PIP REVIEW FEAR

[Neverheather]

I'm full time carer for dh who has severe mental health issues. We've just had the dreaded brown envelope through the door and I've got to complete a PIP review for him. I'm actually sick with fear, everything depends on us getting PIP continued, it affects my carers allowance, council tax award etc I'm trying to look at it logically, since his last review, he's left psychosis team (after maximum 3 years) and is now under CMHT, he's had memory tests and failed them and I'm now his official appointee with the DWP (they assessed him at home as not being able to manage his dwp benefits). He's also had a thorough social care assessment at home and been awarded help, which we are still waiting for, but I do have a copy of the assessment and he's also been given a temporary support worker by a local charity, who visits once a week. I know it sounds like I'm picking on all the things he can't do but I suppose that's what PIP is all about, stressing the things you can't do. Has anyone any advice about completing the review, do you think he'll get awarded it again? I've had a lot of health problems myself recently and my anxiety is spinning out of control at the thoughts of him not getting PIP renewed. He's only ever received the standard daily rate, even though he can't leave the house unaccompanied (hence the support worker visiting to give me a break and provide social support for him). If I had to get a full time job he'd have to go into a care home. My mind is running away with me at the moment and I suppose I'm just looking for any words of advice. Thanks.

I 100% know the dread. It's horrible.

I was awarded for 2 years, then had the brown envelope. I wrote 'the same, or worse, than last application' and gave at least one example on every question on my renewal form, sometimes 2 or 3. I was then awarded 4 years without any assessment.

Good luck. I can't see how they'd possibly not renew when you have even more evidence than when you first applied!

Call the PIP line and ask for an extension because you need help to fill out the form and time to gather evidence. The number will be on the form.

Similar situation for my son 0 points on transfer from DLA where he had a lifetime award. At Tribunal awarded enhanced both rates and DWP got a telling off. At renewal sent in the Tribunal order and it was renewed without assessment for 10 years. Good Luck.

Can someone like benefits and work help? They were invaluable when I had an IB tribunal.

I didn’t send in the tribunal order. I presumed they would have a copy of that! If it goes to MR I will do though.

For my relative, who is under CMHT, their care coordinator wrote a letter summarising all the recent medical info with consultants, therapists, social worker and listed all therapies waiting for and ongoing in it too that they attached to the review form. PIP was renewed with no assessment.

I've been reading all your replies and I am so grateful for the fantastic advice and good wishes that have been extended to me. This has really motivated me and given me the push I need to just get on with it. I've dug out all my paper evidence and I'm going to the library to photocopy it all tomorrow. I've also dug out last times review form, so feel like I have a basis to work from and this time I'm definitely going to give 2 examples when answering each question. I'm still sick with nerves and as a previous poster said, it's awful that some random person in an office somewhere else somewhere, who has never even met you, has such control over your life. I'm going to try and stay positive, thanks again to everyone for all your encouragement and I wish everyone else good luck with their PIP forms too.

@LoremIpsumCici thanks for that information, I have asked his care Co ordinator to do a similar letter.

Definitely use the Benefits & Work guides. They are brilliant and only £20 for the year. Have you got a copy of what you said last time? Keep a copy of the form this time and answer everything fully. Don’t just say no change. Go through the descriptors to see what points they award for which and answer fully how he meets that descriptor. Don’t down play things & remember he has to be able to do things “safely, reliably and repeatedly” to be classed as able to do something.

Sorry but this is misleading. Around 70% of renewals are successful. It's still a good amount, but it's definitely not 95%! Your contact is giving you fake news! (New claims have a 1 in 2 success rate of being successful.) (52%.)

Here's a list from Benefits and Work of what % of a chance you have, of being awarded PIP, depending on your condition/illness/disability

Success rates for PIP claims by condition (benefitsandwork.co.uk)

OP get the form done ASAP. Photograph or scan every page you have written on, and keep the copies. Get it posted THIS WEEK!!!!!!! Don't give them any excuse to turn it down.

Think of it as a way of updating his award, it sounds pike he should be getting more than the standard award, I also have a history of psychosis and just been referred to the memory clinic who have diagnosed memory impairment so I am including that, and hoping that will help.

@Orangesandlemons77 thank you for that information.

Just want to sympathise, I had my review form in January. We phoned and got a deadline extension very easy. It took that urgency stress away and felt more managable.
Totally agree with advice about writing like this assessor hasn't read your previous PIP, I was advised that too.
I find the PIP forms so daunting. It took months to cope with writing the first one, was so hard. But actually the review form wasn't as bad as we expected when we got going. Using the reviewers guide to explain the points awards helped a lot. We do mine all on the computer, number each page, print it out and write in the form see page X. This takes away the stress of handwriting and allows many edits. Its much easier to check you are consistent between answers and add in anything you forgot. We broke the work into little chunks, aiming to draft answer a question one day, finish them all in draft and then go back through to finalise. It gets a little easier as you go along, because you can copy and paste bits from other answers and develop a style. I repeated myself a LOT, especially in the first part of each question as to whether things had changed.
I haven't heard back about my review yet, apart from the automatic 12 month extension. I've heard reviews are taking a year! A good reason not to let them rush you and ask for that extension!
Good luck! I was dreaded mine, but little by little we managed it and you can too.
Fingers crossed for you!

