P.I.P. My story

[Saffy]

I applied for P.I.P. in January of this year.

 

I was supposed to have a face to face interview in my home on 14th August at 1.30pm. They cancelled at 11.00 am - by that time I had had several panic attacks and made myself ill from worrying.

 

Yesterday Department of W & P phoned me up and spent 80 minutes (Well, 77 if we're splitting hairs) on the phone asking me all about my illness and medications etc. etc. Bascially, going through the form I had already submitted.

 

 

I was put on the spot really, as I had no idea they did this, but despite probably talking nonsense half of the time, I think we got most of it down. I THINK. That's the problem ... now I'm wondering, did I say this? Did I say that?

 

Bizarrely, I was asked if I had pets. I said yes, we have two rabbits but my daughter cleaned them out, fed them etc .. just brought them to me for a cuddle every day.

 

He carried on with other stuff, then said, "So, you have rabbits and you look after them when your daughter can't!"

 

"Err no, I can hardly look after myself let alone the rabbits - she brings them into me for snuggles"

 

It was all a bit bizarre ....

 

I had mentioned in my PIP questionnaire that I had bursitis quite badly in my right elbow, due to using crutches and that it had now spread to my left arm also and that I had some nerve damage in my left arm.

 

He noted that ... carried on talking then said "So, you had bursitis in your right arm and it moves to your left?"

 

Gahh! I was muggly anyway, because I'm on Morphine and had taken extra morphine and Diazepam not long before the phone call and this was kicking in, so I was all over the place.

 

I had to say calmly, "No, I initially wrote I only had it in my right arm, but it is now also in my left arm aswell as a damaged nerve causing my left hand to go into a claw"

 

I had to call them back today because I was told that a phone interview like this was quite unusual .. They were apparently gathering information ready for my face to face on 1st September.

 

Just letting people know what I'm going through ... and hope this information helps someone.

 

I have my new wheelchair coming this week - after waiting 18 months. A quick call and a mention of involving my MP soon had this sorted.

 

Hope everyone out there applying that have applied for P.I.P. is doing ok.

 

Thought this might be a nice place for us all to ask questions of one another and support one another.

[AnnaGrant]

This is worrying. We all want the PIP application backlog to be cleared, but phoning people out of the blue is unfair.

You will have no record of what was said, and the DWP could say 'oh this is what the applicant told us on the phone' about things you haven't said.

They will have been prepared, and you weren't, and presumably didn't have all your papers in front of you that might have helped you to answer

Having recently taken medication, your replies might have been affected by that medication.

I think it is a good idea to call and ask what has been put on your records about the phone call. You could even ask for a written copy of any notes.

I am going to go through this at some stage for my disabled daughter.

Good luck with your face to face interview. Are you taking someone with you to make notes. It is very difficult to answer and ask question whilst taking notes about what was said.

 

---------- Post added 21-08-2014 at 10:10 ----------

 

This is worrying. We all want the PIP application backlog to be cleared, but phoning people out of the blue is unfair.

You will have no record of what was said, and the DWP could say 'oh this is what the applicant told us on the phone' about things you haven't said.

They will have been prepared, and you weren't, and presumably didn't have all your papers in front of you that might have helped you to answer

Having recently taken medication, your replies might have been affected by that medication.

I think it is a good idea to call and ask what has been put on your records about the phone call. You could even ask for a written copy of any notes.

I am going to go through this at some stage for my disabled daughter.

Good luck with your face to face interview. Are you taking someone with you to make notes. It is very difficult to answer and ask question whilst taking notes about what was said.

I forgot the obvious-ask the caller's name, who or on behalf of which department are they calling, and why are they wanting to discuss medical details over the phone.

[jane2008]

Good luck Saffy, my daughters took nearly 2 years to be sorted out. She was supposed to have a review in March but due to the backlog this hasn't happened.

 

I imagined they would put the annual amount into her account, but they don't. They pay it in in monthly payments.

