Supporting information is information from:

• professionals
• the individual’s wider support network

It’s added to the information provided by the individual or person acting on their behalf in their application or review form.

For example, supporting information may provide details on:

• a diagnosis
• a treatment being received, such as medication or physiotherapy
• how an individual’s condition or disability impacts their life
• steps taken to find out about the individual’s condition and make a diagnosis
• aids and equipment that an individual uses to manage daily life
• support that the individual needs at school or in a club they attend although this information is more likely to be found in additional supporting information

There are two types of supporting information:

• confirmation from a professional
• additional supporting information

A confirmation from a professional can only come from a professional. The key role of this type of supporting information is to broadly confirm the individual’s conditions, disabilities or needs.

Additional supporting information can come from the client’s wider support network or a professional. Its purpose is to help you establish the individual’s level of need and entitlement. It adds detail to the application or review form by describing the individual’s needs on a day-to-day basis.

This type of supporting information is just one decision-making tool available to you to help understand a case and make a determination. If you do need more information to make a decision, you should consider which tool would best provide this information. Additional supporting information will not always be the best tool to establish an individual’s entitlement.

For example, a follow-up call to the individual or person acting on their behalf may be the easiest way to get specific details rather than asking another professional or their wider support network.

The role of supporting information in the decision-making process

Supporting information should be used to support an individual’s application or review. It should not be used to “evidence” or “prove” every detail of what the individual has described.

The application or review form should always be the main source of information that you use to determine entitlement to disability assistance.

However, where an individual provides supporting information with their application, it should always be considered in your decision-making process.

You must consider all relevant information in your decision making process in line with the right first time principles This applies to both the supporting information used as the confirmation from a professional or additional supporting information.

If supporting information has been provided, you will have to consider it. This is also the case if you already have enough detail to establish the individual’s needs, for example from their application form.

You may need more information in order to make a decision. Some applications and their supporting information may contain inconsistencies.

If there are gaps and inconsistencies in the information provided, you should take these steps before requesting additional supporting information:

• consider whether there is a reasonable explanation for the inconsistency or if it needs further exploration
• consider which decision-making tool would be best to resolve the specific gaps and inconsistencies
• contact the individual to ask follow-up questions provided it is appropriate to do so and where it is more likely than not that they would be able to provide the information needed
• Refer to the guidance on gaps and inconsistencies

These steps ensure we are not using additional supporting information as the default decision-making tool in every scenario. Processing times will likely reduce if additional supporting information is only used when it is the tool most likely to provide the information needed.

An individual may not provide a confirmation from a professional with their application. You should follow the steps set out in operational guidance and this chapter to do any of the following that would result in the collection of a confirmation from a professional:

• support the individual in identifying suitable documents they might have at home
• advise the individual on how to request confirmation from a professional and who to request it from
• gather it on behalf of the individual, where you have the permission to do so

You should only request more additional supporting information if:

• you cannot make a determination based on the balance of probabilities
• it is the best decision-making tool for that individual’s case

Gathering further supporting information should not be your default decision-making tool. Supporting information is one of a suite of decision-making tools you can use to help you make your decision.

If, after requesting more supporting information, you do not have all the information needed to establish facts, you should:

• make use of other decision-making tools
• continue to make decisions based on the balance of probabilities
• continue to follow a trust-based approach when making your decision

Possible formats

Supporting information can be:

• documentary
• written
• verbal
• photographic or video

Documentary

Documentary supporting information is from professional sources. It consists of official documents that were not necessarily produced to support the individual’s application or review.

For example, a:

• report from a specialist doctor based on their interaction with the individual and medical records
• prescription list of the individual’s medications

Written

Written supporting information is not a pre-existing official document.

For example, a statement from a relative of the individual about the impact of their disability on their day-to-day life.

We can provide supporting information request forms to members of the individual’s wider support network. These have questions to help them give us necessary information.

Verbal

Verbal supporting information is taken directly from relevant sources.

For example, information provided over the phone by the individual’s wider support network about the impact of the individual’s condition.

Photographic or video

Pictures that have been taken by a medical professional as part of treatment or diagnosis, such as X-ray pictures, can be accepted as supporting information.

Individuals might also submit photographs or videos of their conditions. For example, a photograph of themselves in a wheelchair.

You must never ask the individual to submit personal photographs or videos. Individuals are discouraged from submitting photographs or videos in support of an application or review.

This is because:

• not all conditions or needs can be photographed
• not all individuals will be able to take photographs or submit them
• requiring images of conditions is not treating individuals with dignity, fairness and respect

If a personal photograph or video is submitted, you should not discount it. The individual clearly felt it was important to share.

You should speak to your line manager if you receive a photograph or video that you find distressing.