DLA - PIP Transfer (A story of Hope)

This is a long story, but i wanted to share, hopefully to show there is hope at sometimes the end of a very long road. Last September 2016, i had a home assessment for my DLA to PIP transfer. Under DLA I had a lifetime award at the higher rate care and lower rate mobility. The assessment was awful, it lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes. The assessor had no understanding of my condition, a mental health illness - D.I.D with PTSD and severe depression.The assessment was such an ordeal a suicide attempt followed.

The outcome of this was that i had been downgraded to standard rate care and my mobility stayed at the standard rate. I lost a lot of money and could no longer continue to pay for the community alarms system i had in place. To make things worse, the report was full of inconsistencies, at times false information and full of missed information. Luckily my support worker was present at the assessment and she was a second witness.

I decided there and then to write a letter of complaint - not asking for a mandatory reconsideration (i was too scared of losing what the had already given me), but to explain just how these assessments make sick people even worse, how information was incorrectly recorded etc However because of the nature of my illness it took me a whole year (with support) to pen the letter. The letter was finally completed at the beginning of this September 2018. I CC'd it to my MP asking if he would support my letter. Now at present, i don't know if my MP intervened, as i haven't had any communications from him, but last week i received a letter from the DWP saying they would be carrying out a late mandatory reconsideration. I had not asked for this and in fact had made this quite clear at the heading of my complaint letter to them.

The letter did not acknowledge my comments about the assessor and before i could muster up the courage to contact them and ask them not to reconsider my award, today i received another letter from them. the dreaded 'brown envelope' fear came and i was so scared to open the letter. I did and it was shock, amazement! My original decision had been changed to both enhanced rate for mobility and care. I had scored top points for going out and moving around (due to excessive panic attacks). The award still only runs to 2020 but i can cope with that. To top it off they have made a back payment of 12 months totalling £3000. I wasn't asked for any extra information, no more evidence, nothing!

I want you to all know that things like this do happen, it is an awful process to go through, but if any of you feel unhappy about assessments and their outcomes, fight it - get support and fight the bloody government.

Good Luck and thanks for reading. I hope my story gives you a bit of hope.

THANKS TO THIS WONDERFUL SITE FOR SUPPORTING ME, ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND FOR PROVIDING THE WONDERFUL GUIDES YOU DO!