PIP nightmare

[PippingHell]

My pip renewal notice text came through late on 22nd December, I received the paperwork today saying it's due back by the 22nd January. My GP surgery want 6 weeks notice to collate and release my notes. I've spent all day on hold and being thrown off the DWP phone systems and still not spoken to anyone to request an extension. I'm not sure if I'm asking for help or sympathy here but I'm stuck in a hellscape with this.

Your not alone i had my forms before xmass i could not get head ways with phone calls.
So i sent the forms back with out any evidence i hope for the best.
I did ring a day later and i did get through and got told no worries you dont need to send any thing we will check with your GP.
Not much of advice but i here you.

It's always a month, they contact the gp for you

Ring first thing tomorrow and ask for an extension. phone lines for PIP are always crazy on a monday. And you can always send medical evidence separately later - reviews are taking up to 12 months to do currently so very much doubt they will even look at your form anytime soon.

Same happened to me. I rang (bloody long wait on phone) and they extended it by a month for me

They don't routinely contact GPs and I don't know why people think this. Burden of providing evidence is on the claimant.

I'd rather not have every tom dick and harry have access to my medical history thanks. At least if i send information to them it's the bits relevant to the condition I claim for.

Thank you everyone, sorry to hear others are in a similar situation. You would think they wouldn't send them out for a week prior to a lengthy period of postal disruption and bank holidays.

I second this nobody from.Dwp will contact your GP. this happened to me I think I ended up emailing them . it's a total arseache op good luck .

Ring them in the afternoon, but not Mondays. I’ve never been able to get through to them in less than 45 minutes, which is very annoying.

I had to request an extension for my review last year (still haven’t been assessed yet). The person I spoke to was lovely, gave me another month and said to just let them know if I need more time than that.

You can send the information after you have sent in your form, just ensure National Insurance number is on each bit of evidence sent.

No they don’t

This.

But having said that why did you not contact your GP when you got the text?

Not meant in a accusatory way because it sounds like that in the sentence above

Because they were shut. 23/24th were a weekend. 25th 26th bank holidays. 27th-29th admin teams weren't in then new year bank holidays/weekends.

I think you can send the form, so that your claim is not delayed/you don't miss the deadline, then send additional supportive evidence later on.

You have to give them access to your GP record anyway.
There are long delays anyway so complete the form as best you can with the evidence you have then they will contact the GP.
My renewal was in March last year & they have only just contacted the professional I put on the form & no decision yet.
If you put GP as professional then they will contact them when your case gets looked at.

If it's of any help, I returned my renewal form with no additional input. I figured if they wanted more info they'd ask the GP/Consultant directly.

I got confirmation roughly 12 weeks later. This was last year.