PIP - urgent help please, extremely anxious.

[alwaysunlucky]

I had the dreaded letter informing me my DLA was ending, and inviting me to claim PIP. Which I did.

The form has to be in by 1st December, and I sent it off last Thursday.

I was going to just pop in the postbox, like I've always done with DLA renewals, and they've always been fine. However, my mum persuaded me to send it signed for (what I still call recorded delivery), so I paid for it to be sent signed for 1st class.

I was so anxious I repeatedly asked the PO assistant if it was OK, that it would definitely get there etc. She assured me that it would be fine, and I could check the next day, and it would have been delivered.

However, on Friday, it still said 'progressing through network'. I thought, fine, maybe they're busy, but it will be there by Monday. But no, it's still 'in the network'.

I just asked my postman about it and he said it would be fine... he then asked when I'd posted it, then said it should have been there by now.

I feel sick with worry, and really dizzy. I have no proof it's been delivered, only that I posted it, and I could have got that without paying .

It's lost isn't it? Or they handling office is a place where getting a signature is not possible, so they just won't bother.... or the lady at the post office didn't put it out for delivery... the worries are going round and round.

My only (tiny, almost diminished) ray of light, is that the same thing happened with my student loan deferral. The signature was never updated, and it is still in the network. But when I contacted the loan company, my deferral had already been accepted, they'd just not got a signature. My postman said this is impossible though.

I really am up shit creek aren't I. I was so stressed about doing the bloody form, and was so relieved to have sent it off, now I feel it's all a wasted effort.

[dangermouseisace]

if you've got proof of postage then you have covered your back essentially- if it doesn't get there in time (which it can still do!) then you've got proof you posted it in plenty of time, therefore you can't be penalised.

[Groovee]

When you send a PIP form it is dealt with at a Royal Mail processing place. They then scan it and it can take up to 9 days to say it's been signed for. But it should get there no problem as the dates will be added at the scanning time.x