UK disability benefit PIP?

Post Reply New Topic

I want to apply for this but The whole process is stressing me out and I'm only reading about it at the moment. I read a lot about it earlier in the year but decided against applying as I didn't think I'd be able to cope with going somewhere for the assessment bit. I still really think it would be a good idea to apply but the assessment part is still really stressing me out. There were other things I was going to ask but I'm not quite sure what they were now.
Has anyone applied that can give any advice on the process or is there anywhere that has a good guide, that I may not have found?

Thanks.

This might help if you haven't already seen it:

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/perso ... ayment-pip

I'd also try to get the Citizens Advice Bureau to help, if you can.

I'd expect a lot of resistance to your claim. I tried to get DLA and failed - in hindsight my mistake was probably not realising that they don't take into account anything that isn't backed up by a statement from the Great And Good, so get your diagnostician / doctor to write down everything that your case depends on. Expect to be turned down initially, be prepared to go to appeal, and expect it to be somewhat stressful.

Another of my own problems with these claims is that I'm useless with face-to-face conversation. I always tell them that and ask for everything to be done by letter and email, but they usually ignore it and phone me up or expect to talk face-to-face. It might be worth really digging your heels in about that, if you're anything like me, and if the rules absolutely insist on face-to-face, then try to get an advocate to accompany you, if you can find a good one.

Oh, and expect it to take them a long time. Don't know if you saw this:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... s-scrutiny
Hopefully the gov have responded to the outcry by now and got the waiting times down a bit, but I wouldn't count on it, knowing their reluctance to spend money.

For reasons I won't go into, I have considered that I may genuinely need this, but I've dismissed out-of-hand even trying to apply. With the cuts causing pressure to avoid granting benefits even to those unequivocally deserving, I already know I would not stand a chance.

I hope you can get through all this though, and yes, get someone to act as an advocate for those face-to-face situations. I need this too as I fall apart and can't think on the spot when it matters, but have nobody.

You need as much professional help as you can get. Contact the National Autistic Society helpline and see if they can point you in the direction of an advocate.
There is also a website called Benefits and Work which for an annual fee of about £15 allows members to download guides prepared by welfare barristers who know the system.

Good luck.