PIP Appeal information

After 18 months of waiting I had my PIP appeal (transfer from DLA) and won higher rate mobility for 10 years.

I think one of the items that helped my case was securing a copy of my previous ESA and DLA assessments from the DWP and a copy of all the internal DWP documents related to my PIP assessment.

This proved useful in for example a previous ESA assessor noting that I was breathless upon mobilising just 10m. This assessment was a year before my PIP assessment at which I was judged to be fine.

I had complained about my initial PIP assessment but the DWP went to the Tribunal claiming it was fine, yet my request for information revealed that the DWP had internally written that the assessment failed to meet the required standard and a re-assessment was necessary.

This information was obtained was under the Right of Access Request.

Some of you may find it helpful to use previous assessment information to back up your case at Tribunal.

A word of caution however. The DWP failed to respond to my written request and when I contacted them by phone claimed not to have received my request. If you decide to try this pathway please ensure that you give yourself plenty of time to get the information and then to trawl through it. It took over 4 months for me to just get the information.