DS1500 form query

Hi - My DS1500 was filled out and sent by my CNS and then I had to go thru a telephone questionnaire but they started paying up within two weeks.

There is also a section at McM's who will help you with all of this and more so I strongly advise contacting them

Also - paint the blackest of pictures so they don't have to assume...

Good luck

SiT

Thanks  I spoke to McMillan yesterday who offered to complete assessment form once received. Can I ask if you had a poor prognosis of 6 months of less on application? Jayne 

Ohhh Yes! Just got another one too due to the recent appearance of brain mets...

Aah Cancer... The gift that just keeps on giving!!!

Haha! You’re right there! 

Hi alsopkj,

I have never asked for a prognosis .  I understand my first DS1500 was completed via the Macmillan nurse at the hospital on the basis that it would not be unreasonable to consider I might die within six months (as some people with my diagnosis do).  I have had my benefit renewed after the Macmillan people at the hospital completed the renewal form for me.

I would certainly recommend going via Macmillan as they know the appropriate wording to use.

All the best,

Gragon x

Hi  Alscopj

Just today I was the same as Gargon I don’t want to know my prognosis so they went to my lung cancer nurse.I had a telephone assessment and received the payments a couple of weeks later.I did have se money backdated.Hope you get it sorted soon.

Gragonthanks. I am to ring McMillan again when I receive the assessment form for her to help me complete it. 

Hi Zthanks for your reply, I will ring McMillan again when my form is received in the post! Take care, Jayne

Hi Jayne, I dont think we have chatted before so I just wanted to say good luck.

When they changed from DLA to PIP I was called in for an assessment that took over an hour and at the end of it, the senior nurse apologised for me having to come in and said "it is a sad state of affairs but 80% of people we see tell lies to get money and we tend to think that of most applicants until we are proved otherwise!" He also told me I should have asked for a Form DS1500 when i first applied for DLA. When we said we hadn't heard of it as this was all new to us, he said if we were "scammers" we would know it all!

Within a few weeks, I got a letter saying I qualified for PIP and as I had been underpaid for a while, the aarrears would be in the first payment. It also said I didnt have to apply again for 10 years! That'll be 2027!

Oh I almost forgot, when we got there we were told the lift wasn't working and they were waiting for an engineer! We were asked if we could go up one and a half flights of stairs or make an appointment for another day! We said in that case we would need to. Ook another appointment. We were told to wait a few moments, then the Senior Nurse came through and took us to an examination room. I said that was great it meant we didnt have to come back another day! As he was showing us out the security guard was telling someone else about the lift but they didnt want to come back, so would struggle with the stairs. The nurse said quietly to us that if they had put on their form they could not manage 3 stairs, they wouldnt get the benifit.  We thought that was a bit devious but I suppose it's the people who dont need the benifit who try to get it that is to blame for that too!

Good luck

sorry, but I have to respond to what the assessor told you - both about 80% of people telling lies, and the way they use deviousness to refuse people. Of course you should get your PIP, but the actual amount of fraud on disability benefits is tiny ( compare it to tax evasion for example which costs the UK billions). I know from personal experience as a companion to someone with rheumatoid athritis with severe disability that they do everything to deny benefit and actually lie on the assessment forms. I have been there for ESA and PIP assessments, and the system is weighted against the claimant- everyone is treated as suspect. I have spoken at tribunal and pointed out the lies on assessment forms, and it is clear the tribunal know that there are distortions commonly written up. I know the DS1500 form should be accepted without question, but I do get so mad at the idea that there are millions of scammers out there for other benefits - I speak as someone who used to work for DHSS ( in the good old days before it became DWP) at Citizens Advice Bureau and at a mental health charity. Yes, of course there are a few people who take advantage, but there are many more who are abused by the system. Sorry but I get incensed!