Mandatory Reconsideration

Tardis

That is a 9 month award.  It will be reassessed next summer.  The extra year is added on so that payment can continue while reassessment is taking place.

PIPnewbie

Tardis said:

That is a 9 month award.  It will be reassessed next summer.  The extra year is added on so that payment can continue while reassessment is taking place.

Good god, this is a joke.  I'm sure her Crohn's, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis won't be gone by then.

Can anyone explain what the reassessment process is?  Will she have to go for another face to face? 

Yadnad

PIPnewbie said:

Tardis said:

That is a 9 month award.  It will be reassessed next summer.  The extra year is added on so that payment can continue while reassessment is taking place.

Good god, this is a joke.  I'm sure her Crohn's, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis won't be gone by then.

Can anyone explain what the reassessment process is?  Will she have to go for another face to face? 

More than likely - most do with a review. The form may be shorter but you will have to fill it in as you did with the original one + plenty of current relevant evidence.
Why do you think I threw the towel in after 3 of these in 5 years?

PIPnewbie

Yadnad said:

PIPnewbie said:

Tardis said:

That is a 9 month award.  It will be reassessed next summer.  The extra year is added on so that payment can continue while reassessment is taking place.

Good god, this is a joke.  I'm sure her Crohn's, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis won't be gone by then.

Can anyone explain what the reassessment process is?  Will she have to go for another face to face? 

More than likely - most do with a review. The form may be shorter but you will have to fill it in as you did with the original one + plenty of current relevant evidence.
Why do you think I threw the towel in after 3 of these in 5 years?

So in 9 months she'll have to go through what she just had to all over again?

It seems like going to tribunal is a no-brainer at this point.

Time to take the fight to these scum people.  

poppy123456

The problem you have here is when her review comes, any new decision will overrule the Tribunal decision, which ever way you look at it.

atlas46

Hi

To overcome that situation, you need to appeal both the rates of awards and the length of award.

PIPnewbie

poppy123456 said:

The problem you have here is when her review comes, any new decision will overrule the Tribunal decision, which ever way you look at it.

This is just ridiculous.  What is even the point of PIP?

atlas46 said:

Hi

To overcome that situation, you need to appeal both the rates of awards and the length of award.

So when the letter is written be sure to specify that the descriptors and length of award are being challenged?

atlas46

Yes, challenge both at the same time.

The last thing your girlfriend needs, is to go through this none sense in 9 months time.

She has an incurable and unremitting life time condition.

That is why she should get welfare rights advice.

poppy123456

atlas46 said:

That is why she should get welfare rights advice.

Completely agree, this has been advised a few times.

PIPnewbie

poppy123456 said:

atlas46 said:

That is why she should get welfare rights advice.

Completely agree, this has been advised a few times.

Oh she is going to.  

She will call Crohn’s and Colitis Monday.

Is there any other source of help?

atlas46

She should google her post code and add "welfare rights advice"

What medical evidence was supplied to support her claim?

Please name by clinical specialist.

PIPnewbie

atlas46 said:

She should google her post code and add "welfare rights advice"

What medical evidence was supplied to support her claim?

Please name by clinical specialist.

I think she supplied all her appointment summaries dictated by her gastroenterologist, explaining the incontience, levels of inflammation, stricture from her 4 bowel resections, etc.

Also ones by her pain management specialist showing her reported symptoms of pain, areas of the body, what it feels like, what her specialist thinks it is (she’s close to diagnosing fibromyalgia - which she now has had diagnosed).

Evidence going back 6 years, with detailed pages of MRI scans showing arthritis, damage to base of spine from years of inflammation, etc.

atlas46

Has she seen any of the following?

Specialist IBD nurse.

Psychologist.

Nutritionist.

I note she is prescribed Mercaptopurine, how often does she have blood tests?

Does she keep a record book of these tests - full blood count & liver function test?

PIPnewbie

atlas46 said:

Has she seen any of the following?

Specialist IBD nurse.

Psychologist.

Nutritionist.

I note she is prescribed Mercaptopurine, how often does she have blood tests?

Does she keep a record book of these tests - full blood count & liver function test?

Yeah, two IBD specialist nurses

Psychologist, yes, in the past 2 years.  It was a pain psychologist.

Dietician, yes.  She prescribed Modulen, a special IBD diet.

Blood tests are fortnightly, as her white blood cell count isn't stable.

No, but she is in constant email contact with her specialist IBD nurses, so she has a record of all the blood test results there, as well as faecal calprotectin, vitamin D deficiencies, Humira level results (biological drug), etc.

She has been offered antidepressants (so there is mental health records, contrary to what the assessor said), but she refused several times as she did not even want to think about taking more medication.  She will cry if it's even brought up.

Thanks for all your help, Atlas and Poppy.  I really appreciate this. 

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

@atlas46

She just sent me this pic.  It is a letter from 2014 that she didn’t use when applying for PIP

Would it be fine to use this as evidence for the MR?

poppy123456

There's no harm in sending it, even though they do say evidence should be within 2 years. Backed up with more recent evidence, it should be ok. They will either accept it or use it. This will most likely end up going to Tribunal as most do, they're more understanding there.

PIPnewbie

poppy123456 said:

There's no harm in sending it, even though they do say evidence should be within 2 years. Backed up with more recent evidence, it should be ok. They will either accept it or use it. This will most likely end up going to Tribunal as most do, they're more understanding there.

Funnily enough when I spoke to my girlfriend she said the same thing that tribunals have people who are more likely to listen and understand.

I don’t mind it going to tribunal.  I know it’s a risk that the MR stops her money, but I have a feeling they will stick to the 8 points, so she’ll at least continue to get something.

PIPnewbie

@poppy123456

@atlas46

The day has come.  She's going to call Crohn's and Colitis first thing.  Do you have any advice on what she must say?

atlas46

They will arrange for a volunteer to call her, suggest she has her nan by her side, whilst speaking to volunteer. Nan can take notes of what is being said.

She needs to seek best advice on how to undertake a MR.

The call will last 30 minutes or so.

Ensure she leaves it, where she can seek further advice from volunteer.

Let us know how things go.

Remember she will still need local WRO to assist her.

atlas46

On another track.

As your girlfriend has now got PIP standard care, this is a passport to other benefits, ie Carer's Allowance.

You will need to provide brief details of her domestic circumstances.

@poppy123456 is an expert and will provide guidance.