Is it the full form again or just a 'light touch' review? If so, it's just basically a tick box exercise where you just write down any changes and send in copies of any supporting evidence. If it's the full form again then just use the answers from your original form as a guide/template. As others have said the Benefits & Work website is brilliant! Good luck!

Try and get supporting letters/paperwork from everyone like the weekly social worker etc. If you ask now then they will hopefully have plenty of time to do it and get it back to you. Hope it’s not as bad as you’re fearing, sounds like you’re dealing with an awful lot.

Thank you so much to you all for these really helpful and encouraging replies. I've actually now managed to answer all the questions apart from no. 13 at the end and I also need to write a letter from myself as carer, I thought I'd describe what a typical day is like? As another poster said, I've repeated myself a lot when answering the questions, I hope they don't just think it's all waffle. I recently became dh's appointee for the dwp, the lady who did the home visit used to work for PIP and was shocked to hear that dh has only ever been granted standard rate, she told me to instigate a review and I was actually considering this when the review form arrived. Do you think I should mention this in my carers letter? Unfortunately, I don't have a computer or laptop, only my phone, so I have to hand write everything, my fingers are now swollen! I will be so relieved when I have put this damn form in the post!

You have done absolutely the right thing by repeating yourself, so please don't worry! Well done on tackling the form.

@BooneyBeautiful thank you for your kind words. I have absolutely no one in real life to talk to about this. My dh has just got a new key worker with the community mental health team and he could not have been less helpful when I told him about the pip form. Luckily, his predecessor had done me a supporting letter for benefits before she left in July. The new guy won't even tell me his surname when I asked if I could put his name on the form. Coupled with this my dh has just been granted direct payments for respite care from the local council, the card has come through the post and I haven't even looked at it yet and I'm dreading sorting out carers etc even though I know it will benefit me enormously in the long term. I've just felt that everything is getting on top of me. I've been hitting the coke (cola variety) to keep me alert to deal with all these things, plus looking after dh. I cannot tell you how much your kind words of encouragement have meant to me this morning, to get a pat on the back from someone has meant the world to me.

Do not worry about repetition. It shows that you are being consistent, and clear in your replies, detailing your husband's difficulties. It is good that you have managed to tackle most of the form. It can be draining trying to condense all the information, and no doubt the fact that you are having to disclose such intimate details. Hopefully you will not have to wait too long for an outcome, once you have sent the form off. Always get a copy of your forms before you send them.

I am pleased I have been of help. I am physically disabled myself, and for four years I worked as a volunteer benefits advisor for a local disability charity. From time to time I still help friends, and friends of friends, with their benefit claims. It keeps my little grey cells going!

I have to say, I think you are doing an amazing job looking after your dh. I hope you manage to get some respite care soon so that you can spoil yourself and recharge your batteries.

@LadyKenya and @BooneyBeautiful thanks to you both for the kind words of encouragement and support.

Posted it yesterday, photocopied everything and sent it 24 hour tracked. Now the wait begins!

You might be in for a long wait, it seems to be around a year for reviews at present. Hope all goes well.

Do you have a copy of the original
application and award letter,? If so you can under the headings where he was awarded points just say “no change, X can still no longer do…..” or “since last award X’s ability to do…… has decreased / Doing……has become more difficult”

In theory they have made it a bit more user friendly for reviews by making them referable to the original application.

Just here with a handhold for you. Well done for completing it as it's depressing as hell, isn't it.

DH sent mine off this morning (also recorded post!) My current award runs out next Summer and I'm terrified they will end it early by downgrading me. I currently get enhanced care and mobility (ironically it was upgraded at my last review, so please take comfort in that for you and DH!) I know objectively I am probably being stupid worrying as my disabilities are extremely "clear cut/obvious" and have so much medical evidence I could never print it all out, I just sent my last couple of letters from various hospital departments and asked them to refer to my full NHS records (sent lots of other stuff as well like adaptations etc)

For the wait, my advice (which I will be unable to take myself ) is that, if you know you are going to worry about it, just set aside a minute or so a day, or some point in the week, just to acknowledge/think about it and so get it out of your mind. I find if I push stuff to the back of my mind it just gets bigger and bigger in the background, if that makes sense?

I (swearing alert!) fucking despise the system for claiming PIP, it feels dehumanising, depressing and just reinforces the shittest parts of our lives. I hope you can look after yourself as well as you can. I often think it may be harder for DH as a carer than it is for me, as there is such a lack of support, plus the fact the carer/patient dynamic is so different to the husband/wife (or whatever terms people prefer!) dynamic, and the PIP forms just emphasises that. I know we live with it every day, yet being forced to describe it in detail to a stranger (especially when we are effectively doing that to gain money) is just the worst. to your DH and you.