Pip award review

Thankyou Gordon I think I have a clearer understanding of what I'm doing now that you have explained it to me .I have in tears today trying to make sense of it all .
Many thanks

I'm not sure whether I should start my own thread about this subject but I too have received an AR1 form about a year before my PIP claim is due for review.

Most of the questions on the form ask if anything has changed rather than about the disability and its effects. If the condition hasn't changed do we just tick the appropriate box and leave it at that? Or should we provide as much information as we did the first time we applied for PIP? There are only three tick boxes and two small spaces for a written response per question so there's not much room to respond. I know we can add extra sheets of paper if necessary but the AR1 form appears to only want to know about any changes. Is that correct?

I read the AR1 advice on page 80 of the latest PIP guide but it doesn't explain how to tackle these questions as opposed to the questions in the original form.

Hi Libby. Similar thing happened to me recently. My PIP was agreed until Oct 2018 but I had to complete review paperwork in Dec then attend assessment first week in Jan. I then received the decision letter 2 weeks later...unheard off to be so quick..only to find I had been put down to both standard rates instead of enhanced. I requested copy of HP report as I couldn't understand this. I was astounded to find she had totally misrepresented me! One of the things that I find totally incredible is that despite me saying I had terrible cognitive difficulties she has observed that I had mainstream education and have a degree therefore she disagrees I have any problems in this area. This is just a brief example of the inaccuracies. Needless to say I am in the process of requesting mandatory reconsideration which is taking up so much of the little physical and mental energy I have. Good luck with yours Libby. Please don't worry you are not being singled out. I just think it's directed by the government to cut money being paid out!

Hi yes I am in the middle of trying to fill this ar1 form in ,well I can't write anymore because of arthritis and finger amputation so my husband has to fill it in which is a nightmare and taking double the time because he can't spell and is dyslexic . I.like you am confused as to how to answer these tick boxes because if anything has changed there is barely space to provide details of the change ,and if things are the same it looks odd if you don't provide some information about the difficultys you have with the activity ? So does that mean if no change you lose points or have to have another assessment ? .it's really confusing because I assume I will have to reapply for pip again. Before my current award runs out in Jan 2019 ? So Eve n more stress and upset to come . I don't understand if you get a award for a set time why you have to justify it all over again a year before that award ends ? .to be honest I haven't slept of eaten properly since recieving this form last week , and despite downloading the pip guidelines which are very helpful for filling in the big pip form ,it doesn't seem to cover the ar1 difficulties concering the box ticking and general problems with filling the form in . Im worried that because I may not fill the form in to the satisfaction of the dwp assessor then I may lose my award , for instance I haven't been able to prepare or cook a meal for years because of my arthritis in both hands ,finger amputation and nerve damage to hands ,weak wrists and arms I can't lift pots or pans or use a kettle or sharp knives
And this had been the case since 2001 , and yet at my pip assessment in 2015 I explained this again very clearly and had evidence of the 6 operations I have had on my hands ,when I received a copy of my assessment that I requested I saw that she had had given me 4 points for that activity saying I could prepare and cook a meal with assistance ??? I rang the dwp about it and they just said well we will make a note of it ? . My dilemma now is that on the review form it asks if when preparing and cooking a meal has things got easier ,the same or harder ? Well things are the same because despite her saying I can cook a meal with assistance ,I actually cannot and haven't prepared a meal for years because of inability and safety because of my disability ,so how do I fill that section in ? . stressful and confused are understatement s . I hope everyone who has received this form has easier time completing and getting or keeping the right award they are entitled to .good luck to you all .