Got my PIP answer. Sharing hope and tips with you.

Hi everyone,

I received my PIP result. I got enhanced rate for both living and mobility categories. I did not have to appeal: this was the first result I received on my PIP claim. The result is dated until 2018 (or 2019, there's some confusion on the letter).

I wanted to let you folks know because when I was going through the process I felt alone and like there was no hope. There were so few out-and-out good results. So, please know: there is hope. Great results can happen.

(For a little background in case it helps give even more hope to anyone similarly-disabled to me: I'm a 30s arthritic who's had arthritis most of her life. I also have properly diagnosed OCD, which I stated and included details of its affecting me in my answers where appropriate.)

I know not everyone will get the result they're looking for first time. And also some of it is down to luck, too. But it does happen. Stay wonderful, folks.


Some pointers of things I did and hopefully will help you too:

1. Buy and read the guide from this website on how to fill out your form. It's money well spent. Pay particular attention to the repeated defintion of "reliably".


2. Read it carefully and plan out your answers (I took notes on every section and wrote rough answers before starting with a blank page for each full, final answer).


3. Think carefully about every single way your disability affects you and be as specific (while still being honest, of course) as possible in every single way, when writing your answers. For each thing you put on the form, try to make sure you state how often (how many days out of each week, or how many weeks out of the year) it happens, and how it affects your life. I found it very distressing to think about it this so deeply, but it's worth it to get the support you need.


4. I found out that it is acceptable to type up your answers ("extra information") for each question on separate sheets and attach them to your forms. I found this immensely helpful: I was so thorough that my answers didn't fit in the boxes they provide on the form, and it was painful to write that much. Just make sure you organize the extra papers well, label them all clearly with your name, NI number, and which question they respond to (I also gave a signed declaration that it was my answer, not written by someone else, on each page), and staple them all to the back of your form.


5. Get and send as much supporting evidence as you can. The assessors may well not contact the doctors you list (at least, my consultant said they didn't contact him).


6. For your face-to-face assessment: do some prep work for this too. Two days before my assessment, I got my partner to ask me each question as listed in the "assessment" section of the Benefits and Work guide. It took ages to go through them all, but it was good practice for both of us (he was my companion for the assessment). Make sure you also read their section on "questions you won't be asked" and try to remember to incorporate that information into your assessment answers. Again, the key is: be honest but very thorough. State the same info as you put on your forms.
   
   
7. Finally: I heard bad stories of people starting their face-to-face assessment answers with "yes" and getting cut off there, their answer just being recorded as "yes" even if they were going to explain more detail. So, I made sure that I didn't start my answers with "yes" or "no", but with details (if that makes sense).

For anyone claiming in or near Edinburgh:

If you get sent to the PIP centre on Lady Lawson street for your assessment, here is some info about the centre, current as of Sept. 2015.

The PIP offices are situated on the ground floor. Once you're inside, the offices are very close to the main entrance (about as close as they could be), just past the reception area. There are no stairs involved.

The PIP staff I interacted with seemed nice and friendly. At least for my assessment, everything was on time and there wasn't a wait (I arrived early, but they took me in for my assessment 5 minutes before it was due to start).

There are lots of chairs in the waiting area. Some of them have arms, some of them don't. There's a water dispenser.

When you arrive, it seems it's their standard practice to ask how you travelled. I think this was so that they can sort out reimbursement paperwork, if you are due to be reimbursed for travel.

If you get taxis for this trip, remember to get reimbursement approved by the main PIP offices and then get receipts from the taxi drivers.

That's great news! Thanks for letting us know and for your kind words about B+W. I am sure your other information will be helpful to other members, it is kind of you to take so much time over it

Thanks so much for sharing your good news. I have made a copy of your helpful advice for when my PIP application happens. I am sure it will help me with filling the form

Very very good tips really helpful to anyone starting out well done.
My assesment centre Wilton area Redcar after waiting in ground floor reception area I was taken down several coridors then asked if I prefer lift or stairs! um stairs for me then down very long corridors to wait again in another reception before being called to assesment room. When asked how far I could walk I honestly replied I am not good with guessing distances ie how far is such and such the assesor then told me the last corridor when she collected me was exactly 20meters which she said I struggled with........hardly surprising I felt like I had done a marathon already with the others plus I was lost in hindsight it was designed to do just that so beware is all I would add