PIP review opinions

Hogglet

Soooo, OH had his pip review through, filled it out and sent it back. All ‘no change’ but gave examples of needs etc and also advised where gone slightly downhill. Had decision today and they have decided that on the mobility section he has gone from 4 points to 0. How can that be? Nothing has changed, if anything his condition has worsened and yet they have removed points from his previous award. I have called them and explained his needs in full and don’t know why he has dropped these points for no reason. They are now doing a review but I was just wondering what people’s opinions would be on the outcome as he has a motability car that will currently be going back without those 4 extra points. (I have also contacted his GP and consultant to provide supporting letters which they are currently doing).
Thank you

Robbie64

Just to clarify: on the mobility section are you sure your OH has gone from 4 points to 0? He wouldn't have been able to have had a motability car with just 4 points.

Hogglet

Robbie64 said:

Just to clarify: on the mobility section are you sure your OH has gone from 4 points to 0? He wouldn't have been able to have had a motability car with just 4 points.

The moving around he got 10. It’s the journey planning one that’s gone from 4 to 0 despite nothing changing.

sammyjammy

When you get a review for PIP you need to treat the form as if it is a new claim and they know nothing about him or his capabilities and circumstances, from what you've written it doesn't sound like you did that.  Hopefully with the additional information the decision maybe changed.

MalMonroe

This is absolutely shocking but it is not an unfamiliar story with PIP. One of my friends had to reapply and even though her circumstances had not changed, it was refused. Then she had to go through the mandatory reconsideration fiasco but ended up having to go to a tribunal, wasting public funds and putting her through hell. 

It was finally reinstated and she received all the backpay she was entitled to but her health suffered and this really makes me furious because so many people are declined and then they appeal and then it's awarded after they've had to suffer the ordeal of a tribunal. But in the meantime, public funds are being used to pay for all the rigmarole. 

You could do worse than contact Citizens Advice for a few pointers (an advocate from CA really helped my friend with her appeal) but I really hope your husband manages to get his PIP reinstated after the mandatory reconsideration (just another way for DWP to waste more money). And it'd be a real shame if the motability car had to be returned.

People on here can give opinions - mine is that I think your husband's PIP will be reinstated at some point because someone will have to wake up and see sense - but who knows what the DWP people will do? It'd be far more cost effective for them to just give PIP to people who need it than refuse it and start the pointless appeal process. 

Robbie64

Hogglet said:

Robbie64 said:

Just to clarify: on the mobility section are you sure your OH has gone from 4 points to 0? He wouldn't have been able to have had a motability car with just 4 points.

The moving around he got 10. It’s the journey planning one that’s gone from 4 to 0 despite nothing changing.

Thanks. I did think that on the other mobility activity it was going to be 10 (or maybe 8) points.

Moving around (10 points): can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided.

The above is the DWP descriptor for 10 points. Did you agree with this assessment (i.e. that your OH can move between 20 and 50 metres)? Was your OH given 10 points last time (I'm assuming so)?

Planning and following journeys (4 points): needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant

You should ask for a copy of the assessors report to see what he or she has wrote to suggest that 0 points is appropriate. What has the Case Manager written on the decision notice to justify 0 points? The CM will sometimes summarise the assessors comments as the reasons for the decision / marks.

poppy12345

Hogglet said:

Soooo, OH had his pip review through, filled it out and sent it back. All ‘no change’ but gave examples of needs etc and also advised where gone slightly downhill. Had decision today and they have decided that on the mobility section he has gone from 4 points to 0. How can that be? Nothing has changed, if anything his condition has worsened and yet they have removed points from his previous award. I have called them and explained his needs in full and don’t know why he has dropped these points for no reason. They are now doing a review but I was just wondering what people’s opinions would be on the outcome as he has a motability car that will currently be going back without those 4 extra points. (I have also contacted his GP and consultant to provide supporting letters which they are currently doing).
Thank you

They are doing a review? Do you mean you requested the MR (mandatory reconsideration)

If you requested the MR did you put this in writing or request it over the phone? Putting it in writing is always advised, this way you can write exactly where you think you should have scored those points and your reasons why. Then give some recent real world examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you.

Letters from GP are not the best evidence to send because they very rarely know exactly how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

Regarding the mobility car, motability will be incontact with you regarding returning the car. As you no longer have a mobility award then this will need to be returned but they will tell you what you need to do next regarding the vehicle.

calcotti

MalMonroe said: It'd be far more cost effective for them to just give PIP to people who need it than refuse it and start the pointless appeal process. 

But clearly there has to be some assessment process in order to determine who those people are.

calcotti

Hogglet said: The moving around he got 10. It’s the journey planning one that’s gone from 4 to 0 despite nothing changing.

That indicates that previously it was considered that he needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. If you consider that he should still be getting points for that you need to explain the distress caused and how it restricts his ability to leave the house if he is not prompted. "overwhelming psychological distress" can be difficult to demonstrate - it's not the same as "can't be bothered because it's too much effort". I don't mean that in a rude way - just trying to make clear what you need to be getting across.

Spoonie_Turtle

calcotti said:

MalMonroe said: It'd be far more cost effective for them to just give PIP to people who need it than refuse it and start the pointless appeal process. 

But clearly there has to be some assessment process in order to determine who those people are.

I think the point was, do the assessment process properly in the first place so that those who need it get it from the initial claim rather than routinely making the wrong decisions which then cost money, time and energy to fight to get the correct decision. Much more efficient if the decisions are routinely correct in the first place.

calcotti

Spoonie_Turtle said:

calcotti said:

MalMonroe said: It'd be far more cost effective for them to just give PIP to people who need it than refuse it and start the pointless appeal process. 

But clearly there has to be some assessment process in order to determine who those people are.

I think the point was, do the assessment process properly in the first place so that those who need it get it from the initial claim rather than routinely making the wrong decisions which then cost money, time and energy to fight to get the correct decision. Much more efficient if the decisions are routinely correct in the first place.

No disagreement from me on that point.