DLA to PiP - refused.

linclass

Hello,
I received a letter from DLA in February advising a face to face visit with a woman from the organisation tasked with obtaining this information would be made to my home in late March. The day arrived, a young woman armed with a Laptop duly made herself comfortable and commenced in asking me virtually ALL the questions that I have completed in the booklet originally sent by DLA in January. Today, I received their decision which, I expected anyway. I have a congenital deformity (no fingers or thumb) on one hand. I've been awarded points (!!) for the living portion of PIP. Two points. YES, 2 POINTS. It's as if the panel (?) took absolutely NO notice of either what was entered on the original booklet, or what this young woman has mentioned in her report. She did however, observe I had no problem lifting the cat onto my lap ... mmmm. No points awarded for securing certain clothing, or washing certain body parts. Therefore, they feel it quite acceptable that I walk around with no underwear and smell like a fish. Do I sound annoyed? You bloody bet I am. I only ever received £87/month.n I'll need to wait until Monday before I phone them. Has anyone else managed to turn around a decision? I have plenty of tablets in the cupboard by the way.

antrobus

linclass wrote: »

Hello,
I received a letter from DLA in February advising a face to face visit with a woman from the organisation tasked with obtaining this information would be made to my home in late March. The day arrived, a young woman armed with a Laptop duly made herself comfortable and commenced in asking me virtually ALL the questions that I have completed in the booklet originally sent by DLA in January.

That's what they are supposed to do.

linclass wrote: »

...Today, I received their decision which, I expected anyway. I have a congenital deformity (no fingers or thumb) on one hand. I've been awarded points (!!) for the living portion of PIP. Two points. YES, 2 POINTS. It's as if the panel (?) took absolutely NO notice of either what was entered on the original booklet, or what this young woman has mentioned in her report. She did however, observe I had no problem lifting the cat onto my lap ... mmmm. No points awarded for securing certain clothing, or washing certain body parts. Therefore, they feel it quite acceptable that I walk around with no underwear and smell like a fish. Do I sound annoyed? You bloody bet I am...

Where do you think you should have been awarded points?

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – table of activities, descriptors and points
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

I understand that you have a congenital deformity, which must make life difficult, but PIP works on the basis of what you can't do. If you can (for example) 'wash and bathe unaided' under activity 4, you get zero points. To get points you need to establish either the use of an aid or appliance, or the need for supervision or assistance.

linclass wrote: »

... I only ever received £87/month.n I'll need to wait until Monday before I phone them. Has anyone else managed to turn around a decision? ...

Yes.

You need to request a mandatory reconsideration, and then (if that doesn't work) start an appeal.

linclass wrote: »

...I have plenty of tablets in the cupboard by the way.

IAmWales

You were only receiving lower rate care before, there is no equivalent to this with PIP. Have you looked at the PIP descriptors to see where you might score, do you need assistance with dressing and bathing, are you unable to use your other hand?

poppy12345

linclass wrote: »

Hello,
I received a letter from DLA in February advising a face to face visit with a woman from the organisation tasked with obtaining this information would be made to my home in late March. The day arrived, a young woman armed with a Laptop duly made herself comfortable and commenced in asking me virtually ALL the questions that I have completed in the booklet originally sent by DLA in January. Today, I received their decision which, I expected anyway. I have a congenital deformity (no fingers or thumb) on one hand. I've been awarded points (!!) for the living portion of PIP. Two points. YES, 2 POINTS. It's as if the panel (?) took absolutely NO notice of either what was entered on the original booklet, or what this young woman has mentioned in her report. She did however, observe I had no problem lifting the cat onto my lap ... mmmm. No points awarded for securing certain clothing, or washing certain body parts. Therefore, they feel it quite acceptable that I walk around with no underwear and smell like a fish. Do I sound annoyed? You bloody bet I am. I only ever received £87/month.n I'll need to wait until Monday before I phone them. Has anyone else managed to turn around a decision? I have plenty of tablets in the cupboard by the way.

Did you send in evidence to support your claim? Take a look at the link above and decide which of those descriptors apply to you. You'll need to prove they do with evidence. You have 1 month from the date on the decision letter to ask for the MR. Most MR decisions remain the same, so be prepared to take it to Appeal Tribunal.

w06

which descriptors do you think that you should have scored points for?

As above unless your condition has deteriorated since your DLA award, the analogous PIP award is zero award as lower rate daily living doesn't exist. (I know they're not directly analogous, it's differnt criteria, but roughly so)

linclass

Firstly, apologies for late reply. I received a letter advising my DLA would end, and if I'm interested in claiming PIP to call them which I did. I received a whole booklet to complete, and the interrogator that visited seemed to ask ALL the same questions as those I answered in that booklet. I can wash my left side, as right hand unaffected. Washing my right side is an issue, as is shaving under arms (cannot do that). I cannot fasten a Bra. There are MANY things that I cannot do, trivial to some peeps but massive to me. Example - I cannot shake a Duvet. My condition will never improve, and goodness forbid, I should injure/lose the functionality of my right hand, then I will be royally stuffed. The young interrogator that visited me, didn't even know how to spell one of my medications!! I wasn't that impressed.

w06

That's what they're supposed to do though. The booklet asked you questions in relation to the 'descriptors' relevant to PIP, and then the assessor asked you questions about the same descriptors, it's all part of the assessment process.

Things like changing hte bed don't come into the assessment, nor shaving your armpits I suspect.

Antrobus posted a link to the things that you would have been assessed on. With a single limb affected it would be quite unlikely, I think, that you would score enough points to recieve any benefit. Before you head down the appeal process look at the descriptors and see what you think you should have been awarded.

They won't score your points for what might happen in the future or how long you've had the disability (beyond it has to have been present 3 months and to be expected to last 9 months)