I didn’t have any evidence to send with my application. I’ve seen the Neurologist in the MS clinic once, he sent a letter to the GP (which was lost by the GP) stating my varied issues. I’ve seen the MS nurse and the continence Nurse but that’s it. All I have is my word that I’m having issues.
In that case, you need to get some evidence.
What I suggest is that you make an appointment with both the MS nurse and the continence nurse for as soon as possible. At each appointment, explain that you need evidence for a PIP claim and ask them to write letters, they can be addressed to you, but should support whichever Activities you feel you should get the points for.
Also, arrange to see your GP and ask for a letter from them, again, stating what needs you have with regard to Daily Living and Mobility.
Plus, phone your local CAB office and see if you can get an appointment with a welfare advisor to have some help with your MR.
Sue
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So, my latest update, my PIP initially came back with std rate living (7 points) and nothing for Mobility, zero points.
I put in for a mandatory reconsideration and as part of that I asked if/what medical evidence had been used. I told them I suspected nothing had been used and provided it myself as part of the MR process.
Just back from a business trip to find that following the MR process, a new lady/heath care professional, noted that “I looked tired” and has responded with more reasons for my scores.
They agreed that my 7 points for living should be raised to 11 as I indicated to them, this was just a point I wanted them to address even though it doesn’t effect the overall score.
The new lady declared that I was able to walk 20 - 50 metres. So I have gone from zero points to 10, still not enough for the higher rate so I have no choice but to go to a tribunal.
One of the notes from my neurologist stated “Charlie struggled to walk the 30 meters into my office from that waiting room even using his stick” .
It is my logic that the assessor has used that statement to say that I can walk 20 - 50 meters.
I will be taking this back to them to them to say just because I “truggled to do it once” this does not mean I can do it, safely, repeatedly, in a reasonable time etc
I will let you know how I get on in the appeal
Charlie
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Oh blimey Charlie. Just what news you didn’t want. I assume you did join https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ ?
Once again, take your time to consider exactly what made them award the points they have. Re-examine all of the evidence you supplied.
Use the guides available to you. I’m sure you’re a bit of an expert at this PIP cr@p now?
I’m really sorry you now have to appeal the decision.
Sue
You are doing well Charlie - keep going!
Remember PIP is all about proving DEPENDENCE - the need for care or help - or need for an aid.
RE: “Just back from a business trip”
So, are you independently mobile? Did you travel alone?
Do you need the aid of another person to go out and about?
Can you still drive to work alone? Do you have another person to direct you, or do you
use a SatNav or iPhone etc.,.? Do you get lost without help?
Signed statements from carers are useful to send. (Can be informal care ie relative: “My wife drives me to work.”)
POOR MOBILITY AND COGNITIVE PROBLEMS
Useful evidence for mobility enhanced rate:
- OT falls assessment report, (7% of MSers die due to a fall)
- evidence of wheelchair use and
- discuss with your GP or MS nurse about cognitive problems (poor short-term memory, which makes it difficult for you to follow a journey alone - get evidence in a letter of support for your PIP claim).
Sue/PJ
I honestly think this is just part of the “game” the DWP are playing, see what they can get away with, if you have the time and energy to appeal, have the evidence, are willing and able to go out of your way to prove you are entitled to the higher rates etc then it will all work out as you would expect. You just have to go through the pain of getting to the correct and right result.
Charlie
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Latest update, October 25th, the tribunal service received my tribunal request a few weeks back and they informed me that they would be asking the DWP to respond. Nothing back as yet but literally just had a text to say there is a large brown envelope waiting for me on the door mat! I suspect this might be the next part of the process. I am stuck in meetings all day so this will have to wait until I get home late tonight. Update tomorrow!!!
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Update : 120 plus pages of information ready for the tribunal. What was really amazing, this is the first time I have actually seen what the assessors have written. All I can say is, what a load of BS. Apparently I refused many requests, refused to do physical examinations, can clearly walk in excess of 20 meters as I drive a car! Also, I have met one “medical professional” in the whole process, but the reports and details have been written by her and 3 others who have never even spoken to me let alone met me and asked to see me walk. Just have to wait for the tribunal date now. Charlie
Hi all I’ve been reading the above posts with interest I got turned down for pip about 18 months ago I’m now thinking about reapplying. Things have got worse I have drop foot and my knee gives way after I have walked a short distance. I have relapsing ms so changers are only very slight so don’t know if it’s worth claiming again. All the best to you all Neil
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It was mentioned during the House of Commons Committee on PIP that:
a) Being able to drive was viewed as having “good functionality”.
b) If you don’t supply signed reports or Carer’s Statements on your social care needs, or disability like an MS Nurse
Care/Management Plans “You will be seen” by the PIP Assessor.
So I hope your 120 pages includes signed - witness statements - on what you can and can’t do.
Keep us updated on your progress.
Good luck!
Quick answer Charlie, - 6 weeks is what my assessor said last Tuesday.
Having said that I will be on to the DWP earlier than that.
OK, it is now the end of January, I am in week number 20 for my wait on my tribunal date/time/location.
Yesterday I had the 2nd letter from Motability tellign me how I have lost my enhanced rate and they are telling me that my car is due to go back on Feb 26th.
First job of the afternoon is the second call to Motability to tell them I am still waiting for my appeal date, I have no idea what they will say.
Talk about stress that I really don’t want/need, the impact of having no car is going to be monumental.
The average wait for tribunals in my area is between 24 and 28 weeks so I can’t see this happening before then.
