain why - e.g. that there's nothing more that medical professionals can do for you/your condition(s) which is why you haven't had any input for that/those condition(s) since then.


Here's some helpful reading to see how PIP is assessed, the scope of the activities and how descriptors are chosen:  
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

There may well be more concise info available relating more specifically to your main disabling conditions.  But either way it's worth getting your head around it before starting the claim for PIP, because once you start the PIP claim you'll have a month (and potentially a two week extension) to fill in the form.

jj20

Thank teaselMay and spoonie for the links.  It's impossible for me to not become a nervous wreck when having any dealings with the dwp, even waiting for the post to arrive makes me anxious.  I've just accepted that I'm a bit of a basket case ha. When you say your medical evidence was quite out of date, are we talking 2yrs+ or more.   Some of my letters are over 10 yrs old so I doubt they'd accept them.   I have been referred to rheumatology for my new osteo arthitus and osteopenia diagnosis so those letters would be more upto date, and I had another round of cbt the other year which didn't help much and don't know if that's any relevance. 

Spoonie -  I'm trying to get myself into the head space for pip now as I know it's coming, it's just with all the upcoming dwp changes it's making me even more anxious as I don't know where I stand with my cb Esa stuff as well.

Thanks for the help and advice. 

teaselMay

Your evidence sounds similar to mine, apart from a current prescription. I gave permission for my DLA stuff, which was also a decade or so old, to be used too. I submitted very little because I had very little

jj20

I didn't realise your old dla stuff could be used too.  I always thought it had to be more upto date letters as I'm sure I read something about the dwp not wanting to see letters older than a few yrs but I could be mistaken.   Thinking back now my dla is probably older than that (maybe 15+), and I've had several more conditions since then.  I vaguely remember it going to tribunal and on the day of attending they phoned me up and said I didn't have to attend and they granted me it Indefinate.  Would it still be any good to use?

With regards to the journal, is that for pip as well or just for uc?   Do you have to have a phone as I rarely use one?, and Do you know if they accommodate for people with bad eye conditions?   Sorry for all the questions

teaselMay

The journal is just a UC thing, it's how they send and receive messages.

I don't know about the phone for PIP, I'm profoundly deaf and so don't use the phone phone just for text messages, they are doing phone appointments at the moment but there are in person ones too.

There should definitely be ways that they can accommodate for impaired eye sight. 

jj20

Ahh OK, is it something you have to check daily?  as long as it's something I can zoom in on or something else to help then I should be OK.    Do you think I'd be able to use my old dla stuff still or would it be too far back, and would the fact it went to tribunal be a negative thing?  Il end with the questions now as I've took enough of your time up.  Thank you for your help, it's much appreciated. 

teaselMay

I'm not sure about the DLA stuff, I think they asked if I wanted it used, it was 9 years ago though so not too certain. They are familiar with long standing things being long standing conditions though, don't worry about that. I'd not worry about the tribunal either.

The Universal Credit journal was your other question referring to? Initially when you claim UC there are lots of things to do, but then once it's all set up there's little contact if you're in the equivalent of support group (LCWRA) unless you need to do something (many months/over a year between messages for me). You're supposed to check it 'regularly' I tend to just check each month. I receive an email whenever there's a new message and so know that I need to check it then. The journal is on a web page and so you'll be able to use any adaptations you use, zoom in, high contrast etc.