You might want to get documents to put with your claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
You don’t have to put papers with your PIP claim (unless you are claiming under special rules because you are terminally ill). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should contact your doctor on the details you give them.
However, the more evidence you give of how your disability affects your everyday life, the easier it will be for the DWP to make the right decision about your claim.
If you want to put supporting evidence in your claim, these are good papers to include:
- Medical records
- Sick notes
- Prescriptions
- Diary of daily routine
- Letters from medical professionals
- Letters from other professionals
- Letters from other people who help you
It can take a long time to get medical records or letters so ask for them as soon as you can, so you have them ready to send in with your claim form. There is normally only five or six weeks between your phone call to start the claim and the date you have to return your form by.
If you can, make a copy of your documents. Keep one for yourself and one to send with your claim form. It is also a good idea to write your national insurance number on each sheet you send, in case it gets separated from the rest of your claim after the DWP receives it.
Medical records
You can ask your doctor or GP for a copy of your medical records. You may have to pay for them. The maximum your GP can charge is £50.
If you are claiming under the special rules because you are terminally ill, ask your doctor for a DS1500 form.
Diary of daily routine
You can make a diary to show how your disability affects you in day-to-day life. Keep a very detailed diary for at least one day to show how long everyday things take you and how you do them differently because of your disability.
Letters from medical professionals
You can include letters from any medical professionals you deal with. Medical professionals include the consultant you see at hospital, your community psychiatric nurse (CPN), your GP, health visitor, nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychiatrist or your psychologist.
You may want to include letters you have already received and/or ask your medical professional for a letter to support your claim. They can say what your condition is, how it affects your everyday life and what your treatment is. If you can’t find medical letters you already had, you can ask your doctor or GP for a copy.
Letters from other professionals
Letters from another professional who helps you, like your healthcare assistant (HCA), social worker, support worker or a teacher, can also be helpful. They can say how your condition affects your everyday life.
Letters from people who help you
Letters from any friends or family who you rely on are helpful too. They can say how they help you and what would happen if they weren’t there to help you.
Updated May 2017