Guides For Claimants

 This is a list of some of the many, frequently updated guides that are instantly available to Benefits and Work subscribing members. As a member you have access to every single guide and you can access them online or download them as often as you need.

Personal Independence Payment

Download the PIP guides from this page, if you are already a Benefits and Work member

PIP CLAIMS

Guide to PIP claims and reviews
108 page guide to PIP claims, medicals and the PIP review form (AR1/1043).

Long Covid PIP claims supplement
A short guide to what DWP assessors and decision makers are being told about assessing claimants with Long Covid.

I've been awarded PIP, what else can I claim?
14 page guide to other benefits you may be able to claim if you are awarded PIP.

PIP Sample medical report
Our own sample version of a PIP PA4 medical report form

PIP GP Notes
A copy of the PIP descriptors you can take your GP to ask them to select which ones they think apply to you, add any comments and sign and date as evidence for your claim or appeal. Just take the pages you need.

UC/ESA and PIP overlap
A chart showing the degree of overlap between UC/ESA and PIP descriptors. This is something that will become increasingly important if combined assessments are introduced, as is currently being planned. Many thanks to Gordon, our moderator, for creating this.

PIP DIARIES

Not everyone wants to keep a diary of the effects of their condition, but many claimants do find them useful, either to help with completing the PIP ‘How your disability affects you' form or to submit as additional evidence.

Our sample extracts covering mental and physical health conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression and our templates will make sure you do the best possible job of keeping a PIP diary.

You can also download templates to create your own diary:

• Anxiety and depression extract
• Arthritis and obesity extract
• Chronic fatigue syndrome extract
• Fibromyalgia extract
• Mobility extract
• Schizophrenia extract

You can create your own diary using one of the templates below. The first is for printing off and then completing by hand, the second can be completed on your computer and then printed off.

• Diary template in .pdf format
• Diary template in Word format - you can type directly into this version.

PIP APPEALS

Guide to PIP appeals
A 23 page guide on challenging PIP decisions through Mandatory Reconsideration and Appeal.

The Best Possible Support For Clients With PIP Mandatory Reconsiderations and Appeals
A detailed 49 page guide that can be used by claimants and support workers alike to challenge PIP decisions via mandatory reconsideration and appeal.

PIP mandatory reconsideration and appeal submissions
A 33 page guide to PIP mandatory reconsideration and appeal submissions and sample submissions for health conditions: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Anxiety & depression; Schizophrenia; Mobility problems; Fibromyalgia; Anxiety disorder, depression & agoraphobia and; Osteoarthritis & obesity

Best possible ways to challenge a PIP medical report
A 24 page guide to challenging a DWP Health Professional's PIP medical report, includes over 50 grounds for appeal and sample text.

PIP DWP RESOURCES

Tribunal Help For Users
HM Courts and Tribunals Service document which sets out which claimants can request an urgent appeal.

PIP Assessment Guide
Last updated 17 June 2019 The PIP Assessment Guide is provided to health professionals carrying out PIP medicals. It has now been split into three separate documents.

Personal independence Payment Assessment Tool
92 page facilitators guide for training health professionals to use PIPAT, the software used to carry out PIP assessments.

PIPAT Guidance for Assessment Providers
103 page guide for Atos and Capita to using PIPAT assessment software.

Benchbook
190 pages A4, dated August 2006 - the tribunals service refuse to release newer editions
A very useful resource. The Benchbook is a practical guide to what should happen at tribunals, which every chairman is expected to use. Everything from what to do if the claimant doesn't turn up to whether to allow tape recording of hearings.

 

Employment and Support Allowance & Universal Credit

Download the ESA and UC guides from this page, if you are already a member.

 ESA & UC CLAIMS

ESA and UC Claims for Physical, Mental Health and Learning Difficulties: a guide to the limited capability for work assessment.

This is a fully comprehensive guide to the assessment procedure on physical, mental health and learning difficulties grounds for employment & support allowance and universal credit.

Permitted work and working while on universal credit due to sickness or disability
A guide to doing permitted work whilst claiming ESA, universal credit or incapacity benefit.

Ways to prevent and overturn ESA and UC sanctions
30 page guide to ESA and UC sanctions

Moving from ESA to UC
A brief guide to the process of moving from employment and support allowance to universal credit.

