Should I withdraw my PIP Claim and start affresh in a couple of months time?

Hi my partner was informed she might be entitled to PIP due to some of her medical conditions. She applied to PIP and the application form was sent out. The form was sat on for a couple of weeks without been properly looked at. I was going to help he fill the form in. Time was passing and we realised we would have insufficient time to return by the due date. We contacted PIP & they awarded an extension to have the form returned. That extended date is now a couple of days away and we are no nearer filling in the form.

Having recently started researching how to fill in the form to have a successful outcome I don’t feel confident to get the form filled in and back to them without rushing through it and making several mistakes and the claim rejected. No documents have been forwarded to PIP yet, there has only been the phone call to submit the claim and another call that extended the period for the form to be returned to them (that date is now imminent). At this point my partner dosen't feel like asking for another extension of time and would prefer to reaply in the New Year. Could she cancel the claim and re-apply in say in a couple of months’ time in the New Year? I realise any new claim would only be dated from the date of the new application. I’m basically asking If she were to withdraw/cancel the claim at this stage would there be any adverse effect on reapplying in a couple of months or so time? If the claim is withdrawn is there any minimum time frame before a new application could be submitted?

Would she need to phone the DWP and inform them she don’t want to submit the application form to them at this stage but would probably be looking into applying again in a couple of months’ time or so? (Again realising the application date from the first claim been withdrawn would no longer be valid) Or could she just let the return date laps without contacting PIP and then just submit a new claim with a new start date in a couple of months or so? If she would be expected to contact PIP to withdraw the present clam, what would be the best comment to give them as to the reason it was been withdrawn?

Over the period between cancelling and then getting ready to reapply it would provide time to research and gather relevant information and knowledge (knowledge is power) to hopefully then submit a successful PIP claim.

Thanks in anticipation of your comment on my query.

Rhj

Follow UP

Hi BIS (and the rest of the community)

Thanks for the very prompt reply to my query and the advice you provided.

Today (28th November) was the last day of the extended time they had agreed to have the completed PIP form returned to them. The previous (original) return date prior to them agreeing to the extension of time was 25th October.

Following on from your advice we contacted the DWP today and asked about cancelling the claim for the time been and would she be able to submit a new claim probably sometime in the New Year.

My partner was with me during the call and gave permission for me to speak on her behalf as she didn’t feel up to it. She suffers badly with depression and anxiety. Around this time of the year when the daylight hours are few and it’s a lot colder, it always makes her depressive state worse than the summer months.

I explained how my partner’s depression effecter her, and she didn’t feel up to completing the questions at the moment. The DWP asked if rather than cancelling the claim, would she rather have additional time extended to return the completed form to them. I was actually surprised when this was offered by the DWP as it had already been previously extended for another four weeks. I did mention that it would probably be into the New Year before it would likely be returned to them. To my surprise again, they said they would allow up to 2nd January 2025 for it to be returned to them. This offer was taken up with them.

I’m truly surprised that from initially the DWP requesting the form been returned to them within the standard 30 days, they have been willing to extend this to 99 days. I just hope and pray they will be as sympathetic when it comes to awarding the points once the form has been analysed by them.

I will source as much information as I can from the Benefits for Work website and previous forum replies to PIP queries. As well as this I am sure I will probably be back to the forum with some additional queries over the next few weeks with queries on answering the PIP form questions correctly.

Thanks again

Rhj