Received a copy of my assessment for PIP...

Thank you - it was a long journey from putting in a claim to receiving my award! The hours of sleep I must have lost.....the hours of worrying too!  Just so relieved it is all over!

Just be yourself and be honest - that is all you can do.  I was described as looking pale, tired, anxious, and frail - well after a week of worrying and little sleep before the assessment that is exactly how I looked - I was pale and black bags under my eyes!  But it wasn't as bad as I expected and the nurse was nice to me - just went through her questions and that was that.  I came out feeling quite positive.  I hope your have a good experience too!  Good luck! 

I have to be honest, the assessment is nerve racking, but as TCake said just be yourself.  

The doctor who did mine commented on how pale and tired looking I was, but and I'm sure it's the same for most people with physical problems, I was in a lot of pain and feeling pretty rubbish to be honest. Being a 9am appointment didn't really help either, but I just wanted it over and done with.  She was very kind and fetched me a pillow to sit on and I had to stand several times throughout the session.  

With mine, she just asked when my problems started, were they officially diagnosed, talked about medication, about washing and dressing, about cooking.  She didn't ask about walking because she walked behind me and my hubby who was helping me and could see that it was very difficult for me.  She asked me to delete 7 from 100 and so on, but that's about all that I can remember really, then it was over.

Do let us know how you get on x

Her report was good, but I have yet to receive a decision, so not holding my breath.

You should be fine sukes 

but what is the maths  about ?   because she did not do any of that with me

Thanks Nicolette, 

I had to delete 7 from 100 and then from 93 and so on, I managed to get the first couple right, but then panic set in and my mind went blank.  She asked how much change out of £1 I would get if I spent 25p.  

She also asked me to remember 3 items, that was easy as when I worked for the mental health team, I used to ask my clients the same three things. Oh and I had to spell world backwards.  

I didn't get asked any maths - just had to spell 'WORLD' backwards (which I could) and remember three words (which I forgot!)

Yeah but why do you know?

Is that the cognitive test? she said she didn't do one as she wanted to finish  the assessment as I was in a lot of pain.

Yeah but why?    do you know?

Is that the cognitive test? she said she didn't do one as she wanted to finish  the assessment as I was in a lot of pain.

It is the cognitive test and the words are apple, table, penny.  

I decided to ring DWP about page 4.  It was a pretence really, as I just wondered if they had made a decision yet.

Anyway I said that I didn't know if it was missing or a typing error and explained about one side of the page numbered 3 and the other side numbered 4.  He said he would try and find out and if it was missing, he would request that it would be sent to me.

I then asked if he knew if a decision had been made yet on the claim, he confirmed that one had been made, but the award was not showing on the screen.  He said it usually takes about 48 hours to update to the computer and suggested I ring in 2 days.  I've just realised that 48 hours is Saturday, not sure if they are open on Saturday so may ring tomorrow afternoon. 

I think the word questions are to see whether you are on the ball or on cloud cuckoo!   I got one right so I was inbetween on that day!

No ring tomorrow!  When I rang yesterday, he said the decision had been made the day before on Wednesday!  You will just have it on your mind all weekend if you don't ring!  Good luck!

I am sure you will get a good result as your report was supportive and promising! 

I didn't think they were open Saturday, but my award letter is dated the 6th and that was Saturday 

Thanks, I look pretty shocking most of the time so should be ok on that front lol

Thank you Sukes. What will be will be. I have to go alone and drive. It's going to take 25 minutes and will leave me in extra pain ?? I can't bear the walking/bus routes they've given me.

Yeah Id definitely ring tomorrow , but don't leave it till 5.30 and you will be okay I'm sure x

Whenever I have rang during the morning, they always answered straight away.

I really hope so TCake, I will ring tomorrow afternoon.  

Oh blimey, is there no-one that can go with you?  hopefully there will be somewhere close to park the car. Will be thinking of you. 

You're lucky then rang at 8 am still 30 mins wait and usually 20 for PIP

Oooh you devil you  Good luck - bet you will not be able to wait until the afternoon though - bet you'll be calling them at 8.30am 

Mid morning - between 10-11 seems to be a good time.  This site is slow this afternoon sometimes taking ages to load up! 

It's because wer'e all having a natter 

 

Yes!  I bet the moderators raise their eyebrows and think we have nothing better to do with our time!  I suffer from agraphobia and never go oit unless I have to for a medical app etc.  I am really shy too and if I was in a room with all you people I would probably be sitting with my head down and not say a word.  But when I am online I feel I can talk. Weird eh? 

But when I am online I feel I can talk. Weird eh? 

No not weird, you can be anyone you like when others can't see you.  

