Assessment Review :/

Brijay638

Hi guys.. and gals too
I applied for Pip in October after being discharged from hospital after a 4 month stay.
I had been fighting Guillian Barre Syndrome since June. Id been through induced coma for 11 days, ventilator, tracheostomy, total paralysis from neck down to learning to walk talk and eat again.
Luckily it all came back relatively quickly, im just left fatigued, weak and with constant nerve damage so i was encouraged to apply for Pip by Rehab Coordinator.

Waited until last week to get an assessment, sat and did it by myself , but luckily (i feel) i have a call recorder on my phone .. as everything i said has been twisted , manipulated or downright forgotten about.

Some answers id of thought i met the 4 points in my answer yet seem to have gotten 2 or 0.

I said i have my partner manage my medications into a pillbox, i set alarms and then take the right slot at the right time. This translated to i take and manage my medications myself.

I said my partner helps me with the OT, PT and Speech exercises ive been given for around an hour a day and this translated to no help needed to manage treatments.

I said ive fell three times getting in and out shower so partner sits in bathroom to supervise.... i dont need any supervision according to her though.

The most blatant change though was when i said since discharge we have opened a joint account and all moneys are paid into it... my partner manages all the ins and outs and whats left and literally just lets me know if we can afford something if i express i want something, as money matters literally just go over my head and stress me out..... however i am able to make complex budgeting decisions independantly off the assessment.

Absolute joke. The mobility isnt much better.

Ive scored 8 on Daily Living and 4 for Mobility.

Ive read about MRs on here but i believe id need to wait for the Decision Letter to Request an MR?
I have not yet recieved a Decision however so i have seen a post or two advising to send a letter to the "Decision Maker" if done quickly?
Is this something that would be advised? Can i use parts of a transcription of the call to point out the lies, mistruths and miarepresentation from the assessment?
Thank you

Brijay638

Just to add. Assessor seems obssessed with the fact ive been signed off to drive.   .. although chsnged car as kuga was too high.. she keeps mentioning how my grip etc is fine in a car so therefore i should be able to do everything else i struggle with on bad days

Spoonie_Turtle

There has been recent changes to what types of recording are allowed, including convert recording without the assessor's consent, so I don't know where you stand with that.  You may not need to refer to it though.

In terms of the MR, you can point out faulty reasoning and restate what the facts are (especially if the statements in the report contradict what you wrote on your application form - you can refer to the form as well because that's there in writing and the DM will have that when they look at your case), and thus what descriptors you think you should meet and why.  You can start drafting it ahead of receiving the decision so it's ready to go.

I don't know whether it's worth trying to get in ahead of a decision or not; others may be able to advise.

You may wish to raise a complaint about your assessor with the assessment company but that is a separate thing entirely and won't affect your PIP award at all, so only to be done if you have energy enough after doing an MR.  Your recording may be of use here if it's allowable.

If it helps, although it feels personal it is not, this is fairly routine for PIP assessments.  It's terrible that they do this to lots of people and get away with it, but it is not personal because it's most definitely not just you.

Alice_Holt

I advise not rushing the mandatory reconsideration request.

You have a standard DL award, to increase this to an enhanced award (12 points) you need to convince a tribunal panel that 4 additional points should have been awarded.   
To get a standard Mobility award (8 points) you need to convince a tribunal panel that 4 additional points should have been awarded. 

Be sure you know your way around the PIP descriptors and points system.
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

 As spoonie says don't take the report personally, the reports can be full of inappropriate cut and paste comments. (I've seen a telephone assessment report stating that the person 'maintained good eye contact throughout').   
The driving comment is very common - and rather misleading, as I'd bet you don't drive when fatigued, in pain, etc whereas you will need to dress, wash, prepare & cook every day and may not be able to do these PIP activities reliably to due fatigue, weakness, and pain.
('Reliably' and 'majority of the time' are important in PIP decisions - see the link below    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1046238/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-assessment-criteria.pdf  (page 70 -84)


You have already identified some of the additional points that should have been awarded.
Help (supervising, prompting, or assistance) with therapy should be 2 points 
Did you score nil for this?

Did you score any points for washing and bathing?  For needing aids possibly? 

If you could let us know the descriptors and points actually awarded, (and what points you think should have been awarded), we might be able to advise further.

Have you a copy of the PIP assessment report, if you've yet to receive your decision letter?

wolfehouse

Do you belong to GAIN?  https://gaincharity.org.uk/

They will have some information on benefits.

their motto is ‘getting better slowly’ and to the benefits people this means it is a condition that they see as not permanent.  Strangely enough to the travel insurance people this means there is a risk of falling into the form that can come back… 

if you’ve got a decline decision you ask for a mandatory reconsideration within the time allotted and then go on to appeal (get some help for this from either gain or citizens advice) looking at how points are allocated and addressing each point.