Won APaper Based Assessment

My GF suffers from Bipolar 1 and when she was ‘invited’ to apply for PIP she plunged into a deep state of anxiety and fear. She would’t let, or didn’t trust a social worker or benefit worker or her local CAB to help with the form so I got the unenviable task of helping her to fill the form in

It was only after reading the BenefitsAndWork guide that I realised what an uphill struggle this was going to be. BBC Spotlight (NI) obtained figures that showed that over 35% of applicants, in NI, seeking to transfer from DLA to PIP had their benefits disallowed at the initial interview.

The first lesson I took from the Handbook was that words were of vital importance not just what you’d write yourself but what the actual words meant in law. I learned pretty early on not to restrict ourselves to putting answers in the box. Rather than write in the box we referred the accessor to ‘the other information’ section of the Form.

She was finding it impossible to keep her feet on the ground thinking of a f2f interview, I was worried that the pressure on her was that great that she would do some harm to herself. With little hope of success I filled the form in, wrote my support letter, picked a phrase from her consultants letter with the hope of getting a paper based assessment but more probably a home based assessment. It didn’t seem to work a f2f at Capita’s centre was scheduled. Fortunately it was at a place difficult to get to via public transport so it was relatively easy to get a postponement .

A second interview was arranged and one that was easily got to. I tried one last fling. I visited my MLA (Member of Local Assembly) he advised me to get another letter from her GP advising my GF was not able to travel and that any interview should take place in her town.

With that letter safely off to Capita he then emailed the the senior official within the Department for Communities (DfC) responsible for PIP, outlined the GF case in brief and, at my request, specifically requested a paper based assessment. We have learned today that a paper based assessment has been granted and that we should know the answer within 6-8 weeks

Undoubtedly the MLA’s direct contact with the Senior DfC Official was the deciding factor in getting us the paper based assessment but that would never have happened except for the guidance within the BenefitAndWork Handbook and the advice I received online. It was a matter of ‘i’ dotted and ‘t’ crossed with a bit of political pressure. Thank you BenefitsAndWork

We now sit on our hands and wait to see, and hope that the recent court ruling and that Capit’s financial problems will be my GF benefit

Good on-you Kevin for keep on fighting and getting a Paper Based review, you must let us all the outcome when you recieve the decision, I myself will be hitting for a PB for my ESA when it's due as I had a PB for my PIP and was a great success. As I remember saying to you a while back they are rare as hens teeth and you kept fighting. looking forward to your GF outcome I wish you well.

Just though I’d pop back and tell you that we haven’t received a decision yet, we’re into the fifth week now. Hopefully no news is good news !

Kevin

Back again. My girlfriend has received a text from DfC here in NI informing her that

’We’ve received the written report of your PIP assessment. We will write to you once we’ve made a decision on your PIP. As a guide you should hear from us within 4 weeks. You don’t need to contact us unless any of the details you gave us have changed. Thank you.’

It was a PBA should I now contact them and ask for the assessors report, I’m thinking of been prepared for any MR we might have to do.

What information do I need to supply, or is it just suffice to give name, address and NI number? As the above was a text message can I just reply to it and ask for the assessors report to be posted to her? What to say?

As always thanks for any advice you can offer
Kevin