UC/ESA and PIP overlap
A chart showing the degree of overlap between UC/ESA and PIP descriptors. This is something that will become increasingly important if combined assessments are introduced, as is currently being planned. Many thanks to Gordon, our moderator, for creating this.

 ESA & UC APPEALS

ESA and UC mandatory reconsiderations and appeals
43 page guide to mandatory reconsiderations and appeals for ESA and UC.

ESA and UC Mandatory Reconsideration And Appeal Submissions
26 page guide to writing mandatory reconsideration requests, completing ESA appeal forms and writing submissions for an ESA tribunal.

Letter asking for your medical to be recorded
A 2 page letter you can copy and paste to send to DWP/Atos requesting that your medical is recorded. This letter is also included in the WCA guides above. This Word version may be easier to copy and paste.

DWP ESA & UC RESOURCES

Performance Measurement Guide and Performance Measurement Letter
The PMG and letter give information about who may receive an unnanounced visit from the Performance Measurement team and what right you have to refuse to see them unless they make an appointment.

WCA Handbook
254 page guide to carrying out work capability assessments for use by healthcare professionals. This document tells you how health professionals are supposed to assess you and how the DWP/Maximus interpret the law - often wrongly in our view. Remember, this guidance isn't the law, only what the DWP/Maximus think the law should be. We refer to extracts from this Handbook throughout our guides to claiming, alerting you to areas where we think you will be incorrectly assessed and telling you what to do about it.

 

Disability Living Allowance

Download the DLA guides from this page, if you are already a member.

 DLA CLAIMS

The Best Possible Disability Living Allowance Claims For Children On Physical and Mental Health Grounds
A 74 page guide to DLA claims for children.

The Best Possible Disability Living Allowance Renewal Claims For Adults On Physical Health Grounds
A 58 pageto DLA renewal claims for adults with a physical health condition

The Best Possible Disability Living Allowance Renewal Claims For Adults On Mental Health Grounds
A 50pageto DLA renewal claims for adults with a mental health condition

 DLA MEDICALS

70 Questions You’re Likely To Be Asked At Your DLA Medical

Letter from Chris Grayling, former minister for employment, confirming that claimants can ask to have their DLA medical recorded provided it takes place at a medical examination centre rather than in the claimant's home. (We've removed the House of Commons coat-of-arms as we may not have the right to reproduce this).

 DLA APPEALS

The Best Possible Support For Clients With DLA and AA Mandatory Reconsiderations and Appeals
This 46 page guide can be used by claimants and support workers alike to challenge DLA decisions.

Giving Persuasive Information About How Far You Can Walk
13 page guide.

Challenging The Claim A Bottle Or Commode Will Replace The Need For Help
8 page guide

DWP RESOURCES

A-Z of medical conditions for adults
A 764 page guide to how medical conditions affect adults in relation to DLA and AA. Used by decision makers. For each condition, it explains the DWP's view of:

• the definition of the condition
• what evidence should be available
• the likely care and mobility needs
• how long the needs will last
• how it affects people over 65

Please note: the first 90 pages are links and an index, the text begins after this.

A-Z of medical conditions for children
A 559 page guide to how medical conditions affect children in relation to DLA. Used by decision makers. For each condition, it explains the DWP's view of:

• the definition of the condition
• the effects and signs
• how it is assessed
• how it is treated and managed
• what evidence should be available
• how long the needs will last

 

Attendance Allowance

Attendance allowance claims
Detailed guide to claiming attendance allowance on physical or mental health grounds.

 

Archive materials

Incapacity benefits

Incapacity benefits claims and medicals
Guides to the personal capability assessment, including completing the incapacity for work (IB50) questionnaire on mental and physical health grounds. Plus full details of how to prepare for, and what you’ll be asked at a medical.

Incapacity benefits appeals
Guide to appealing against the decision that you’re capable of work.

Incapacity benefits briefs
Useful sample letters and emails relating to incapacity benefit.

DWP incapacity benefits resources
Links to a huge range of DWP guides, training materials, confidential bulletins and other documents obtained by Benefits and Work using the Freedom of Information Act.