PIP Review and what to expect?

Hi there,

Is there a guide on how best to approach the PIP review form?
Does anyone have any helpful tips or insights about filling this out from a mental health / anxiety aspect?

Hi Help the helpless,

I have just received my award after filling in the AR1 and got enhanced for both sections after only being on standard rates before. I have both physical and mental health issues. I can tell you basically what I did.

I filled out the form as per the advice in the guides. I took as much, if not more time over it than my initial form. Under each section of the form, I wrote, for example,

"This is the same, I still need help with..... as I am unable to...."

Then under the Tell us how you manage the activity now section, I just wrote
" Please see sheet..." Then I went in to just as much detail as I did on the original form. I didn't miss anything out. I typed out all my sheets, as I believe making it as easy as possible for them to read can only be a good thing.

Use the guides and don't be afraid to repeat yourself. I found I kept saying the same things in different sections, it feels a bit weird but ignore those feelings. Treat every section individually and don't worry that you have said something before.

Make sure to say that you can't do something, as opposed to you don't do something. I have fallen into this trap before. When you think about it, if you say you don't do something, it implies that you have made a conscious decision not to do something, rather than you are unable to do something because of disability.

And as per the guides, remember that it's about the help you need, even if you don't get that help at the moment, not just what is wrong with you.

I took particular care in following the guides, especially concentrating on the issue of being unable to do something reliably, and I made sure that in for each section I gave an estimate of how often I needed the help.

I hope this has been of some help to you

Sj