DLA to PIP award – from 0 points with no appeal
“THANK YOU to all the people on this site who have HELPED me through the Long DLA to PIPS journey. Starting from 0 points, I have TODAY ACCEPTED 11 and 14 points. Now look forward to a large Back Pay and GETTING MY LIFE BACK !!! If you have just found out you have 0 points, I hope my message will encourage you to fight back and get the points your entitled to. Special thanks to Gordon, Mrs Hurtyback [Moderators] and all the people I have engaged with. Good Luck to all.”

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Dear Reader,

In this newsletter we reveal how cats and tweets can affect the outcome of your PIP claim.

We also ask for your help in learning more about home medical assessments.

Because rarely a day goes by without us receiving an email or a post from someone who is deeply distressed because they have been asked to travel an impossibly long way for a face-to-face assessment.

Sometimes people manage to get the venue switched to somewhere closer.

Sometimes they don’t.

For some people, the solution is to try from the outset to get their assessment done in their own home. But how often does this work and what evidence do you need to supply to improve your chances?

In this newsletter we’re asking you:

“Have you ever asked for a PIP or ESA face-to-face assessment to take place at home instead of at an assessment centre?

“If so, would you complete our brief, anonymous survey to help other people going through the same process?”

It doesn’t matter whether your request was granted or not. Or if you got one without even making a request. The purpose of the survey is to find out more about who gets a home assessment, who doesn’t and why.

We also want to find out more about what actually happens at a home assessment.

We’ll use the information you give us to help other people ask, and prepare, for a home assessment themselves.

We’ll also publish a summary of the results in the next newsletter.

In fact, we’ve already done a pilot survey and discovered things we would never have predicted – such as negative role of cats in PIP assessments and how tweets can help your claim.

One respondent told us that:

“I realised when I read the report afterwards that I was watched very carefully. She said in the report that as I was stroking my cat at the assessment that there was nothing wrong with me!!!”

Whilst another revealed:

“It was a humiliating experience. I felt that my disability was undermined at every turn. ATOS also followed my wife's tweets about our experience and contacted our MP, who had been supporting us, to ask about our case. We now know that ATOS parliamentary staff follow #PIP. This ultimately helped my case because ATOS then investigated the F2F.”

Whatever your experience, we’d like to hear from you.

You can take part in the survey by following this link.

Good luck,

Steve Donnison

Benefits and Work guides covers

PIP decision letter
“A massive thanks, the subscription to all the advice was fabulous. Well worth it, got the dreaded brown envelope yesterday and have been awarded enhanced rate for both components. I am so grateful, at least it takes a massive amount of stress away in one area of my life. The time, research and updates have been invaluable and I hope this short letter gives hope to those still waiting to hear or appealing against a decision.”

BOOST YOUR PIP AND ESA CHANCES - 20% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – OFFER ENDS MIDNIGHT FRIDAY, 17 FEBRUARY
ESA Support Group
“Hi… a big thank you for all the information you provide. I have successfully been put in the support group of ESA following my ESA medical. I couldn't have done it without you… Thank You”

Give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right ESA, PIP or DLA decision, whether you’re making a claim, renewing an existing award or asking for a reconsideration or appeal.

Subscribe now and get instant access to all our guides.

If you’re not already a member, join the Benefits and Work community before midnight on Friday and you can get 20% off the cost of your annual subscription.

Just type the following code into the coupon box when you pay: 37588

Claimants and carers get an annual subscription for £15.96, down from £19.95. Professionals get an annual subscription for £77.60, down from £97.00.
Offer ends midnight Friday, 17 February

GOOD NEWS FROM THE FORUM
PIP Mandatory Reconsideration decision
Benefits and Work guides covers“First if all, I'd like to thank all the team at B&W for the amazing service you provide. I can't imagine what life for all of us would be without it. In fact, I sometimes go cold with the thought that in 2011, when all my reassessments began, only found out about you by accident. And since then, all local advice centres have closed. Anyway: I sent in a PIP MR after a difficult assessment, stuffed with untruths and with a shorter award than last time. I suggested that my award should last until my retirement in 2022. I found out that ATOS has since revised its review recommendation to no further review. I received a decision letter which takes my award from one year to "ongoing." Of course I'm relieved…Many thanks”

DLA to PIP success
“I today received my official PIP award letter from DWP - enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility until 2020. This arrived less than 2 weeks after my home F2F, which I was really stressed about as I have never had to have one before. I can't thank you all enough for your help and support. The relief is immense! Thank you!”

PIP award
“Thank you… I just been awarded a highly rated Personal Independent Payment mobility and care till 2026. I followed your advice to the letter and set all my medical notes had a phone call at home asking the a few more questions three weeks later I got the news that have been waiting for worry over Thank You Very Much”

PIP success
“Thanks to your site I was able to cope with the PIP booklet for changing from DLA I had my assessment on the 19th Jan at home and was told it could be 4 to 8 weeks till I hear.on the 30th Jan I got a brown envelope through the door when I opened it I had been given the enhanced rate for care and mobility I'm over the moon…”

PIP award
“I received the dreaded brown envelope to day… thanks for you help I have both awards, without you help I would not have. Anybody just starting out on this take notice and understand it's how you say it, not what you say. Thankyou .”

