Received the dreaded brown envelope today DLA to PIP advice and experience please?

[BenefitsFears]

Name changed for this as can be controversial. If you recognise me please don't out me.

I'm on legacy benefits at the moment and was advised NOT to change this until I absolutely had to... Well that day has arrived apparently.

1 - will this trigger me onto UC?

2 - I'm housebound agoraohobic among a whole laundry list of stuff and I've not read good things about the powers that be accepting this as a reason why claimants can't attend assessments. I'm also extremely anxious about visitors to my home and at the moment can on!y go in 2 rooms at home really really dreading this!

3 - letter says I need to contact them by 9 sep, that's not a problem by phone. But what happens regarding when DLA stops and pip assessment and when first pip payment received (even if it all works relatively smoothly?)

Any tips from anyone who has been through this?

My main disability is my my but I also have a physical disability which is diffcult for them to assess from memory of DLA assessment as the main issue is pain.

I am absolutely DREADING this and fear all my money is about to be messed up and as I didn't get the letter till this evening I can't even call any of the usual advice lines until monday! Argh!!

It's put my anxiety through the roof!!

I also don't have anyone involved in my care at the moment apart from my GO as I've been badly let down by cmht I'm on waiting list for another service but that won't be happening until oct/Nov at earliest and they don't really deal with this kinda thing.

Feeling very alone and scared to be quite honest.

I do a lot of work on benefit appeals (for CAB) and am disabled myself. I can see a lot worth recording.
You say a diary would be stayed in bed all day, took meds, ate one meal. Really your diary should be not just what you do but what you don’t do. something like woke at 7, couldn’t get up because of whatever reason. Forced myself out of bed at 9 as needed the loo. Leaving my bed made me feel like this so I had to go straight back and it took until 10 to resolve. I ate a meal at 2. I only eat one meal a day because of this reason.

I was also going to recommend benefits and work. I had a horrendous assessment for incapacity benefit awarded due to stress carried out in France. She was a complete cow, and assessed me on physical grounds only. I got my benefit reinstated on appeal, largely through their help.

The other thing you want to do is wait 3/4 days after you have had your assessment them ring up and ask for a copy of the medical report to be sent to you
The reason I mention this is if you have to appeal you will need this to see exactly what they have written Generally from the report you can work out if your successful or not
It also means that you’re ahead of the game rather than waiting to be told your not successful it and then needing the report to help you appeal and only having a month or so to get everything you need.
So defiantly ask for the report 3 days or so after the assessment

There’s a fb group esa/ dla/ pip advice and support group
Something like that
Theyll be able to advise

I went from DLA to PIP in 2014. Had a home assessment. When I got my last DLA payment then PIP it wasn't quite right but it was something to do with keeping my payment dates the same and it was rectified the following week.

I'd definitely get help if you need it to fill in the form. Fight back for justice seem to get great results.

Just thinking, could you afford to pay private psych to home visit and write a report?
Think this would be expensive but worth the money?

BlankTimes there's nowhere near enough room to write all my nonsense brains spaghetti of deal on the form! It'd end up being a bloody novel! That's what I want to avoid because I know they won't read it all.

You say type your answers is it possible to comp complete it online?

Wheelieme I thibk I get what you're saying but again in worried I'd be writing too much. I need to explain how things are for me but not write so much that stuff will get missed..

Newtb my first ever assessment was a joke and the assessor took advantage lesson leart!

Itsjustmee thanks for the tip on getting the assessment notes I'll definitely d that

Dowser not sure about Facebook group I'm paranoid about who might see it

Groovee I hate uncertainty with money I'm forever checking if I can afford something before buying even regular purchases. I know from past experience not to even try to do the form myself.

Fillipe not being funny but if I could afford that I'd not be stressing so much about losing the dla!

Anyone willing to maybe try and help me work out possible points or likely outcome by pm? I'd rather not get into that on the public area as lots of it pretty embarrassing.

You say type your answers is it possible to comp complete it online
No, just make a word document because you can keep going over it until you're satisfied with it. then print it off.

Anyone willing to maybe try and help me work out possible points or likely outcome by pm? I'd rather not get into that on the public area as lots of it pretty embarrassing

There's no way you can guess or work out possible points, you can write something you think will score highly enough, but that doesn't mean that's how it will be seen by DWP, because they rely on the face to face assessor's report.

Just read the questions carefully, follow the online guides from Benefits and Work or whichever help agency you choose to use.
Type your answers, include any medical information and post it off within the time limit, use Tracked post, about £7.

You can ask for your previous DLA information to be included. If you don't, they won't.

The face to face assessor's report is what the DWP use as their "absolute facts" for deciding how many points you will be awarded.
It's after that stage that you may need help in challenging what they've said. Get a copy of that, then you'll know what points they've awarded.

Some peoples' assessors are great, they understand the person's needs and write a fair report, award fair points and people are given the level of PIP that they qualify for.

Other assessors don't understand how peoples' conditions impact their daily life and they can make assumptions that the person is much more capable than they are, so their report doesn't award enough points and the PIP level is below what the person expects.

Is there a way to get copies of your past medical info from your various specialists?