Supplementary Advice Notes

Good morning

We have received the bundle for an appeal of PIP decision. Looking through it the medical professional who conducted the assessment has scored 8 points for Daily Living in her report. However, two weeks later a Supplementary Advice Note was completed changing all the scores to 0, this has been done by another HP as the Note says the DWP asked for advice on the case. It is not the reconsideration, it was done before the award decision was made.
Would you know on what basis a second HP can make these changes? She never met my client or spoke to her on the phone. She refers briefly to the GP report but there is nothing on there to change anything previously known, and if anything adds to the history of my client's condition.

Would appreciate any information
Thanks

Hi
Please see pages 61`62 on this link.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upl...assessment-guide.pdf

Do you have the PA5/6 it refers to in your bundle? If not perhaps you should ask for it as well as the request for the second look at the report. All this should give you an indication as to why it was requested.
In relation to the actual changing of the scores you should get the PA5/6 which will give full reasons for making the changes.

The link is really useful, thank you. I don't recall seeing any reasons given but I'll search through the bundle in the morning. Certainly no reason as to why it was requested. But they admit that the original award notification to the claimant is not in the system, but they know she got it because we rang to ask for reconsideration! So who knows what else got lost.
Thank you again for the pointers, much appreciated.

Hi again
I looked in the bundle and we have the P6, but there is no reason given other than 'requested by DWP' So I rang them and they said they did not have the reason recorded on the system, but Capita might know so try them. I rang Capita and they said DWP don't often given them a reason unless they feel the medical report needs reworking, which this didn't as they have replied on P6. So we have a Supp Note, which for no recorded reason, completely changes the report done by the person who saw my client and who ticked different descriptors. Do they HAVE to supply a reason for doing this?
Thanks again

So can I send that request for the reasons in now, even though we don't yet have a date for the hearing? Should be interesting as the DWP didn't know the reason today and they have lost the DM's decision letter to my client.

If they are unable to provide the reason where does that leave us? Is it likely that we get to the hearing and they tell us we need a new medical assessment? Not sure if my client is up to the stress of this!