Providing Medical Evidence for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Claims

When applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), claimants are only required to submit medical evidence that they already possess, such as copies of clinic letters or other relevant documents. They are not instructed to contact their GP or another healthcare professional to obtain new evidence specifically for their claim. Additionally, there is no mandatory requirement for a GP or other health professional to provide a written statement on the PIP claim form itself.

Requests from Patients for Medical Evidence

If a patient contacts your practice requesting a medical report or access to their records for a PIP claim, you may charge a reasonable fee for this service. This could include:

• Providing copies of medical records.
• Producing a private medical report summarising relevant health conditions.

It is important to inform patients of any applicable fees in advance and ensure they understand that they are not obliged to obtain additional medical evidence for their claim.

Requests from the PIP Assessment Provider

In some cases, the PIP Assessment Provider (e.g., Capita or Independent Assessment Services) may request a factual report from a GP or another healthcare professional to assist in the PIP assessment process. If you receive such a request:

• It is essential to respond within the requested timeframe, as delays could negatively impact the patient’s claim.
• No additional fee may be charged for this report, as it is considered a prescribed certificate under NHS regulations.

This distinction ensures that GPs are fairly compensated for non-NHS work while fulfilling their professional duty to support patients undergoing PIP assessments. If you have concerns about a request, please contact the LMC for further guidance.