Starting a new claim
The first phone call to DWP can feel huge. We'll sit with you while you make it, or call together on speakerphone.
Benefits · PIP support
The PIP form is brutal. You shouldn't face it alone.
Personal Independence Payment helps with the extra costs of a long-term health condition or disability. The form is long, the questions are loaded, and the wording matters. We'll sit with you and get it right.
What we help with
The everyday things people ask us about.
You don't need to know exactly what you need before you walk in. Most people start with one of these — and we work the rest out together.
The PIP2 form
Forty pages, fourteen activities. We'll work through each one in plain English and help you describe your worst day.
Gathering evidence
GP letters, hospital reports, medication lists, diaries. We'll help you ask for what you need.
Assessment prep
We'll talk you through what to expect — phone, video or face-to-face — and what NOT to do.
Mandatory reconsideration
Wrong decision? You have one month. We'll help you write a clear, evidence-led challenge.
Appeals & tribunals
If the reconsideration fails, we'll signpost you to free welfare-rights help to take it to tribunal.
What to expect
Three steps, and you're not on your own for any of them.
- 01
Book a slot
Ring 01757 642 177 or email to arrange an appointment, Mon–Fri 9–4. We'll find a quiet time that works for you.
- 02
Tell us your story
We listen. No script. We need to understand how things actually are on your worst days, not your best.
- 03
Form, evidence, post
We type the form together, attach your evidence, and make sure it goes back inside the deadline.
Who it's for
Come and see us if…
- You're aged 16 to State Pension age
- You have a long-term physical or mental-health condition
- Daily living tasks or moving around are harder because of it
- The form arrived and you've no idea where to start
- You've been turned down and need to challenge it
What to bring
Worth bringing if you've got it.
- Your PIP form (the PIP2 'How your disability affects you')
- Any letters from your GP, consultant, therapist or social worker
- A list of your current medication
- National Insurance number
- Anything that shows how a typical day goes — diaries, notes, a partner who knows
Don't worry if you haven't got everything. Come anyway and we'll work back from what you do have.
Frequently asked
The questions we get asked most.
How long does the form take?
Plan on two sessions of about ninety minutes. Don't try to do it in one — your answers will be sharper if we break it up.
Will you come to my assessment with me?
We can't usually attend the DWP assessment itself, but we'll prep you thoroughly and debrief afterwards.
What if my condition is mental health?
Most PIP descriptors apply to mental-health conditions. The trick is describing what you actually can and can't do reliably, safely, repeatedly, in a timely way. We'll help.
I missed the deadline — am I stuck?
Not necessarily. We'll help you ring DWP, explain the reason and ask for an extension. They're more flexible than people think.
Is this confidential?
Yes. Nothing leaves this building without your say-so.
A quiet pound doing noisy work
Support The Big Communitea Centre your way.
Every pound you give keeps the kettle on, the doors open and the support free. No middlemen, no fees, no fuss, just direct help for people in Selby who need it.
100% goes straight to the centre
Talk to a person
Give us a ring to book a time.
Support sessions are by appointment so we can give you our full attention. Call in or ring up, and a member of staff will set a time and date that works for you, Monday to Friday, 9 to 4. Support is for ages 16 and over. No referral, no awkward forms before you've even said hello.