PIP - MR advice please. Managing medication and using toilet

Hi Sarah,
Firstly there is nothing about cognitive deficiency etc in any of the descriptor definitions. As long as you have a health problem that causes you to have problems with the activity then you should be able to score points according to the level of disability. However, ME normally does cause cognitive problems anyway so it seems DwP is wrong on both counts!
A dossett box would certainly comprise an to manage medication ' clearly if you over or under dose or mix tablets incorrectly this could be unsafe and give rise to a risk of substantial harm.
I'm not sure what a comfort toilet is. If this is just a taller toilet that anyone could commonly use, I'm not sure this would count as an aid or appliance. There was a fairly recent case about using a bed as an aid for dressing ie use to sit on. Unless there is something very peculiar about the use of the bed, it can't be an aid as most people will sit on the bed whilst dressing. Similarly if your toilet is specifically for disabled people then I think it could be an aid. However is there still a safety issue even with your new toilet. Even though this might make things easier if you still feel unbalanced etc as you are about to use the toilet or get up again then you may still need to use a grab rail. You can score points if you need to use an aid you don't actually have to have it.
Since you need only 1 point I think it is certainly worthwhile arguing for the extra points at MR.
I hope this helps.
LL26

Hi Sarah

To add to what LL26 has said.

Apologies if you think you have already written this correctly - but I would check before sending off your MR.

Regarding the dosette box. The DWP has sneakily tightened this, and how they are prepared to award points . I have noticed a lot of people saying they have not been awarded the 1 point that they expected. The reason appears in the Guide to PIP claims and Reviews page 45. I would look at how you described the need for the dossette box and ensure the links to the ME and brain fog, exhaustion etc are strong enough. Emphasise that you need the support of your son. If you have any examples of when you took the wrong dosage, say so.

Re - the toilet. - Have a look at what it says in the Guide to PIP Claims and Reviews page 52 - where it talks about describing the difficulties you have with an unadapted toilet. It is that you need to emphasise the most - not the new toilet. I'm not saying you don't need to include it - of course you need to say, but make sure you have addressed enough of why you struggled with your previous toilet. I'm sure that the reliability and safety issues must affect you - page 53 -so check that out too.

Make sure when you put in your MR - you tell them that you are satisfied with your mobility award and you are only asking them to reconsider the care issue.

BIS

Hi Sarah

You must submit your MR within one month of the date on the decision letter. There is a form you can complete - and you can find the link inside the Guide to PIP Appeals (which has the Mandatory Reconsideration) in it.

If you ring the DWP about the MR - which is fine to do - do not be pulled into submitting your MR over the telephone. You cannot trust that the person you speak to will correctly log what you say. Tell them you wish to submit one and you will be doing it in writing and then send it off. It doesn't matter whether you use the form or you send a letter.

BIS