 

Yes, very true 

Yes, I can park about 150 metres away apparently. Better take a crutch 😐 thanks for your kindness xx

Fingers crossed for you today Sukes!  Hope you get the award you want! 

Thank you TCake,

I've been waiting for the post to arrive, just in case there is a letter from them.  Our post is usually about 11am, so either it's late or there is nothing for us.  I will give it a bit longer then ring.  I'm shaking just thinking about it 

They made my decision on wed and still no letter - I was told when I rang n Thur that it would take about 10 days to arrive.  Go on ring!  I have a feeling it is good news!

I'm on the phone now listening to that awful wind up music.   Their times of opening are 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday so I hope I hear something today.  Will keep you posted x

 

Please do 😯

OMG I have my fingers and toes crossed!

ARGGGGH

Still nothing is showing on the computer, so they can't tell me.  He said to try again on Monday, but to ring at 8am as they are extremely busy on Mondays.   Oh well, not a lot I can do about it.  

Awwww so sorry for you!  Mine was showing the next day and it was the morning I rang too.  Well I suppose at least you know a decision has been made even if you have to wait another couple of days for it.

Aw that's a shame you didn't hear yet, they are so blinking slow 

It's so stressful ??

Ok so now you need something to take your mind off it for the weekend! Xxx

Yes - the whole PIP process plays with your head from start to finish!  You give them the call then you wait for the dreaded booklet to arrive - and when it does and you have finally filled it in and sent it off you then have to wait again and you wait...and wait...and wait until you hear from them with regards to an assessment and if you are and get given a date then you have wait for that date to arrive with anxiety and dread and then the assessment is over and you have to wait...and wait...and wait for your decision!  And the last bit of waiting is the worst because not only are you anxious about your result but you are already starting to think about what you might have to face if the decision is not the one you were hoping for!  Seriously these last few weeks I have been told I look pale, ill and have bags under my eyes the size of Santa sacks!  The DWP have no idea what we go through because if they did they would be more sympathetic when we call them! 

In fact I feel worse now physically and mentally since the day I applied for PIP (not going to inform them now though as they might feel the need to reassess me!) 

Starting with a glass of something cold maybe  

 

I'm sitting here laughing at your post TCake.  It's not funny, it's absolutely true about waiting, waiting and waiting, but I am laughing at your graphic description of the situation 

Yeah you're not the only one , it makes you ill all this carry on for months , it was 4 for me but can you imagine what it's like if you have to go to appeal .

It must be horrendous!

Its wrong the way the system is for claiming disability benefits.

Must admit on Thursday evening after hearing of my good news I popped open a glass of my finest rose wine and slept through like a baby!  And i haven't done that for a long long time! (the latter)

I coped better studying for my GCSEs,actually doing the exams and then waiting for the results!  It was a breeze compared to PIP!

  You are so right, it must be horrendous!

Oh I forgot to add all waiting on the phone to the DWP and having to listen to that same annoying music!  I am surprised they don't play the birdie song to make us go crazy and hang up!  

I think I would prefer the birdie song to that rotten music!

Now you will understand why I opted out of being transferred to PIP from DLA?

Read too many posts & stories about the whole thing - I think that the whole PIP experience is on a par with waterboarding terrorist suspects in a foreign country by the CIA.

Did they say you had been awarded pip though ?   and you just don't know if it is standard or enhanced ?

Hi Nicolette,

they just said that a decision had been made, but couldn't tell me what it was until  it had been uploaded on the computer.  They said a letter had been sent out today, although the chap I spoke to yesterday said the same thing.  Who knows!! I just have to wait, which is soooooo stressful  

I am sure you will be fine Sukes as your assessment report was promising!  Stay positive and enjoy your weekend as I am sure you will receive good news on Monday xxx

Hi Nicolette,

no they just said that a decision had been made and a letter was on it's way to me.  I will ring again 8am on Monday.  

I am an idiot,  I had already replied to your post last night    sorry about that.  

Thank you TCake, our post arrived just now, but no brown envelope.  I will keep having positive thoughts - I think   No I definitely will think POSITIVE x

You're gonna be fine sukes if you added up correctly you should sail through, so yes positive thinking .

always has to be the weekend doesn't it when you trying to find out something .

Oh yes, everything happens late on a Friday or early Saturday.  I'm trying to occupy myself, but it keeps popping into my head.

I know it's silly to worry as the report was fine, but the dreaded page 4 might have said something totally different.  Paranoid or wot!!  

The mysterious  page 4 eh

well mine didn't have a page 4 and I got it so look on the bright side .

i know that's easier said than done though

And just to tell you that the DM went with what the assessor had recommended on all the discriptors.

does this site reload itself for you when you are trying to post?

