Understanding PIP

Department for Work & Pensions logoI received my letter for Personal Independent Payments on the 17 October 2016.

 

 

 

Man sat in chair reading a piece of paperI felt the letter was very difficult to understand and had very complicated words. I had to bring my letter to work so I could get support to understand what I needed to do.

 

 

 

 

Woman and man sat on chairs next to each other looking at bookletThe people I work with Rob and Alexia explained the letter to me. The letter said Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was ending and I needed to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

I needed to call the Department for Work and Pensions by the 2 November 2016 to apply for PIP.

 

 

Man and woman looking over papers togetherAlexia supported me to call the Department for Work and Pensions to tell them that I wanted to claim PIP. They asked very difficult questions and I had to get support to understand what they were saying to me. They also didn’t have any Easy Read information which really didn’t help me.

 

Hand writing on documentAfter the phone call, the Department for Work and Pensions said that they would send me a form asking me about how my disability affects me.

 

 

People filling in a form togetherWhen I got the form, I brought it in to work and my manager Rob went through it with me, which took a really long time.

The form had lots of different sections and questions about how my disability affects my day-to-day life. For example, it asked me about how I mix with other people, how I make decisions about money, and how I manage my treatment.

 

 

Pieces of blank paperI also had to put together evidence to support my application and prove that I have a learning disability and health conditions.

 

 

 

 

Department for Work and Pensions logoThe Department for Work and Pensions said I should include as much information in my evidence as I could. I sent them lots of letters from my GP and my hospital.

 

Two people sat at a desk with one man writing lettersI also included letters from Access to Work in my evidence to prove that I get money to pay for my support at work. Rob and Alexia also wrote letters to explain what support I receive and to back up my claim.

 

 

Envelope with the word "Freepost" written on itThen I posted everything. I had to send my evidence off with my ‘How Your Disability Affects You’ form before the 18 November.

 

 

Man looking at his watchRob spent 8 hours or more doing the form with me and I was very lucky to get his support. Without this support, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

 

 

Man stood holding a letterThis means I would have missed the Deadline date and my money would have been stopped.

After I sent my form off, I got a letter saying I needed to go to a face-to-face assessment on the 12th November 2016. The assessment lasted about 1 hour. During the assessment, I was asked very difficult questions which were hard to follow.

 

 

Three people stood togetherThere are millions of people with different disabilities, and some people like me have hidden disabilities that can’t be recognised that easily.

 

 

 

Mencap logoI’m lucky to work for an organisation that understands my disability and my needs, and they give me excellent support.

Other people with a disability might not be so lucky. They might not have the same support as I do, so they might have to use other services like the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

 

Four people stood in a lineNow that lots of people are trying to apply for PIP, these services will be really busy because lots of people will be going to them for support. This means the staff at these services might not be able to spend as much time supporting people, and they may not be able to see people on the same day.

 

 

 

Hand holding a pen writing things in a calendarThings can be especially difficult for people with hidden disabilities, because advice services might not understand their disability and so these people might not get the right level of support.

 

 

 

Man sat at a desk, holding his hands to his headSomething I found very stressful was that the deadline date for claiming PIP was quite soon – I only had a month to do my claim. This is really be difficult for people with a learning disability because it doesn’t leave them enough time to prepare, which can cause people stress that might affect their health.

 

What should the DWP do?

 

Department for Work and Pensions logoThe Department for Work and Pensions needs to make things easier for people with a disability. To do this, they should produce Easy Read letters and forms for people who use their services. They also need to make this information available in other formats, like Braille.

 

 

 

Calendars with words "March", "June" and "October" written on themI think the Department for Work and Pensions also needs to make their forms shorter so that they are easier to fill in. They should also give people more time to send off their paperwork because the deadline is too short. They should give people at least two months.

 

 

 

Woman sat at desk using a telephoneThe staff at the Department for Work and Pensions also need to be more understanding and patient on the phone. When I spoke to them, I found them scary and I got very stressed and worried. I think they should try to be more friendly and not ask complicated questions.

 

 

Department for Work and Pensions logoLastly, the Department for Work and Pensions need to make sure everyone has someone to help them to fill in the form and go with them to the face-to-face assessment. This is really important.

 

 

 

Smiling woman sat at desk in front of a computerI hope that, in the future, the Department for Work and Pensions will improve the way they communicate with their disabled customers because we need that extra support. Until then, I hope that this blog will help other people applying for PIP so that they know what to expect.

Get in touch, we're here for you

The Learning Disability Helpline is our free help and advice line.

Our team can offer advice, information and discuss what support Mencap can offer tailored to your needs, in your area.

Call or email us