PIP Turned down - decision is based on absolute opposite of what I said! Help!

[ItsDisneyBitch]

I had an hour call with PIP Assessor for DD, the DLA has been stopped as of this month.

The summary given has completely glossed over all the problems DD has! And contradicted all the points I have made.

Has anyone appealed successfully?

I have some experience in this field without going into detail. You need to prepare your evidence in detail before submitting the Mandatory Reconsideration. Search for the PIP Assessment Guide on Google and look at Part 2 which is the guidelines for the assessors. That should help you understand their decision. Try to get evidence in writing from professionals who provide support (healthcare, education, etc). This will have greater value than your own statements. There may be a local advice or law centre in your area. If so then contact them. It's not just the CAB who help people with these matters.

OP, I’m so sorry things are so tough and you have had so little support from everyone. It sounds utterly exhausting and completely unfair.

I don’t think it’s typical to have to help a sixteen year old to the extent OP is describing.

You sound like a really good mum, ItsDisneyBitch thank goodness your daughter has you in her corner. Don’t blame yourself or underestimate all the things you do to help her every day.

She messages me 100 times a day for reassurance and asking how to do things. I have a set up at work that I can leave if she needs help. God it’s draining

This should go on the form

I feel like PIP/DLA is ah official way of someone saying we believe you. Does that make sense or am I rambling.

I agree and to an extent I think it's true. When faced with someone who has PIP and knowing how difficult it is to get, it tells you something about them before you've even met them. There's also sometimes forms for things asking if you "consider yourself disabled" and if you're "registered disabled" eg employment applications. So people do, I think, see a difference between the two. One is your opinion, the other backs you up officially.

No I don't think it's you hampering her. If pushing her to do something causes her depression to worsen then she can't do it without it causing her harm, this is different from someone who can do it if they have to but doesn't like to. I don't believe most parents of teenagers 16+ have to have special arrangements themselves for working just so they can be an adequate parent. Most 16+ can muddle through somehow, even if upset. There's a difference between being upset at something going wrong and being suicidal because she's not coping with whatever has gone wrong. I don't believe most 16+ are texting parents 100x a day and if their parents texted them that much I suspect they'd switch off their phone!

As KitKat151 says, PIP and DLA are different benefits with different criteria. PIP is entirely points based, DLA is much more open to interpretation.

The OP really needs to try to get some professional advice. For example, I'd be unlikely to try to use the need for loads of text messages as my evidence. To get an award for PIP Daily Living you need 8 points. That usually means 2 points in each of 4 areas. From the limited information given an award for Mobility (planning and following a journey) maybe an option.

However much your daughter needs help, you really have to focus on the points and nothing else. Despite what people may read in the Daily Mail about 'scroungers' the DWP is often fairly brutal and unforgiving with people who have disabilities.

It sounds like the daughter should score points for 'prompting' in many areas...OP it might help to look at the actual criteria, if they are saying 'she can do this' and you are saying 'no she can't' as it may be the case that they are missing 'needing prompting'

Also, even if she doesn't get the highest level, she only needs 8 points for Standard care, which I think would be four areas needing 'prompting' (2 for each) - best check though.

Also, for Mobility there is the lower rate for planning journeys to unusual destinations, that may apply. Maybe having standard for both would help you a bit.

Also I just checked and for cooking 'needing to use an aid or appliance to prepare or cook a simple meal' scores 2 points..

Also for dressing there is 2 points for "prompting to select appropriate clothing' which may apply

Sorry X posted with Greyisgood, basically saying the same thing!

OP your DD might also qualify for ESA, as I understand it is possible to claim this after 16..might be worth looking into.

@Orangesandlemons77

OP your DD might also qualify for ESA, as I understand it is possible to claim this after 16..might be worth looking into.

No one can claim ESA anymore unless contributions based which op's dd definitely wont qualify for as she has never worked. She may be able to claim Universal credit at 18, once she finishes education if she is unable to hold down any kind of job. She would need PIP in place to claim Uc whilst still in education after 18 but I believe the rules have changed on that recently also, so I'm not entirely sure.