[Saffy]

I'm in a complete state about this. I'm suffering panic attacks and keep crying.

 

I've contacted my MP who is going to look into this for me.

 

---------- Post added 22-08-2014 at 12:51 ----------

 

They said they wanted to gather as much information before my face to face .. It was a young man on the phone and I had to tell him about my incontinence .. Humiliating!

 

I felt too scared to end the call in case it affects my application. I only got through it by crawling around on all fours and rocking to and fro.

 

I have no idea what I said .

 

---------- Post added 27-08-2014 at 12:26 ----------

 

Just wanted to say. I have e mailed Capita three times before I got this face to face interview and they rang within an hour, only to tell me they had no appointments in my area.

 

Since the telephone call, I have e mailed twice to ask for a transcript of the telephone conversation as I was concerned because my Oramorph and Zomorph, together with Diazepam had been affecting me at the time and I wanted to ensure I had given enough information.

 

Heard anything? Have i hell as like!

 

I have heard from my MP though, who agrees with me that an out of the blue phone call would not only have caused me unnecessary stress and pain but that the short cancellation re. my initial face to face would have been stressful also, and he is going to look into this.

[dhs1]

Thanks for keeping us up to date. Given the experience of others it may be a while before you hear which is very tough on you.

[*Peaches*]

Mine was quite simple, I got a face to face interview after waiting since October last year, and within a week had my result. I hope they pull their finger out for you Saffy.

[medusa]

That sounds like a total nightmare Saffy! I would not be happy discussing those things with an unnamed person over the phone either and would have asked them to call back at an agreed time when I could be somewhere comfortable, but I guess that putting you on the spot is all part of the game maybe.

 

A friend of mine applied very early on this year and heard nothing until a few weeks ago setting up a medical on 18 August, and from there got the letter informing her of the result last Saturday, which has given her both care and mobility portions, so maybe the backlog is just in the information gathering and appointments?

[Saffy]

Hi Medusa,

 

They said that the phone call was to gather as much information as possible for the lady doing the face to face.

 

I have been so worked up I was getting hysterical.

 

No need though. The lady who came yesterday was lovely. Told me to take my time and stop if I needed to. It certainly helps to have someone with you as I completely forgot the word microphone as I was telling her that Hollie helps me with a blog for a website called DisabledGo. I jot down things and use my I Pod's microphone to get ideas and together we put a little blog about what it's like to find yourself disabled, how people react when they haven't seen you in ages and so on.

 

At one point, recalling how I used to be, I completely broke down (as I always do when I talk about my past life) and she was very understanding and actually quite upset for me.

 

It's all out of my hands now and I have to wait for the letter. She couldn't tell me how long it would be and I said, that's ok as I'm still getting DLA until the 'decision'.

 

I feel a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders today.

 

Yesterday I had to take some Diazepam aswell as Oramorph for breakthrough pain. As soon as the lady (Naomi) went, I took myself to bed.

 

My daughter went out ... when she came back a few hours later and the house was dead quiet I could hear her run upstairs and feel my pulse. She seriously thought I was dead as I was just lay there, cold and my lips were blue. I put it all down to shock and stress.

 

A couple of glasses of wine last night and an early night and today I feel oh, so much better.

 

It's just finger's crossed now.

 

---------- Post added 02-09-2014 at 12:00 ----------

 

http://www.disabledgo.com/blog/2014/08/i-guess-ill-introduce-myself-karen-fry/

 

If anyone would like to read it ... here's my blog. I think you can find the other 3 posts I have done since this first one.

[muckymurphy]

please. if you must use abbreviations, at least say once what the abbreviation stands for.

i thought this was a thread about dodgy breast implants until quite someway through the thread. i had to ask someone what a PIP was and got several different answers. eventually i understood that the OP is talking about a PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT just to clarify for anyone else who may trying to work it out.

 

mods: i am not being flippant, this is an important point that YOU should pointing out to the OP.

[medusa]

Is it not just as much your place to ask as ours?

 

This is a forum, after all.