PIP Mandatory Reconsideration- I found out...

Dear fellow forum members,

A short while ago I rang PIP (the day before I was thinking of sending them my PIP Mandatory Reconsideration Request) and asked them to note on the system that I was requesting an MR.

To my shock shortly after, on the same day, I got a text from them to say I had asked them to look at my recent PIP decision again and that they will write to me once they have done this, and that I should hear from them within 10 weeks.

It is good on one hand as I have proof they have my MR request, on the other hand if one wants to also send the MR letter they would want to make sure they get it before they look at their PIP decision again.

The following day I send them my PIP MR request by Special Delivery and rang them up to tell them my letter was on its way and for them not to do the MR without my letter.

I also found out that:

- generally at the moment they do a PIP MR within 5 weeks from the time we request it over the phone (rather than the 10 weeks mentioned on the text).
I requested it over the phone because the deadline was only a few days afterwars but I am aware from here, that some people have complained that they asked for an MR over the phone and then they say they never got it or that despite it being sent by letter it was never received. So I requested it over the phone, sent my MR request the following day and followed all this up by a phone call to check it was received at their end as well as having my royal mail proof.

- they said that from the time we request over the phone the MR, the clock starts ticking from that day and they have to look at the MR request within 5 weeks.

- it seems to me from the text I got that because I asked for an MR over the phone (and I did not give an explanation as to why and my grounds for MR) they were going to look at my recent PIP whether they had my letter or not at the time they look at it again.

It is ok if one does not want to send an MR by letter but if they want to send an MR by letter taking all the points they disagree with and explain why they are not correct they have to be aware that they do not want to take the risk of them doing them an MR before having received your MR letter. Especially when I think I read somewhere that one had the decision looked at again about 10 days after the MR request.

I will give you an update on my case, I had 2 standards rates for my PIP and told them I believed I should have had 2 enhanced rates and the reasons why with various evidence medical and non medical as in support from friends.

Kindest wishes to you all

Good Luck..

Hello again,

I forgot to say that when I rang I was told they had my MR request by letter.
Then the adviser said he was going to request on their system for the MR and then said no as he could see it had already been requested previously by his colleague (the day before I sent them my MR request by letter).

Then he said that even if someone asks for a PIP MR by letter it is better if the phone adviser also requests it on the system otherwise it could take longer, but that by logging the MR request on the system the MR is normally done within 5 weeks (despite text saying 10 weeks).

Best wishes to you all