Hello all, I got the initial pip decision on Friday. I’ve been awarded 6 points for daily living and 0 for mobility. In the middle of drafting a letter for reconsideration. Most of the points i’m raising have already been covered in the letters i’ve provided to them from my MS nurse and GP. Was wondering if they have actually read this?!? Or if the DWP are just trying to fob me off. Has anyone had any sucess with a reconsideration request or should I expect i’m going to have to appeal? Thanks
Reconsideration is mandatory before you can appeal. Therefore you have no choice but to ask for reconsideration. Have you had a physical assessment or have they made a decision based entirely on your application and evidence? If you’ve not been properly assessed then you should maybe ask for a personal assessment. If you have, then you need to think about whether the assessor considered everything s/he should have done.
I suggest you have a look at http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ they have excellent guides available to members and it’s really worth the £20 or so to join. Alternatively (or as well) see if you can get some help with a reconsideration / appeal from eg the CAB.
Best of luck with it.
Sue
Hi Sue. I’ve had a physical assesment but the areas i’m asking them to reconsider are things i brought up during the consultation and are corroborated by what i put on the how your condition affects you and the letters from my MS nurse and GP. Its like these aspects have been overlooked by someone. Anyway letter has been drafted although I may take out referring them to how i think pip assesement is unfair on people with MS and directing them to the MS enough campaign…so i dont antagonise them…
You might be better explaining that people with MS have fluctuating conditions so maybe the day you were assessed was a good day but on other days you’re much worse. It’s sometimes about the way you word things that helps (or hinders). This is why it’s often a good idea to get some expert help, or just use the best available resources. So either look at benefits and work, or find another reputable site that’ll guide you. You have a month from the date of their decision to get your reconsideration request in, so it’s best to take the time to get it right.
Sue
Like Sue says the way you say things can help or (hinder), but Pls do try & get some expert help, Ms folks all have good days & bad days, PIP folk don’t dont see this!! so i would’nt worry about antagonising them as the last thing they wont to do, is help us, or do any favours!! on my intervieu she did’nt say she was a Dr, or a professional anything of that nature that i can remember!! but she was able to decide that i can walk 200m with or without any form of aid! eventhough i was awarded full mob 12 yrs ago approx & a tribunaral 6/7 yrs ago & indefinate, with peaple who where definateley not fresh out of college, but were evedentley educated both in peaple skills & humility, sorry to rant but i am in the same boat as you, js not very calm at the moment, & that does us no good at all, all the crap that they throw at us is js so unfair!
good luck dude!! Julien,xGRR
sorry for bad spelling,
I kind of disagree about not antagonising the PIP staff, just keep in your mind that they are people who have to do a rather crappy job, they have to stick to their rules. (And I wouldn’t do their job for all the tea in China!) The problem is that their rules don’t always allow for fluctuating conditions so they have to make their decisions based on what you say. Also, as Juju says, they are not always doctors so they don’t necessarily know all about MS. (Even my GP doesn’t know masses about MS, the symptoms and the drugs used to treat us.) And you should keep in mind that they only know what you tell them. If you don’t tell them exactly what symptoms you have, how you do or don’t manage to do everyday things and the effect on you of (for eg) fatigue, they won’t know. So explain everything. When I’m writing details for a benefit form, I do it from the perspective that the assessor doesn’t know me, may not know much about MS but if I spell everything out in a helpful way, maybe together, me, the assessor and the evidence from my GP will be able to come to the ‘right’ decision; ie to award me the benefit at the rate to hitch I’m entitled.
Sue
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I meant I meant to also say, get some help, use a guide or get assistance from the CAB. They know the rules and will guide you in the right direction. They’ll be able to tell you how to explain things in a way that fits in with the various point scoring criteria.
Sue
Thanks. I’ve looked at the CAB. I’ve used the whole ‘safely’, ‘repeatedly, ‘to an acceptable standard’ and in a reasonable amount of time’ when breaking down where i feel they made the wrong decision. Referred them to the letters i’ve already provided from gp and ms nurse. Yeah the part i had in wasn’t a criticism of the persons decision making ability rather the current assesement process itself - probably unnecessary but just wanted to put that down on paper. I’ll hang fire for time being until i’ve sought further advice.
My advice would be not to give up. I know it is hard, the process is totally unsuitable for people with MS. See it through and I am sure the decision will be favourable. I think it is shocking how people with MS are treated. I have impressed myself today with being so polite, not how I feel at all when PIP is mentioned, it is so unfair.
yeh! seek good advice, but make sure you record,everything you submit too them,
i don’t mean be willfully antagonise them do realise! they do have a tuff job! bless em!! i am generally polite well mannerd untill someone talks utter rubbish about me!! & makes a decision bassed on that, ok they miss under stood me, or simpley was not watching my farther & i when he held my wrist & arm & guided me when i was sumoned into interigation room, then the same in reverse, but it.s ok ,i can now walk 200m (yeh rite, tuff job eh!)… i do understand they will see all sorts of peaple with allsorts of stories & lies but a little homework may help for all of us.
Julien,
Hiya
i don’t know what was in your application or what was said but a big emphasis appears to lie with the number of good / bad days you have. For PIP the award seems to be based on what the majority of yours days are like. If 40% of your days are bad ones then the award will be based on your good days.
were you using an aid at the assessment ? If not then it may he been noted.
good luck with the reconsideration
Paul