Sorry I should have clarified - once she leaves education, if she cannot work she can claim Universal credit, she will need a sick note. Whether she can claim whilst in education would depend if she has PIP in place, unless the rules have changed.

@Orangesandlemons77

OP your DD might also qualify for ESA, as I understand it is possible to claim this after 16..might be worth looking into.

No she can’t claim ESA. Nor PIP if she is in education. There is a loophole though. However, if she claims PIP, if her parent claims UC/tax credits she will be removed from that claim and the parent is usually worse off.

PIP assessors are terrible! We’ve had 1 horrendous experience and 1 very positive experience.

name changed - can you share the loophole?

It is disgusting how they twist things around. A person could literally say 'The one time I took a bus to the town centre and back I had to stay in bed for a week' and they'd use that to say 'Can travel independently'

The ironic thing is that people (who genuinely cannot work) are having to exaggerate about how bad their conditions are to jump through the hoops. I have a friends with conditions that mean they can't work but still know that they have to have someone come with them to benefits appointments (even if they could travel independently), must never wear makeup or brush their hair at appointments and basically have to claim they're incapable of anything at all, or else it'll get twisted round and used to say they're fine to work full time.

OK sorry for giving the wrong info about ESA...a friends DC had it quite recently and they were in college so I wondered if it might be possible but maybe things have changed. His was income related ESA.

I have rewritten my statement requesting mandatory reconsideration.

She scored 4 points for social communication.

I just want it recognised that she needs help.

Well she only needs 4 more points to get the standard rate. Best of luck

Nor PIP if she is in education

Ds gets enhanced PIP for daily living and mobility and is 17 and in education.

@Echobelly

It is disgusting how they twist things around. A person could literally say 'The one time I took a bus to the town centre and back I had to stay in bed for a week' and they'd use that to say 'Can travel independently'

The ironic thing is that people (who genuinely cannot work) are having to exaggerate about how bad their conditions are to jump through the hoops. I have a friends with conditions that mean they can't work but still know that they have to have someone come with them to benefits appointments (even if they could travel independently), must never wear makeup or brush their hair at appointments and basically have to claim they're incapable of anything at all, or else it'll get twisted round and used to say they're fine to work full time.

People should not exagerrate their conditions, they should be honest. And PIP is not about whether you can work or not, people can claim it when working full time. My ex colleague did this, I have no idea how she got PIP but must have met the criteria somehow.

@Punxsutawney

Nor PIP if she is in education

Ds gets enhanced PIP for daily living and mobility and is 17 and in education.

People can absolutely claim PIP whatever their situation if they meet the criteria, working or in education or not working, it is just purely about difficulties that you have on a daily basis not about what your work/ education situation is.

@Orangesandlemons77

Well she only needs 4 more points to get the standard rate. Best of luck

Yes absolutely should be easy enough to find where those points will be awarded. The MR's that are hard ( although not impossible) a re the ones where you are trying to go from zero points to enough for an award.

@Orangesandlemons77

OK sorry for giving the wrong info about ESA...a friends DC had it quite recently and they were in college so I wondered if it might be possible but maybe things have changed. His was income related ESA.

Must have been quite some years ago that the income related ESA was awarded as there has been no new claims for IR ESA for some years now.

Is she in education? Can they help with examples. DLA is completely different to PIP. They asked if she can cook and she can with assistance so should score 2 points. Did she talk on the phone to them? If she didn’t it might of been best she did as they do a assessment on her speaking and how she understands things and how she communicates.

Am waiting for my report. I am a wheelchair user.and I have carers come in twice a day. How much do we want to bet that I can wash and dress myself, wander a supermarket and make myself a meal?

No she let me speak she literally confirmed her name and date of birth. I pointed out her NI number which she read out. That was she was able to communicate effectively. Honestly if I didn’t laugh I could cry. She said a maximum of six words.