Hi all!
I’ve just joined, first post here - Everyone seems to friendly, which is lovely.
I was hoping you may be able to help please? I have long covid, COPD and am autistic, & started claiming for PIP end of 2022.
The DWP initially gave me 8 points for mobility (qualifying for standard mobility) and 6 for daily living due to my COPD & Long covid (I was still awaiting my assessment for autism)
I am going to tribunal over that, and in April they called & offered to increase me to Standard Daily Living, with another 2 or 4 points (which I declined, as my daily living needs are much higher) - So I am now waiting on a tribunal.
In May my autism diagnosis FINALLY came through, and someone at the DWP suggested I add it as a change of circumstances, so I will at least be uprated while I wait (I’m currently still only on the Standard Mobility rate, and have been since Dec 2022)
Now I haven’t got the letter today, but I am now given 18 points for mobility (taking me to enhanced) but still only the 4 points for Daily Living, putting me at 10 points.
Now, I am only 2 points away from Enhanced Daily Living, I’m as close to the threshold as possible to claim it without actually getting it. Am I ok still taking it to tribunal?
My mum - Who doesn’t seem to fully understand my health issues, seems to think I should be lucky to get that and keeps telling me the tribunal can take points off me. She tells me even though I have these issues I look physically fine.
Now this is true, but more than half the days I can’t get out of bed and I DO have all these major issues, tbh it’s quite hurtful even when she says “well I know you have it, but others don’t!”
Am I crazy still going to the tribunal for these 2 extra points, or should I ‘settle’? As, because it’s backdated from 2022 it is quite a significant amount. Every other health expert thinks I qualify for and am entitled to this, but my mum thinks the tribunal will take one look at me and take everything away, even after the DWP have awarded it to me.
I don’t look any different to when I applied the first time with PiP btw, my mum just thinks I should feel lucky and be grateful for what I’ve got.
Sorry this is so long-winded btw, essentially should I appeal for these last 2 points to the tribunal or just accept it?