PIP Award Review & ESA questions

[Bones123456]

I've recently been sent a PIP Award Review form. It says that after I return it, I could get a telephone call or have to go to a face to face consultation.

 

 

I'm finding the process extremely stressful and it's weighing on my mental health. Luckily a friend is helping me fill in the form, but I don't know if I can deal with another face-to-face consultation at this time. My memories of the last face to face consultation I had to go to are extremely distressing. I really don't want to lose my PIP, but I'm on ESA too, and with my new situation (different housing etc), could maybe just about scrape by on ESA alone.

 

 

If I return the form, and don't go to a face-to-face, what will happen? Will I be in lots of trouble? I know I will lose my PIP, will I be at risk of losing my ESA too?

 

If I do lose my PIP through not completing the award review process, can I re-apply for it when I feel able to go through with the process?

 

Also, the form asks if I want to give consent for them to talk to 'your GP, other people or organisations.' I ticked 'no,' because I'm very concerned about confidentiality around my mental health problems- partly because I've only recently been able to talk about the events that caused some of them. Also I'm embarrassed about organisations etc knowing about my benefits situation. I think that they will have notes from contacting my GP on file from when they first assessed me. Will ticking no cause me problems?

 

 

The telephone calls they make- what are they like?

 

 

If they assess me and I fail, will I be at risk of losing my ESA?

 

 

Any advice about how to fill in the form? It seems fairly straightforward as most things haven't changed.

 

Any advice anyone can please give me, on these questions or anything else about this issue, would be massively appreciated.

 

Thankyou so much

Edited February 12, 2017 by Bones123456

[kirstyo]

I don't have much advice I am afraid but I think ticking no to them contacting your gp might not be the best idea. If you don't let them get the information they need for themselves they will 100% need to assess you because they cant get the information any other way, perhaps there is a slim chance if you tick yes that they might get all the information they need on their own?

 

We never had a phonecall so I am afraid I cant help there.

 

With the form just remember that they want to know how you are affected, not just whats wrong. So say you have problems with your knees, they don't want to know how sore your knees are or anything like that, they want to know that your knee pain prevents you bending and limits the amount of walking you can do - give examples if you can (i.e I can walk to the bathroom but then I would have to rest a while before walking back).

 

I don't think you will get in any trouble if you don't fill in the form, but your pip will stop. I don't think it will affect your esa because the two are pretty separate but if you are entitled to both then you shouldn't miss out. We had a really hard time getting to the assessment process but were able to get a home visit (with the help of our gp) and it actually wasn't too bad.

[flumps1976]

D you have any specialist input for your mental health CPN or counsellor? If you do then you could ask them or your GP for a letter to state that you current mental health is unstable and it would be recommended for you to have either a home consultation or paper based review. Try to get your GP to emphasise the need for the paper based review but there are never any guarantees. PIP ad ESA are seperate so if you decided not to go ahead with the claim it wouldn't effect your ESA but why should you go without when there are alternative ways of conducting the assessment.

[coggy67]

Hi Bones. I was in this situation about 3mths ago....and yes, I had all the fears, stress etc that your going through now. I got an up to date letter from my GP and added any evidence I had from the last 2yrs from consultants etc.

 

To my utter amazement I received a letter from them extending my PIP for another 2yrs...no face to face assesment or phone call.

However, I don't understand why you ticked 'no'. This is a standard question on all forms related to PIP and ESA. Of course if you've ticked no on all your previous forms relating to benefits and still received them then perhaps you have nothing to worry about. But it could well raise an eyebrow with these people.

[Bones123456]

Thankyou for your help guys. I send off the form and I'm waiting to hear back from them.