PIP Review Update + Award Length Question

Nashota

Hello all,

I used to post on here not too long ago, but I asked for my account to be deleted due to one thing or another. I wanted to come back and share my experience with my PIP review, along with a little timeline and a question.

I started preparing for the review about a year in advance—though it might’ve been a bit less. I worked at my own pace, as I had a rough idea of when the form would arrive. I used advice from people like Poppy and followed a guide. My son and my advocate also helped check over the form. I made sure to include plenty of relevant information and gave clear examples of what happens when I try to do certain tasks. I also included two supporting letters and requested a paper-based review—both in writing and on the form—and asked for a longer award.

Here’s my timeline:

• September 2024: Sent the forms back
• December 2024: Received a text confirming the form had been received
• February 2025: Received another text saying they still had my form
• March 2025: Got a letter saying my award had been extended for 12 months
• May 2025: Received a text saying the review had been completed (no assessment)

I’m not sure whether having a paper-based review is a good or bad sign—or if it hints at the outcome, like whether the award will stay the same, be shortened, or extended. Right now, I’m not asking my son to request a copy of the report (if there is one), as my anxiety, depression, and overall health just aren’t in a good place. I’m also not asking him to call for the result—I’ll wait for the letter to arrive. If his Carer’s Allowance stops, I guess I’ll know there’s been a change.

Crossing everything that it’s all gone okay. 🤞

Quick question:
If my award stays the same, can I do a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) just for the length of the award without it putting the whole claim at risk?

Thanks in advance

Rosie_Scope

Hi @Nashota, lovely to hear from you. Thanks for sharing your timeline so far, I hope it continues to go okay for you.

You can write in your MR that you are happy with your points but would like to challenge the length. However, as far as I'm aware the whole claim will be looked at again, so it all has the potential to go up, down or stay the same.

Fingers crossed that you hear back soon and get the award you're hoping for 💛

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

It is possible to request an MR based on the length of the award only. But you must make that explicitly clear when requesting the MR, as they would usually look at the whole award again.

chiarieds

Hi Nashota - & I'm pleased to see you back on the forum too.

Usually a paper based assessment is a good thing as you've provided clear evidence upon which a decision can be made (tho we have heard from just a couple of members who had an unfavourable result).

Given that the statistics for a successful change with a MR are still about only 21%, & the decision usually stays the same, with it being very rare for a claimant to get a lower award,

and that you can certainly appeal to a Tribunal asking them to look at the length of your award only,

then (tho hopefully not needed), I think it would be a good idea to get your argument for a longer award in a written MR clearly stating that you are just asking them to look at the length of the award alone.

Keeping everything gently crossed for you

Nashota

Thanks for taking the time to respond @Rosie_Scope @OverlyAnxious and @chiarieds I appreciate it.

I'm trying not to let myself get too worried about it because I have mostly read good things about paper-based reviews, I only think I've seen one bad thing where the person claimed to have lost their award altogether. I tried to do as advised with the information, I did the same for my ESA review in 2021 and they gave me a paper-based assessment for that and moved me to SG.

I'll try and remember to come back and update when I receive the letter, hopefully it's good and they've not lowered it or shortened the length as I've previously had 2 x 5 year awards, I did request a longer award on the form due to that and my health not improving, I'll have to wait and see :)

There are lots of helpful people on here such as the people answering my post, Poppy and others. I hope you're all keeping as well as you can.

Rosie_Scope

Best of luck @Nashota ☺️ do keep us posted if you're feeling up to it, but no worries if you can't manage to.

Trevor_PIP

Best of luck!

Nashota

Thank you!

Hopeless

I recently submitted an MR challenging the length of my award only after a paper-based review. Success - they increased my award length from 4 years to 10 years! Despite stressing that I was challenging the length of award only and was happy with the points awarded they still looked at the whole thing again. Fortunately, they kept the points the same

Nashota

That's brilliant @Hopeless thanks for letting me know.

Nashota

Waiting for the letter is causing my anxiety to flare up but when I try and do what I've seen other suggest which is to call the helpline press 1 and then 6, I never get the request for my details and the last time someone actually answered and I ended up hanging up due to my anxiety.

I guess I'm just going to have to wait aren't I! My council tax still seems in order and so does my son's carers allowance, my son is disregarded on my council tax.

I've also read that they are less likely to remove your award if you've had a paper-based assessment, but this is my first one for PIP so I have no idea.

Nashota

Nvm, I did it, I found the correct way to do it and my payment and payment day was as normal but I know it can take a bit to update.

William19999

I hope eveything goes smoothly for you. I’ve just had mine back and my reward stayed the same . We think they made a mistake on mine regarding the planning and following a journey part. I scored 0 after telling them my health problems and the fact I can’t use public transport. My family checked the guid lines and point scoring. After taking a look and phone them there aren’t any notes from the assessor on this section. I tried to explaining it was only that part but they said they have to look at the hole pip review again. Currently waiting for my MR.

Kind regards

Will

Nashota

Thank you, I hope you receive the right result with your MR.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1027317#Comment_1027317

Not being able to use public transport doesn't automatically mean points for following a journey. You would need to be more specific about the reason that you can't use public transport and the type of assistance that you require. I haven't been able to use public transport for decades but couldn't score any points because I was able to drive a car locally at the time.