I really am not enjoying this whole process.
Charlie
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I think its terrible that they can just take a car away, thats one of the reasons i never bothered with one. I do believe isnt there some sort of help in place with motability to keep it? I did read it somewhere but maybe my brain made that one up.
So sorry you have to be put through this. x
Hi Charlie, I have just received my award from PIP, I got 10 points for moving around but 0 points for going out so my car is going to.
I am devastated, I can only manage short journeys on my own, doctors 5 miles, post office 6 miles and my parent 9 miles. I am unable to travel on a bus because I cannot walk the distance to the bus stop and back let alone walk around town when I get there.
I have my small online business and with out my car I cannot get to the nearest post office so not sure what I’m going to do.
I have asked for the mandatory reconsideration and am trying to get my head around trying to explain the difficulties I have, not sure how I can prove this though.
I have been on middle rate care and higher rate mobility for 9 years and had a life time award. Pip says this award is for 3 years 
before they put me through this SHITE again, this is ridiculous, I’m waiting for my miraculous recovery, LOL.
Personal independent Payment what a LAUGH, they have just taken my independents away from me and my ability to earn my living.
So you got standard mobility?
i would appeal hun. The issue is DLA is not PIP, the idea of DLA was to allow you a tool to be mobile, this seems to be penalising people now.
Like you say you need your car to move around its your tool/appliance like having a wheelchair or sticks etc no difference. I think you have to stress that more.
they think if you can drive you are mobile but its not the age of the stone is it and the flintstones, where Fred needed his legs to move his car forward lol, you need the car to move you FORWARD. Does that make sense? Paraplegics can have adapted cars and drives, doesnt mean they still have legs does it.
you need to emphasis this more.
Your mobility is poor. They want to see someone wheel to the car, and park and wheel out.
Its a trick question this driving etc. They seem to use having a mobility car more against you then for you.
have you put in for mandatory recondsideration?
Hello
The problem with PIP for mobility is that it’s all about the distance you can walk (unless you have cognitive problems which affect your ability to get around). If you can’t walk 20 metres (reliably, repeatedly and safely) then you’d score 12 points and qualify for maximum PIP for mobility and therefore keep your Motability car. However, if you can walk up to 50 metres (again reliably, etc) you’d score 8 or 10 points (depending on whether or not you need an aid or appliance to walk) and qualify for standard rate PIP for mobility, but then you’d still not qualify for a Motability car.
Have a look at Personal Independence Payment - Citizens Advice You may find that explains the rules better. Or https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf Which shows you the points you score depending on your ability to walk.
Basically, the goalposts were shifted quite considerably when the benefit changed from DLA to PIP.
If you think the DWP got the decision wrong (ie you can’t walk further than 20 or 50 metres), you can apply for a mandatory reconsideration. This would mean they’d look at the claim again, you can submit further information and evidence to support an MR.
Sue
Hi, thanks for the advice, I phoned and asked for the MR straight away.
I do have cognitive problems which vary from day to day or how worn out I am or if lost’s of noise etc. I have problems choosing things and making any decisions, I have problems socialising because of it. I have to ask to be told things again and again because I cannot make it stick in my head.I can get very frustrated / upset and sometimes angry.
I have problems changing things so tend to do or have the same things all the time. Like the last few months everyday I have had bacon and egg, either for breakfast or for tea sometimes I do change it for a bacon and egg omelette.
I no longer run the house hold everything has had to go into my husbands name.
I had a brain injury specialist do a number of tests on me in a few years ago and received a letter with all this info on. I sent this in with my PIP claim but they have not taken this into account, in fact they say I have no cognitive issues at all, show a good understanding of things and go out visiting friends and family.
I only have 1 friend and haven’t visited her for years, she has 3 big steps into her house, she visits me once every 2 or 3 months.
I go to see my parents 9 miles away about once a month.
I cannot drive around the country side on my own like a normal person, 20 mins and I’m done. I cannot drive over any high bridge, my son was at Hull uni and we had to go over the Humber bridge. I had driven over it many times before I was ill so before 2007 even towing a caravan behind me but the last time I had a very scary panic attack and so am now to scared to try again.
I have 2 weeks left to appeal, I have been making notes and am starting to put them together but how do you prove I have problems if they take no notice of the brain specialist. Yes it may be MCI (mild cognitive impairment) but it doesn’t feel mild when you have it.
Mild cognitive impairment seems to be generally ignored by the PIP assessors. But you might get some points for it with MR. I thought I might get a few points for cognitive impairment, but didn’t get any. And I included a psychologists report with my claim too. But as I’m very physically disabled, it didn’t make any difference to my claim, I got the points for physical capabilities.
Best of luck with the MR. If you can get some help from the CAB or another welfare benefits advisor, do.
Sue
Thanks Ssssue xx Crazy Chick xx
Maybe I should just accept what they have offered me??
My Mum thinks so, just to save me the stress.
Just seams like a kick in the teeth thats all, you are ill enough to get help, you can have a car, now im not, nothing’s changed accept the Government / Goal posts.
I’m still the same, not gona get better, life time award DLA to checked upon every 2 years.
Just feel like giving up, whats the use.
Only had my car / indapendance for the last 2 years, since 2009 I have been stuck at home. I live in a rural village and not able to get to a bus stop.
Last march we had to give up our morgage free family home of 21 years to move into a bungalow with a 100 grand morgage just for me.
Feeling sick and fed up
Hi i think from what you wrote should you be driving?