What evidence for a PIP claim?
Posted , 4 users are following.
So many arguments I have seen over who should or should not gather evidence. The regulations say that the assessor/DWP are responsible for this task. The DWP 'suggest' that it would be helpful if the claimant could send copies of any relevant evidence that the claimant has to hand and should not pay or ask for something, especially from the GP.
There is a list that the DWP would like to have from the claimant if they already have it.
Obviously the choice is down to the claimant if they want to ignore those comments and gather other evidence that is not to hand and/or pay for reports.
What concerns me is what evidence would the DWP/Tribunal be looking for if there is a nil award and a MR/appeal is lodged?
Assuming that the claimant has very little money, and no professional support is there a list somewhere that describes what evidence can be obtained easilly and without cost to support a MR application or Tribunal hearing? Not everyone has unlimited cash funds and/or the ability to structure the appeal without some help. Having professional support (which is now nigh on impossible to get because ot the cuts with more to come) and the ability the prepare, submit and argue at a Tribunal should not mean that they would have a better chance of getting justice over those that don't have those abilities.
That sort of information would be invaluable for those embarking on the appeal process.
1 like, 3 replies
dawn57104 les59996
Posted
They will deal with the whole claim and help you through every step.
michelle58585 les59996
Posted
Hi Les
Well in our case they requested it all from myself and my daughter, we asked the GP and the Hopspital and would have had to pay for it myself, my council housing officer told me PIP should request it from the relevant parties and I shouldn't have to pay for information they require when they have the right to receive the information and they pay for it. but as you know it didn't happen in my case.
les59996 michelle58585
Posted
Terrible!!! I always abide by the rules when claiming benefits. Unfortunately there isn't a great deal that you can do if the DWP decide that they don't want to play by the rules. You either don't get the award that you are entitled to or at worst your claim is struck out early because you did not abide by an instruction to supply evidence within 30 days.
I have been caught out before (Pension Credit claim) when it would have put me at expensive cost, time and effort to supply evidence within the 30 days. I showed them that if they only waited a few weeks longer they could have it at no cost to me. They forcibly closed down my claim with a loss of over £8000 in benefit that I never received.
I have had to fight the DWP every year for over 22 years (16 face to face assessments resulting in 14 appeals) just to either maintain what I was getting or to get an award that I was entitled to.