PIP Assessors Report

poppy12345

vicki84 wrote: »

Thanks Alice and Poppy really appreciate your advice like apparently a decision letter has now been sent but it is not on the system yet.

it can take about 24 hours to transfer from one system to another, if you ring tomorrow then they should be able to tell you the decision. Do let us know the outcome.

vicki84

Hi just an update I have called and got the details of my award standard care and enhanced mobility. I am not going to challenge them about the therapy points.

Alice_Holt

What Daily Living activities and points did you score?

vicki84

9 living and 12 mobility

Alice_Holt

Can you break down the 9 DL points.
Their should be a table by activity and descriptor.
How many points did you score for each PIP activity and which descriptor applied?

Muttleythefrog

vicki84 wrote: »

9 living and 12 mobility

Just passing through as not been around for days.... but I suspect my thinking is the same as Alice's..... if you were awarded zero points when the report suggests you score 4 for the medication/treatment/therapy activity... and that in turn has led to you being denied 13 points and therefore an enhanced rate daily living then I would 100% challenge the decision... no question whatsoever...that would be a significant amount of money additional you should be awarded even going by their own contracted assessment. However you may already be considering those points in the 9 awarded which would change things somewhat. But that's why Alice is asking.... for clarity on what (daily living) descriptors were awarded.... it would be absolutely scandalous if they tried to award you zero points regarding that category and I'd be intrigued as to what their justification would be given they usually as good as copy the assessment report justification (which will conflict directly).

If our concern is valid could I ask you the favour of stating word for word their explanation (in the decision letter) regarding the therapy activity zero point scoring descriptor selection ?

Alice_Holt

HI, Vicki - just posting this in case you are still on the forum.

I think Muttley is right.

If the 9 points for DL does not include any points for managing therapy, please give serious thought to an MR. I would suggest something along the lines of:

"I disagree with the points awarded for Daily Living.

No points have been awarded for the managing medication and therapy activity (3), despite the HCP writing on my PA4 report that "Therefore it is likely that she needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 hrs a week".

Then [describe why you need therapy, what type of therapy, how often, who does it, etc] as was stated in my PIP form - (if it was)

Enclose a letter from your father confirming that he helps you with this therapy, and a (brief) letter from your physio confirming this therapy is necessary for your condition and requires help in order that it is done to an acceptable standard.

End the MR with a request that this is considered promptly."

The whole award can be looked again at an MR, but given that you have only just been awarded 9 and 12 points, it is very, very unlikely the award would be decreased.
Enhanced DL is c. £83.

poppy12345

I completely agree. To be awarded zero points when it clearly states on that report you should have been scored 4 points is wrong! I too would challenge that decision, no doubt about that. That increase in money is a lot!

vicki84

Hi

Sorry I haven't replied before no I did not score any points for therapy I had my back payment in my account yesterday I have not received my decision letter yet.

Im really happy with higher rate mobility and standard care so I didn't want to risk doing a mandatory because of getting marked down.

Muttleythefrog

vicki84 wrote: »

Hi

Sorry I haven't replied before no I did not score any points for therapy I had my back payment in my account yesterday I have not received my decision letter yet.

Im really happy with higher rate mobility and standard care so I didn't want to risk doing a mandatory because of getting marked down.

Well it is your decision... but my strong advice is to ask for reconsideration and then go on to appeal unless your own evidence (including form completion) contradicts the 4 point scoring descriptor for therapy. This appears the most appalling injustice (in terms of these assessments and decisions) and the DWP seem to have tried to pull a fast one on you quite frankly. The risks of asking for reconsideration and appeal I would expect to be very low. I would advise looking at their justification for award of zero points for therapy when the letter comes... I would hope they at least have the professionalism to explain that beyond ignoring inconvenient evidence that they've acquired. But like I say.. your claim.... in the circumstances I would almost certainly advise challenging decision and unless there is information to contradict the 4 point scoring descriptor I cannot imagine any advisor better placed would be thinking otherwise. Such a challenge of the decision would in principle be about the most simple one imaginable where you could agree with the decision in all but one respect where you'd use their own evidence to suggest which descriptor does apply. But on the face of it this looks to me like the DWP stealing £1.5k a year from you due to maladministration.