Deep Joy, PIP reinstated :)

[g8ina]

Last Nov 10, they removed my PIP (personal indepencence payment), giving me zero points across the board.

I submitted a Mandatory Reconsideration letter, with help from an old friend, and again, got zero across the board.

I appealed.

They phoned me yesterday, and to avoid going to appeal they decided, in their infinite wisdom, to fully reinstate my PIP at previous rates !

What a monumental waste of time and stress.

Thats £2500 ish payback time

[Hoonigan]

Great news G8ina. Be good to just get on with things again!

You're not the only one to have gone through something very similar, my mam has been through the motions recently regarding my sister's PIP claim.

Tories, eh?

[MrJim]

Glad to hear that you finally had your PIP reinstated. I was fortunate to have my application accepted first time when they switched from DLA to PIP, but the 40+ page application form was tortuous, to say the least. I hope they'll be paying you interest on your back-payment!

[TeePee]

Good for you. If they denied it even once, they shouldn't have the option to just not fight the appeal. They shouldn't be denying in the first place if they didn't think they had a guaranteed win. Glad you made them pay and I hope you get that interest!

[Saracen999]

Good for you. If they denied it even once, they shouldn't have the option to just not fight the appeal. They shouldn't be denying in the first place if they didn't think they had a guaranteed win. Glad you made them pay and I hope you get that interest!

But if they didn't have the option to not fight the appeal, g8ina would now be having to go through the full appeal process.

For what?

The satisfaction of (hopefully) winning?

Sure, it'd be far better to have had a competent assessment in the first place, but having cancelled ir, surely the sooner it's reinstated, and with the least possible hassle, the better?

Or, g8ina, would you prefer to spend months more, maybe a year, fighting the appeal for the satisfaction of winning it. I'd say getting them to drop the cancelkation and reinstate it is vindication or them being wrong to have cancelled it, in itself.

Congrats, by the way. I'm guessing that £2.5k will come in right useful.

Can we look forward to lots of new turntable pics?

[blueball]

This happens so often, I'm sure they rely on people not having the strength to fight the decision.
I am in receipt of PIP for mental health/fatigue issues. My daughter is worse off than me with similar symptoms (daughter of a Gulf veteran) and she was given 0 points even though my points were acceptable for PIP.
In short they do not apply their own criteria for awarding points!

[GoNz0]

Made up for you m8, such a shame this BS happened in the 1st place.

[TeePee]

But if they didn't have the option to not fight the appeal, g8ina would now be having to go through the full appeal process.

For what?

The satisfaction of (hopefully) winning?

Sure, it'd be far better to have had a competent assessment in the first place, but having cancelled ir, surely the sooner it's reinstated, and with the least possible hassle, the better?

Or, g8ina, would you prefer to spend months more, maybe a year, fighting the appeal for the satisfaction of winning it. I'd say getting them to drop the cancelkation and reinstate it is vindication or them being wrong to have cancelled it, in itself.

Congrats, by the way. I'm guessing that £2.5k will come in right useful.

Can we look forward to lots of new turntable pics?

It's good for him, and I'm sure deserved. I'm more at the point of 'How dare they!' rage. If they didn't have absolute evidence worth taking to court for a 90% win, then they shouldn't be taking desperately needed money away from people in the first place.

'We think you're lying'.
'We think you're lying'.
'J/K, can't be bothered anymore, have your money'.

That really pisses me off. They know the people trying to claim are mostly desperate and need money to survive, so what does it take to show a little compassion for fellow human beings?

[Saracen999]

I don't disagree with that, at all, TeePee. My reservation was about them being forced to see an appeal through. I don't see how that is in the claimant's interests.

But that is a completely different issue from whether it should have been stopped in the first place.

I'm not a medical professional and not qualified to judge degrees of disability, or ability, but I'm aware of several cases, personally, where from my knowledge of the claimant, cutting it is not only ludicrous but a travesty.

And it appears that g8ina, who I also know, is +1 to that.

It seems to me that while many cases should be periodically reviewed, and some are just trying it on, the vast majority are genuine cases of considerable need, are distinctly vulnerable and often, coping with mental issues as well as substantial physical issues. One such case is a relative of mine and has twice attempted suicide after PIP was cut, and they lost their motability car. Fortunately, both have been now been reinstated .... but it could have been too late.

From anecdotal accounts received ftom people I know, many of these assessments are done by incompetent staff, with minimal training, and are only interested in getting answers to tick-box questionaires with little or no ability to understand complex medical issues .... or snything that doesn't neatly fit into their checklist.

For instance .... "How far can you walk unaided"?

But .... is that on a good day, bad day, or average day? And if someone does push thrmselves, what if they can walk 100 yards, but it'll put them in bed for several days to recover? How does that fit on their form?

And so on.

[Corky34]

Congrats, by the way. I'm guessing that £2.5k will come in right useful.

It goes without saying but I'm guessing most of that £2.5k is going to be paying of debts incurred when g8ina was trying to live on next to no income.

I don't disagree with that, at all, TeePee. My reservation was about them being forced to see an appeal through. I don't see how that is in the claimant's interests.

But that is a completely different issue from whether it should have been stopped in the first place.

I'm not a medical professional and not qualified to judge degrees of disability, or ability, but I'm aware of several cases, personally, where from my knowledge of the claimant, cutting it is not only ludicrous but a travesty.

I think they care more about what's in the interest of the tax payer (despite the appeals process costing more than they're saving BTW) than the claimant, at least that's the impression i get from, like you, personal experience.

There's many a recorded case where claimants have either died or taken their own lives while waiting for an appeal so I'm just glad that g8ina had the mental fortitude and support from friends, and family, to see it through.


/A don't get me started rant.

[ik9000]

I'm not a medical professional and not qualified to judge degrees of disability, or ability, but I'm aware of several cases, personally, where from my knowledge of the claimant, cutting it is not only ludicrous but a travesty.

Ditto. And I know people who were assessed by people unable to prove they were qualified in occupational health. It seems to be a poorly run assessment system, which, based on the accounts I've heard from people I know and trust, is loaded against the applicant/claimant and seems to rely on people having the willpower and resources to not roll-over. The stress and financial difficulty induced is immoral IMO, given the serious implications for people's circumstances to pay rent, get around etc. The uncaring, impersonal bureaucratic dismissive nature of the process is a joke - and there seems to be a distinct lacking in the rigour and "evidence" used in the process. It does not seem fit for purpose. But then with the current lot of MPs are we surprised? Rot spreads. As my boss often says "garbage in = garbage out".

[g8ina]

For instance .... "How far can you walk unaided"?

My answers to that one were simple : zero. To match the score they gave me.

I was fortunate to know someone who had gone thru the same stuff, and had access to the documents that the DWP use themselves to score disability -

"2 Moving around -
With difficulty due to severe pain, I can stand and move using mobility aids (sticks, rollator or wheelchair) more than 20 metres, but no more than 50 metres = 10 points"

I told them what I was going to tell them, I told them what I was telling them, and then told them what I had already told them.

And for once Im going to break a HEXUS rule -

Winkers !! **approved - I'd have used a 4 not an i - Zak33 **

[g8ina]

The letter just arrived

£1927

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, a Linn Sondek ??

Nah, bills as previously suggested

[Smudger]

The letter just arrived

£1927

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, a Linn Sondek ??

Nah, bills as previously suggested

Great big telly and 4k disk player?

[g8ina]

got one, dont need t'other.

[Smudger]

got one, dont need t'other.

Ah, go on...