DWP PIP and Mobility help please

poppy12345

You shouldn't rely on them contacting anyone for any information or evidence because this rarely happens.

Spoonie_Turtle

Honestly if they had contacted my GP all they'd have been able to do is confirm my diagnosis.  The last time I saw them over 4yrs ago I was able to walk into the surgery (with great difficulty) and they have no clue how disabled I am now.  I had to fund every single aid myself including wheelchairs whilst waiting to even be seen by the NHS, so I have no evidence from official assessments or anything.

[Then the Chronic Fatigue Service who diagnosed me would have preferred I not use a wheelchair in case I "became dependent on it" and stay housebound verging on bedbound, even though I already needed a wheelchair to go out anywhere except rare appointments in places where I didn't have to walk far.  They were pushing me to try to do much more than I was capable of, and if I'd listened to them I'd have continued getting worse.  So had the DWP or assessor contacted them, I'd have been stuffed.  Incidentally even my diagnosis letter from them was so generic they literally left in a section that said '{option 1/option 2} delete as applicable'.]

A GP and consultants who well understand a person's condition(s) and the effects it has on them are to be honest extremely rare.  I'm very glad your daughter has them, but it is fairly unusual (especially with these kinds of illnesses) and that's possibly one reason why the DWP/assessors rarely contact health professionals.

The current system is a disgrace, if the assessors and decision makers actually consistently did their jobs it would save a lot of stress and public funds, but alas the system is as you've experienced it.  I wish your family the very best in fighting for your daughter.

peteuk

Proactive52 said:

that you have been diagnosed and your condition is Chronic and severely disabling, the award should be automatic 

I assumed they would have contacted my daughters GP or one of the Consultants we named to clarify how disabled my daughter is, but no! 

There are quite a few who believe PIP should be automatic (currently only automatic to terminal illness) and that assessors have access to GP and specialist notes.  Which is why extra information provided is important. 

Good luck with the tribunal, let us know how it goes. 

calcotti

peteuk said:

There are quite a few who believe PIP should be automatic ..

Which makes no sense to me because different people with the same health conditions may experience different symptoms/impacts.

Newly_retired

Just to add to the excellent advice already given: try not to take this personally ( I know, it is hard ). Your daughter's PIP refusal is all too common, sadly. The system is broken. Best to try to put your anger aside and support her to understand how PIP is awarded so she can focus on those areas for her Trubunal.

Proactive52

Thank you all again for your very welcome advice - I will let you know how it goes with the Tribunal and have taken all the advice and info on board so hopefully prepared!

System is no doubt broken and I guess if it was automated to the degree of severity of a specific condition/s - if you maintained that the person claiming was at the highest degree of the condition/s and leaving the person in a life changing chronic state of pain, pretty much bedbound and housebound and unable to do anything for themselves - these cases could then be checked by a Clinician and a Video Call - not some general admin assessment person on the phone, with no interest in what you have to say, yawning and clacking away on a keyboard!!

kippo1

Hi Proactive

i suffer from long covid and receive enhanced pip for mobility and daily living, the way i explained about my mobility to the assessor was as follows,(2 examples as per poppys advice)

if i walk 10 metres in my garden i get short of breath and my pulse goes to 170 which means i have to sit down otherwise i feel faint and  dizzy,

i walked 80 metres to a post box to post a letter which resulted in my left leg becoming permanently numb and the shortness of breath causing me to lean on a wall for 10 minutes before i could limp home resulting in me being in bed for the next 5 days therefore on the majority of days i cannot walk any distance.

The assessor did ask if aids would help with walking but i said that i couldn't use aids because of the pain in my spine,elbow and shoulder.

You have probably explained all the above to the assessor in much more detail and just got unlucky with the assessor.
I did say to the assessor that you probably think i'm lying when i say that i can get up at 8.30 and then be totally exhausted by 9.30 and have to go back to bed for the rest of the day,but she actually said she knew how debilitating long covid was which may of helped me.

Anyway all the best with the tribunal

Proactive52

Update on my daughters claim:
I would just like to say a big thank you to all for the help I have received fighting for PIP and Mobility for my daughter who has totally disabling conditions which started 12 hours after receiving her 2nd Pfizer vaccine in July 2021 - she is totally disabled and unable to now leave the house as now suffers from chronic horrendous pain, spikes, spasms, cognitive impairment etc and now suffers from Chronic Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, POTS and other debilitating conditions.

Having been fighting since Oct 2021 for her to receive the enhanced rate of PIP and Mobility, I provided extensive documentation, clinical reports and aides she has to use and sent it to the Tribunal for Appeal in March 2023 - they acknowledged receipt the same day and sent it to the DWP for their response.  I have today received a call from the DWP saying they had received copies of my Tribunal Appeal and apologised for the assessment error and having to appeal to tribunal to get the matter resolved and acknowledged this should not have happened.

They have now fully upheld my daughters claim and awarded PIP and Mobility at the enhanced rate to be backdated to Oct 2021. 

I would like to say to anyone who has been let down by the DWP PIP and Mobility Assessment process and Mandatory re-Assessment - please please do not give up hope if you have a legitimate claim - try to get someone to help you to put together your evidence and apply to the Tribunal Appeal service via the online gov website it is easy to use, and APPEAL!! 

I know it is very difficult when like my daughter, you are brain fogged, chronically fatigued and in chronic debilitating pain 24/7 - but you can complete the form in small stages and save it as you go, completing it bit by bit when you are able and once completed you just hit the Submit and your case will then be properly reviewed and assessed and hopefully you will, like my daughter receive the award you were entitled to.  Alas my daughters conditions will continue for the foreseeable future, which is distressing given how fit and active she was, enjoyed life and worked in a job she loved full-time - hopefully with research, they may come up with something to reduce the pain and other associated conditions to give her back some quality of life.

Thank you again for all you invaluable help.

Newcad

I know that I am late to this thread.

A mistake that many make when it comes to PIP assessments (and Work Capability Assessments) is to rely on evidence of a diagnosis of a particular condition.

The assessments are not about having any particular condition at all.
(Unless it's a terminal condition,which shouldn't get to an assessment stage anyway).

The assessments are about how any condition(s) that you have affect your ability to do things, so those abilities are what you have to concentrate on, not the condition itself.