PIP success - eventually

I posted previously when we started our PIP application, but that was a while ago and will take me ages to find the thread!
Due to the enhanced award for both components being made at a tier one tribunal, we had to start a new PIP claim in December for my 19 year old daughter, and got caught up in the Covid backlog. As the case hadn't been looked at, payments stopped in March, even though we had submitted the paperwork in time. Phone assessment in May, which we recorded - thank goodness. The assessor was quite happy for me to do most of the talking, which is not always the case. However, when we received a copy of her report, she stated that my daughter coped well with the assessment and seemed relaxed and coherent! The award was reduced to standard for daily living only, so we requested an MR. I challenged a lot of what the report said, including that out of an interview lasting over an hour, my daughter only spoke for 6 minutes which is insufficient time to make an assessment on her mental health. The report was quite detailed, to the extend that I wondered if the assessor had also recorded it. We have always had the support of our GP, and I reluctantly asked him to write another supporting statement, which he did without hesitation. He told me that he has used our case, when working with student doctors, as an example of how wrong the DWP can get it. We had already provided so much evidence, I genuinely thought we would not have to appeal the decision, and I really didn't want to have to bother a GP with this again. However, I think maybe his statement swung it for us. The MR was successful and we have had the enhanced award reinstated. It's been months of stress, anxiety and flipping hard work. We have a car through the motabiity scheme, which we came so close to losing. Motability were fantastic, they extended the deadline 3 times, and could not have been more understanding or supportive. So now we have a 4 year award, and for the first time in 6 years, I've been able to put a massive bundle of paperwork in the loft. Fight the good fight people, this is a battle which we should not have to take on, so use all available resources.

Hi Lucy,

I am so sorry you and your daughter were subjected to such an appalling assessment outcome. Why oh why do these so called assessors continue to get away with what boils down to blatant lies.

I can only think that they are either secretely trained to do this or, more than likely, they are so scared that they might not meet their targets and therefore will stop at nothing to appease their employer.

It really needs something to be done now it can't go on, but of course both you and I know it will.

No wonder disabled people so dread these encouters. They mess about with people's lives, as if they are nothing, and cause untold misery.

I'm so glad you finally got justice for your daughter and no doubt peace for yourself.

Well done and good wishes,

Kind regards,

Phrank.