Well the brown envelope has come at last, and it's good news. PIP enhanced rate for mobility and care, so I can breath again... but not for long, they've only given me three years. Then I suppose I'll have to go through all this again.
They think my hip replacement is going to make a huge difference - I hope they're right!
Another slight disappointment is that I thought it would be back dated to when I first claimed, in fact the person on the phone-claim told me so. But, because I am at present on DLA, there's no back dating; the PIP doesn't begin until 4 weeks after the claim was approved. You get the feeling they will do anything to squeeze a bit of money back from you. That's ok, I'm sure their need is greater than mine.
I'm really glad I studied your guides, I felt so much more prepared when it came to the medical assessment, which went amazingly well. I think I was luckier than some, my Atos assessor was understanding and helpful.
Thanks for everything.