ESA Support Group success
“Today I have learned my son has been placed in the Support Group without the need for a Face to Face assessment! As his claim was for learning difficulties and mental health issues the relief of not having to go for the F2F is unbelievable. I believe we would not have received the right decision for him without using the comprehensive guides and reading the excellent advice and guidance given on the board… With many thanks again from the both of us.”

DLA to PIP success
“My son had an indefinite award of DLA HRM from childhood due to Elorrs Danloss Syndrome. Now grown up, he had wanted for years to claim for care, but we decided to wait for PIP. Well that day arrived! We were expecting to get standard mobility and no care and have to appeal, but using your guide to explain his problems resulted in Enhanced Mobility and Standard Rate Care. He will be keeping his Motability car and now has more money, exactly what we thought he should get. Thanks once again B & W”

Thank you to this site regarding PIP
“YES YES YES.... the brown envelope has arrived.. I was originally turned down on Mobility I received 10 out of the 12 points needed but got high rate care and was awarded until 2026. However because of under score on the mobility it meant that they were going to take my mobility car away from me. We decided to ask for mandatory reconsideration …Today the letter has arrived and they have agreed with us. So now I get to keep my car and have been passed high rate on both until 2026. It just goes to show that it is worth persevering and making sure they listen to you… I would like to thank this site... If it was not for your support I would not have had either the courage or energy to fight my corner. It is only through reading about other peoples fights on here that i summoned up the energy to fight and won... thank you so much and I will keep on subscribing to your site”

ESA good news
“I want to thank benefits and work for all the help you given I've had 8 months of worry in regards my esa assessment which they declined to put me back in the support group but with all your help I did mandatory consideration which they finally put me back in support group. I don't know what I would do without you. God bless you for the help you have given as I very much appreciate it”

PIP good news
“After a four week (to the day) very nerve wracking and hard wait, I have been awarded enhanced in both categories until 2021. So three years hopefully before next one. It was very hard to open that envelope. I am still shaking. I was very unsure after assessment, we always over analyse and however much I told myself not to, I did! Thankyou for the guides, we need help in the minefield.”

PIP success
“Received the dreaded brown envelope this morning. Had a F2F mid Nov so long wait. So relieved as I kept the higher rate mobility I had under DLA for physical problems, and was expecting nil points for care. However, I got 11 points so standard rate care. I'm not going to argue with them hoping for one more point as my own calculation using the guides on this site was 10. My award says 2021, so that's three years peace in till it starts all over again. Oh the relief!!!! I must say that I am sure I would not have received a care award without the guides to form filling on this site. Knowing how the descriptors work makes a massive difference. I think I was very lucky with my ex paramedic assessor too. Thanks to everyone and good luck and best wishes to everyone who is going through a claim.”

ESA and PIP
“Hi just like to say a thank you from me and my wife just had the results of my p i p award changeover from DLA granted enhanced for daily living and the mobility part for an ongoing period having just gone through 6 weeks earlier on the ESA assessment the second letter turns up asking me to come for p i p assessment I don't know what we would have done without the information from this site please keep it up and help those in need the government's certainly don't”

PIP renewal success
“My daughter has received her pip renewal decision she has kept enhanced for both living and mobility for an ongoing period. We wouldn't have got the result if it wasn't for the guides and advice from all of you on this site so thank you to all for you advice. my advice whether completing the short or long form is add extra information even if you complete the short renewal form and there is no change and send as much relevant evidence as you can.”

PIP Result!
“About 9 months ago a friend suggested applying for PIP…The 'brown envelope' appeared in the post; I had been awarded 2 points ! My mandatory review request increased my points to 4 ! So using your template to request Tribunal, I was prepared for the fight. Last week, completely unexpected, I received another 'brown envelope'. This time the letter said I no longer had to attend a Tribunal. A paper review had awarded me 8 points, thereby qualifying for the PIP daily rate until September 2022. So thank you so much for your information, guidance and help from the website. Please, please, if you have a severe/profound hearing loss, don't be put off from applying for PIP. With perseverance and help from BandW, you too might just succeed.”

BOOST YOUR PIP AND ESA CHANCES - 20% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – OFFER ENDS MIDNIGHT FRIDAY, 17 FEBRUARY
Give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right ESA, PIP or DLA decision, whether you’re making a claim, renewing an existing award or asking for a reconsideration or appeal.

Subscribe now and get instant access to all our guides.

If you’re not already a member, join the Benefits and Work community before midnight on Friday and you can get 20% off the cost of your annual subscription.

Just type the following code into the coupon box when you pay: 37588

Claimants and carers get an annual subscription for £15.96, down from £19.95. Professionals get an annual subscription for £77.60, down from £97.00.
Offer ends midnight Friday, 17 February

Good luck,

The Office Team
Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd
Company registration No. 5962666

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