Re-assessment mid-award???

Hi,

I'm hoping I'm not the only one that has been faced with this issue and that someone may have already gone through it and can advise me.

Last year (Feb) I received a home visit assessment from an ATOS representative. A few weeks later the award letter dropped through my door. I qualified for the higher rates of both components by a country mile.

The award letter I received back then said I was entitled to both components of PIP at the higher level from 13th June 2014 to 12th February 2017.

Last week 'the brown envelope' dropped through my door. It was the dreaded 40-page booklet that I'd filled in initially when first applying for PIP.

I was quite confused as my award was until Feb 2017, so I called to enquire. The DWP advisor I got told me it was indeed correct and that the forms must be filled in again - she said it was a 're-assessment' of my condition.

Has anyone else encountered his scenario?
Can they (DWP) cut my initial award short by a year should I not 'pass'?

I'm pretty concerned about this because when I was first assessed, I had loads of 'proof' to substantiate my claim (amongst other ailments I had triple-fractured my back with no known cause) and had MRI result reports, DEXA scan results etc., etc. - but was also going through a lot of further investigation by neurosurgeons etc., and had all the paperwork to include with the application.

A year on and my pain/ symptoms have not eleviated in any way in fact quite the opposite - I'm currently waiting on another MRI scan and a 'nerve-conduction' examination to establish what exactly is going on with my spine.

My concern is, this time round I don't have any of the test result letters or the like I had last year. All I've been in contact with my GP for over the past year is to check on my pain meds (and others - all 7 of them) and to report sensory disturbance and weakness in my arms.

I feel far less well equipped to complete the assessment forms adequately, even though my condition and symptoms have worsened.

Has anyone been though this that can advise me?
Is this a complete re-assessment? (if so, why award me 'til 2017 in the first place?)
And should I seek a GP's note or the like as proof?

The first time I went through the process was horrendous - am I about to go through it all again?

ANY advice would be very much appreciated!

Thank you in advance,

Opewater

Hi,

Welcome to Benefits and Work Forum

If your forum name is also your real name, you may wish to change it to maintain some anonymity.

This can be done quite easily by following the instructions in this FAQ :

My full name is showing, how can I stop it?

---

I am afraid that it is the norm to receive your PIP renewal forms 12 months before the end date of your current fixed term PIP award, see : This Ongoing Topic.

Besides, PIP Legislation dictates that an existing PIP award can be reviewed at any time for any reason.

As a result of this review, which will be carried out from scratch afresh, you could keep your existing awards, have them reduced or lose them all together.

So you should treat the renewal just as you did with your previous assessment.

You can use older evidence, but you would have to make it perfectly clear that your conditions have not improved since the date of the evidence nor have your resulting limitations diminished.

Obviously, if you can obtain a current letter supporting this fact from your G.P. or other treating HCP, that should also help.

I am afraid that for the foreseeable future, this is how PIP is going to operate, constant assessment and repeat reassessments !!

See the following links :

PIP Claims Guide. (2nd Link down the page)

How The PIP Points Scoring System Works.

PIP Self Test

This Post in our Spotlight Area at the top of The forum.

In case you are interested, here are two posts were we advise on appropriate wording that you can use to request a letter of support from your G.P./HCP :

Here and Here.

Good luck and let us know how things are progressing !!

You should Bookmark/Favourite this page in your Internet Browser now. That way you can return to this topic easily to pose any further queries that you may have by replying to the topic.

See : This Topic also !

Thanks in anticipation of your future co-operation in keeping all your PIP related queries to this topic !

bro58

Hi ow,

Something that I should have made clear is that any decision made as a result of your renewal will take effect from the date of the new PIP decision rather than from the original end date of the PIP award.

This would include an adverse decision !!

bro58

Thanks for that insight bro58.

I'm glad I asked - I really did think they had made a mistake!

Guess I best hope my GP's having a nice day when I ask...

Thanks again,

Openwater

Good luck
Same happened to me and they stripped my award a year before the end date.
So annoying even though my condition is not better.

Hi Lala,

I was just wondering after reading your comment and having it in my head for a few days - how could they cut your award short by a year if your condition hadn't changed?

I'm filling in the 'book' they send you - the 'How Your Condition Affects You' one - and I'm realising I'm writing exactly the same for each part as I did the first time I filled it out.

How could they now refuse me if nothings changed?

The only way that would be feasible would be if their criteria had changed, no?

Sorry if I sound nosey but your comment has been on my mind for a few days now and I just can't get my head round how they could justify doing what they did to you!

Hope to hear back from you soon.

Kind regards,

Openwater