Should I just be grateful? PIP award.

Thanks to masses of help here and from a welfare advisor, my DLA - PIP transfer has gone through and I've been awarded enhanced for both components, from a paper based review, therefore I know exactly what information and evidence was used.

I was awarded 18 points for daily living and 14 for mobility, however both myself, this site and the welfare advisor considered that I should have been awarded many, many more - I am a wheelchair user also with severe mental health issues. I've also only been given a 3 year award despite my condition having been deteriorating slowly for the last 20 years and there being absolutely no prospect of any improvement.

I know it will make no difference financially, but I'm concerned that accepting an award without question when it is so obviously wrong may give DWP the impression that I accept that my evidence was exaggerated and their opinion of my needs is more accurate, not least because a lot of the points awarded are on the basis of needing aids and could therefore be taken away if the rules are changed. I'm also severely peeved that I'll have to go through this hassle and stress again in 2 years, having also gone through reassessment of my ESA claim in the meantime.

Is there any risk to asking for the decision maker's statement of reasons and ATOS' report whilst making it clear that I'm not asking for reconsideration? When I get them, would there then be any point in challenging justifications which cannot possibly bear any relationship to the evidence submitted?

Hi

You are perfectly entitled to ask for the reports without requesting a MR.

You can then go through all the awards of points and everything the assessor wrote in the report as well as the decision makers process in awarding the points.

It may not be worth challenging the decision at this stage. You probably won't get any more points without attending an appeal since the MR just rubberstamps the original decision in the vast majority of cases. There is also a risk that your points could be reduced.

Keep all the paperwork safe for your reassessment and use it then would be my advice. You could quite legitimately say then that the reports were wrong but you didn't appeal as you were awarded the higher rate anyway.