It does it to me all the time 

I can feel a book coming on, something to occupy my mind.  

not sure what you mean really about the site reloading itself - spooky!

Can I ask what you mean by "DM went with what the assessor had recommended on all the discriptors." ??

I need all the help I can get for my assessment this coming week xx

When I got my assessment report the HP had filled in the discriptors that she thought applied to me , you get points for each discriptor and the decision maker agreed with them all.  You can ask for your report after the assessment and I got mine 5 weeks before a decision was made.

I hope that makes sense to you 

good luck with your assessment 

good luck with your assessment

I received my letter today confirming my pip awards and it had a copy of all the descripters with the points and they were exactly the same as what was on the copy of my assessment - the the DWP had gone with the assessor!  So I am sure you will be fine.  

So my decision was made on wed and received my letter today (sat) so it came pretty quick!

Yeah sukes I can be typing something and then it will say that there has been a problem and reload and I lose everything I have typed.

so the dwp agreed with both Nicolette and my assessors score!  So think positive Sukes! 

oh that's not funny Nicolette, It hasn't happened to me on here, but I have had times when I've typed an email and it disappears

I will really try, perhaps I'll go through them again in case my maths is rubbish 

that is so annoying especially when you have typed alot!

what did you score?

No I won't - only joking 

Ah ok, thank you x

I can't remember exactly, hang on I'll have a look

 

sorry you dont have to say what you score is! Not everyone wishes to share to the public x 

It does it all the time freezes up and then reloads  , but I am using a tablet and not a PC , don't know if that's anything to do with it?

I added mine up about 10 times lol!  OMG this whole pip business has screwed us all up   We must be loopier now that before we applied!

That wouldn't take much in my case 

no seriously it just goes round and round in your head the whole time and takes over your life even now.

To be honest, when the brown evelope came through the letterbox this morning my first thoughts were OMG what if the letter states I got a lower award and the person who told me my award over the phone on Thursday got it wrong????? EEK So my hands were shaking when I opened it but luckily it did confirm what I was told over the phone!  Now I am worrying if my DLA and PIP payments get overlapped and I end up owing the DWP!!! So even after I have received my award I am still worrying!  It is never ending!

It won't overlap if your PIP award starts after the day you receive your last DLA .

I'm back.  I don't mind saying honestly.  If my sums are right and I've added it up about 4 times    then daily living is  21  and mobility is 16

you'll be fine Sukes if that is the case - not like you scored 12 and 12 which is what you just need to score to be awarded enhanced on both.  I was 16 and 14

Yeah like I said you should be fine

You know what it's like, until you get the decision in black and white, it's hard to stay positive. x

Roll on Monday 8am.  

Oh sounds like you'll be fine ??

I just typed a reply to you and all of a sudden everything disappeared, sounds like the same thing as happened to Nicolette.

I hope I get it, I had DLA for almost 20 years middle rate care and higher rate mobility, but we all know that PIP is totally different.

Do you have a date for your assessment yet. x

This week on the 18th 😓😓

Yeah it just did it again to me sukes did it say that there was a problem with the webpage so it was reloaded?

I was on high rate mobility and low rate care for 15 years.

I hope it goes really well for you,  we'll be waiting to hear how it went.  I left it about a week and then rang for my report. 

I can't recall it saying if there was a problem, it just disappeared 

Thanks Sukes x

Good luck for today Sukes!

Hi TCake,

just got off the phone and my ear is buzzing with that awful music, but it was worth staying on for as I have been awarded enhanced for both.    

I'm still shaking, I know the report was good, but you hear such awful stories, that I found it hard to believe it would happen.  

Thank you everyone for all the support and I will deferably stay on here to give support in return.  xx

Fantastic news!  I am sooooo pleased for you!

Yes, me too, I like this board and will stay to support others too. 

Hi  sukes

just saw your post that's brilliant news pleased for you that will be a load of your mind  I know .

knew you would be okay

Brilliant news....and breathe 😊

Just after I posted that I had the decision, the internet went off and didnt come back until around 9pm!!  I was too tired then to log on again  lol

I still can't quite believe so will wait until the letter arrives.  x

Thank you Nicolette,

you are right, it is a load off my mind x 

I feel as if I've been holding my breath for ages  

My decision was made last wed and the letter was posted the same day and arrived on Saturday so yours should be with you any time!

Fingers crossed it might aarrive today.  It's only usually junk rubbish on a Tuesday, I feel really sorry for the postie's having to carry that lot around.   

I didn't think to ask how long the award was for, I just wanted to get off the phone 

Hi TCake,

my letter arrived today confirming the award, so now I can believe it  

It says that the award is for an ongoing period, whatever that means.  x

Great news!  Not sure what it means either but you could always call them to ask?  Must be a long time though!