PIP: Any experts (or keen amateurs) about? 🤨

Can you get your.medical records from your Dr?
My son recently applied for a review for a higher level of mobility due to not being able to walk without pain and due to an accident at work a few years ago.plus a recent stroke he has weakness in his legs .
He was advised by a lady who deals with PIP and attendance allowance claims to get something called a statement of sorry can't remember the rest of it. (but maybe someone. on here might know)
but basically it is a few pages from your medical records.which He sent in with his form.
He is waiting for a reassessment .but he had a phone consultation with me as a witness and a lady from Social care who helped him

Thank you so much for all of your replies.
Especially Cabbie. I have just tried to find your thread, but I can’t. I really hope that your husband is doing okay.
As I said earlier, we’re all thinking of you
Thank you again for taking the time to reply.

I will phone the CAB today, although I am a bit conflicted whether I should persevere.
I seem to be focused on negative stuff all of the time. Like it’s taking all my energy iyswim
It’s like the trouble I had with the hospital last year, but that’s another story.

Thank you all again

There’s an appeal process whereby you can ask them to reconsider their decision. I recently went through on behalf of a family member. It wasn’t difficult to do - just a case of completing a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ form and providing evidence to support your argument.

I wonder whether they feel that your hip replacement means you are now better able to look after yourself.

www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/challenging-PIP-or-other-benefits-decisions/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0d2o2Lfk_AIViJftCh2jjwPJEAAYASAAEgLOb_D_BwE

Fanny when you contact Citizens Advice , ask them to refer you to their benefits specialist and not a general advisor. I’m hoping they still have them as we did years ago when I was there.
Good luck 🤞

Grannytomany yes, I contacted them myself due to my hip replacement.

I knew that the amount of benefit that I got would be greatly affected.
However, I do have lots of other issues regarding my mobility, and other things which I won’t go into here, as I’m sure you appreciate.
However, as I’ve mentioned it before on here, I will say that I’m agoraphobic and I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder (this was diagnosed thirty years ago before anxiety was a thing).

I did go into great detail on the phone.
It was well over an hour long and very thorough.

But when I received their decision not a single box was ticked (there are dozens of different statements about how your conditions affect you).
Many were definitely applicable to me and should have been ticked.
I was awarded zero points.

The letter bore no similarity to what we had discussed.
It was as if I hadn’t even had an assessment.
Hence why I mentioned the 50 metres / 200 metres discrepancy.

I’ve gone from nearly £800 a month to zero.
But it’s not just the money, it’s the injustice. It really is.
They have lied, basically.

(Just like the business at the hospital - I must stop thinking about that!)

Thanks NotAGran, will do

FannyCornforth good luck trying the CAB I couldn't get through . That's why I contacted the Brain Charity I didn't know about them a friend told me about them . They couldn't be more helpful. I was awarded zero points on everything. Problem is the forms are written and assessed by people with no disabilities . What they don't realise any one can become physically or mentally or both disabled any time in their life. Also they disregard all medical evidence and at MRN are supposed to contact your GP and consultants for further information but they didn't in my case I checked with all
in involved.

Agoraphobia and generalised anxiety disorder comes under the heading of neurological conditions. Is there a Brain Charity near where you live if so contact them . Mine is in the north west of England.

Cabbie's thread is 14 below this one. PIP awarded or some title but it is there.

PIP - Awarded tribunal

Hi there, my son recently experienced a similar experience where his PIP was stopped due to an error at their end. As it involved incorrect information being held - they had sent his info to an old address - I supported him to send an email titled DATA PROTECTION BREACH to [email protected] and they reinstated his allowance within a couple of days. The holding of data is a serious matter and covered by the 2018 Data Protection Act. While yours is a different issue, it still involves incorrect data being held about you which has resulted in the withdrawal of allowance - lay it out to them, giving as much detail as you can. Good luck!

Thank you Whiff and Tessyo
(Whiff thank you for your pms too, I forgot to reply - sorry! )

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/mandatory-reconsideration-pip/
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/apply-to-tribunal/
Hope this helps.

And here are the descriptors with points awarded.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/PIP%20descriptors.pdf

Thanks Cabbie
This is the text that the DWP sent following my phone call.
It’s a bit vague.
The call handler told me to put everything in writing.

See, it refers to ‘the details I have given’
I haven’t actually given any details, and the ones that I have given have been totally ignored

What do you think about the fact that a decision was made without my filling in the form?
Can they do this?

Cabbie Thank you so much for the link to the Mandatory Reconsideration form. I’ll do that.
You’ve been so helpful

Hello FannyC.
The PIP process imo replaced DLA for one simple reason- to save money.

I had DLA for years and was refused PIP. They told lies about my answers and ignored things I told them. Zero points. I didn't have energy to appeal. Thankfully, although still ill, I'm much better now and wouldn't be entitled.
In my area our local MLA and MP help claimants to complete forms. Also CAB. Disability Action completed my form. Please make sure you get help.
Cabbie is right. You need to do a mandatory reconsideration. And probably an appeal.

Appeals have a good success rate. Don't be afraid to appeal. I went through the appeal process many years ago. The panel actually told the department off for putting me through so much. They will listen to you.

You are very welcome. Do PM me if you need specific help, though there may be some hours delay in replying, as I am hospital visiting daily.

I meant to add that if your are thinking of subscribing to Benefits and Work then please subscribe to their newsletter first.

In fact I would say it is worth doing that in any case if you are involved with PIP. This is newsletter is emailed regularly and will help keep you up to date. It is free. In each newsletter there is always a discount off the subscriptions to Benefits and Work itself. Please don't pay the full price!

Obviously you shouldn't have to pay to understand how to claim a benefit but that is where we are at this point in time. The people giving you advice/training on how to fill in the forms are professionals in this area.

Newsletter - www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/newsletter

Good advice from DaisyAnne. I found B&W very useful. very useful.

Sometimes its better to keep quiet rather than report a change in circumstances even if a condition has worsened. I have top rate DLA award for life and was warned not to "rock the boat". as they would then automatically assess me for PIP. I was given this advice by two benefits advisers on two different occasions.

Agreed, Biglouis. There would be no point as you already get top rate DLA. And yes, you might not get top rate for PIP as the criteria are different.
There is certainly no point reporting every little change even for PIP as it will trigger a review, with potential to lose it.

A useful tip; CAB have a very new phone system which is aiming to deal with enquiries on a local rather than a nationwide basis, so give your local office a call and hopefully you will get to speak to an advisor a bit quicker than previously.

Biglouis if you were born before 8 Ap 1948 they can't change you to PIP. Perhaps this applies to you.

Ap = April

Cabbie just read your PIP- awarded tribunal thread again. In a massive pain flare and having a moment of self pity but I learnt years ago just to have a wallow and cry and it's over with. Used to fight it and only made me feel worse.

Has given me a glimmer of hope when we finally get a date that they will listen to me. And not worried about anything they ask me.

Money worries are getting to me plus next week it would have been my husband's 66th birthday and the 48th of our first date followed by the 19th anniversary of his death.

You always give such good advice .

I hope your husband is recovering and will be home with you very soon. 💐