Pip more information letter???

[Niknaks1]

Ok I suffer from bad mental health and anxiety issues and I struggle with day to day tasks ect.. anyways I applied for pip and got a letter saying they need more information from my go, does this mean I won't need a face to face interview? I get really anxious when going out and seeing new people ect.. (I know I'm strange) wished I want like this.. I'm on medication but always needing the dose put up ect.. is this a normal letter?

It just means they need evidence from the Gp and yes it's almost certain you'll still need a F2F.

I have reams of evidence for a disease I have and I still need to have F2F on re-assessment.

Thanks. Do everyone get that letter when first applying? I'm abit worried.

No not everyone gets a letter.

Did you send evidence in at the time of applying to support your application?

If not or if you didn't send anything detailed enough then they will request more.

It's extremely hard to get PIP, I have a lot of detailed clinic letters from various consultants I'm under so I didn't need to send anything else but as I said, I still had to do a F2F so they could assess my ability to meet the criteria.

It's actually good if they ask to contact your GP as normally they don't bother so ignore any condition you dont have a letter to prove.
You'll probably still need a f2f so think now about who could be there with you - ideally a support worker professional but anyone who can stick to the script will do. DH always introduces himself as Dr X and I'm sure this has helped, even though he's a doctor of physics....

Yeah I sent in a letter from my councillor who I see that's it, I'm not very hopeful I will get it and worried now they are needing more information from my gp, letter also says a paper assessment might be done, this is all new to me

I go to my gp every 3 weeks due to my mental health and always need someone to go with me as I get paranoid about people around me and my anxiety kicks it. (Strange I know) so Iv nothing to hide with them contacting my gp as I understand they need to.

If they send you an appointment for a face to face interview, it is possible to request a home visit if you struggle with going out and have sound reasons for requesting a home visit. I've done this and it's never been a problem.

I had my pip F2F interview yesterday it was ok if you are called you can take somebody with you, the letter is there not a number you can phone? You can give them permission to approach your Gp and get more infornation contact the helpline and ask.

The assesor (sp) I saw was very nice and I didn't feel she was trying to catch me out iyswim she typed what I said from the onscreen questions and read it back to me.

Nik just ask your Gp to do a detailed letter explaining how your doses of meds are increasing and how much you're struggling rather than doing a one liner. The more evidence you have the better.

Also really focus on the descriptors because they are what they'll assess you on in an assessment. It has nothing to do with what's actually wrong with you but how it affects your ability to live day to day. So if you're having problems leaving the house due to anxiety then that's what you'll need to get across to them in the assessment. Same with the other descriptors.

And don't worry about trying to look presentable or appearing like you're ok which is what most of us do irl to try and function. They need to see the real you and how hard you find managing day to day life.

As the GP has been contacted there's no need to get a letter. They'll have sent a form for the GP to complete, asking what medication you're on, how your condition affects you etc.

Although asking the GP for a letter is good advice for anyone applying or having to appeal.

Get your GP to write in the letter how often they see you and about your difficulties.
I would suggest getting your GO to ask for a home assessment for you.

I got this, I still had to attend a f2f interview once they had evidence from my GP and consultant.
I was awarded mid rate of care without appeal. I would advise you to take someone with you and be open and honest about how hard it is; my assessor said that as I didn't cry or appear distressed during my f2f I couldn't have any mental health problems. I actually have brain damage and can barely leave the house due to my mental health, but this was all discounted as I didn't show it at the assessment.
So don't be afraid to show and describe how hard it is for you to attend appointments of any kind, and how it makes you feel before and after as well - also get your partner to describe how your mental health affects your everyday life, even if they are repeating what you've already said.
It isn't confrontation at all, they just ask questions but I found everything about it made me feel anxious so this is normal - good luck x

Thank you all for the advice, I'm so anxious at the thought of it all.. going out is a hard deal for me.. I struggle to go anywhere, most days I struggle to get motivated to actually do simple tasks!

Is your counsellor through the nhs? If not it's probably a case of them wanting to check your diagnosis etc because the profession "counsellor" isn't regulated, anyone can claim to be one - but they will take it into account in addition to your gp. There's been some movement in the system and not everyone gets a f2f interview, especially for renewals but it's most likely that they will, a home visit can be requested and you can have a therapist or chaperone with you

Coffee there is no mid rate care on PIP, are you talking about DLA?

If you do have to do a F2F interview get it at home as a pp suggested OR get a taxi to the place you can claim expenses.

DLA is changing over to PiP that is what i was there for yesterday i think there is still going to be rates if you are claiming the mobility component, I said think because its so bloody confusing

Don't be surprised if they turn you down at first application or give you the lowest rate, ask for a copy of the assessment report & go through it to pick out all the discrepancies, then put it all in a letter stating that you want a mandatory reconsideration, chances are that you will be turned down again, then you need to complete an online application to appeal. The DWP have a month to go through everything they have before sending it to the tribunal service, lots of awards are increased at this stage, someone who worked at the DWP admitted to me that a case isn't looked at properly until this stage. If you have to go to tribunal it can take up to a year to get a hearing, 72% of appeals are succesful. You have 28 days from the date of the decision to notify the DWP that you want a mandatory reconsideration, then 28 days from the date you notify them to submit all the information. You again have 28 days from the decision to turn down the mandatory reconsideration to submit your online application to appeal.

Mrsjayy it is really hard to get the mobility component because there's very little leeway.

There's either lower rate which require 8 points or higher rate whic needs 12 points.

I have inflammatory arthritis and there are days when I literally can't leave the house because I can't walk and my anxiety is so bad.

I got 4 points on the mobility component therefore I'm not entitled to it, so just be prepared. That said, good luck.

Thank you , im sorry you were refused that is just shit

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful! It's just all new to me so wasn't sure what the letter meant if it was a good thing or bad lol

Update-- got my appointment for a face to face interview.. I'm so nervous about it, is the same as The interview you have when you apply for ESA?

The assessment is in more depth than the ESA one, they are watching you from the moment you approach the building, can you open the heavy doors, how you sit in the waiting room, do you sit fiddling with your phone, do you bend down to pick up your handbag off the floor, do you hear them first time when they call your name, how you walk to the assessment room. The assessor will ask you a question if you can do something, you may answer "yes but...." they only take the yes as your answer, you are better saying "no, I only can..." they fire questions at you faster than you can answer them but are watching you all the time, if you can scratch your nose, you have adequate mobility in your shoulders. They give you an address to remember, ask you to spell "world" backwards & count backwards from 100 in sevens, this is the memory test, it doesn't take in to account that you can remember things from childhood perfectly but cant remember what you went in the fridge for. You will be asked to do some movements, things like squatting, touching your toes, putting your hand behind your back. After the assessment you will get a text saying when the DWP have received a copy of the assessor's report, you can then ring to ask for a copy of the report to be sent to you, if you don't think the report is a fair report of the assessment, start to write down your arguments, you can't ask for a mandatory reconsideration until you get a decision letter, then you have 28 days to notify the dwp that you are doing a mandatory reconsideration & 28 days from when you notify them to send in your letter. For the assessment, take someone with you & don't do anything in the movements that causes you pain. I'm not exaggerating but the assessors lie through their teeth, once you have the report if you think it's wrong, complain to the assessment company, report the assessor to their professional body & complain to the DWP, speak to your MP & get them to send letters of support, they do carry a lot of weight, anything else you need to know, PM me.