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Lost higher rate and have to return car - no idea what to do now?

jamesak62

My wife Sarah has just had another pip assessment and we recieved a letter informing her she will nolonger be getting the higher rate pips and we have to return our car.
As she is unable to walk any distance or stand for any long amount of time,i find this so unfare!.
Sarah has osteoarthritis in her spine,fybromyalga,a trapped S1 nerve so is in constant pain. because she has A1 antitrypsin deficiency an coronary heart desiese surgeons will not operate to relieve the trapped nerve.
Sarah will never get any better only worse,the health care professional was informed of all this but seemed to ignore what she was told,My wife's deppression has gotten worse,so she spends all day in bed.
no idea what to do now ???

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steve51

Hi @jamesak62

I am very very sorry to hear about your wife's pip assessment & notice.

We have got some info / advice on here that should be helpful.

https://search.scope.org.uk/s/redirect?collection=scope-meta&url=https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/benefits/pip&index_url=https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/benefits/pip&auth=OdCmUepX8Eu01lD6Q10Fhg&profile=_default&rank=1&query=Pip

Please please let me know if you need any further help / support???????

thespiceman

Hello @jamesak62 Pleased to meet you welcome.

Thank you for joining and sharing. Sorry what has happened.

I am one of the team of community champions . Who guide and inform, advise new members.

My friend @steve51 who is also a community champion has given you some good links.

I myself lost my car last year. Since being in a position as many of our community. I can identify what your wife is going through.

I have problems walking myself and struggle so have to try to cope. I can though only offer what I can advise with words of comfort but also some support.

I have had a car for about twenty years and had to do what many of our community . Use taxis . Do a lot already a lot on line.

Many things shopping, banking and prescriptions.

What you need is reassurance and try to appeal.. I hope you do. One other suggestion is to contact your local MP. I know they need to know what is happening to our vulnerable society and community.

Motability offer a severance package and have lots of information, advice on their on their website. You will receive a booklet outlying many options.

Please read that carefully. Include financial incentives.

Sorry about your wife's mental health. Is she receiving any support for this.?

Hope this helps have a mental health charity I used. Might be useful to look at.

https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

Lots of the mental health charities do give assistance, support with benefits including appeals. As well looking at mental health. How they can help and support your wife.

Please can I ask you wife has Osteoarthritis. Have you spoken to the association who deal with the condition.

Worth to have a look consider any other support.

National Osteoporosis Society who also include your wife's condition.

Telephone 0808 800 0035 .

I wish you well and your wife. Please if we can be of any help. You are a valued member of our community now.

Pleasure to meet you.

Take care.

@thespiceman

jamesak62

thank you for your advice . i intend to appeal their decision as i feel the healh care professional had little or no understanding of my wife's medical situation,the letter she received which basically said she isn't as bad as her first assessment 2yrs ago was full of inaccurate statements and fabricated quotes.so will see !!!

steve51

Hi @jamesak62

"No probs"

Please please let us know if you require any further help /support in moving ahead with your appeal?????????

@steve51

poppy123456

You have 1 month from the date of the decision to request the MR. They will look at the whole award again and not just part of it. You need to put the request in writing stating what you disagree with, where you think you should score those points and your reasons why. Putting 2-3 examples of what happened the last time she attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies.

Only 18% of MR decisions change, so you'll most likely have to take it to Tribunal.

I'd advise getting some face to face advice from welfare rights or a law centre near you.

jamesak62

thank you for advice ?

Yadnad

jamesak62 said:

My wife Sarah has just had another pip assessment and we recieved a letter informing her she will nolonger be getting the higher rate pips and we have to return our car.
As she is unable to walk any distance or stand for any long amount of time,i find this so unfare!.
Sarah has osteoarthritis in her spine,fybromyalga,a trapped S1 nerve so is in constant pain. because she has A1 antitrypsin deficiency an coronary heart desiese surgeons will not operate to relieve the trapped nerve.
Sarah will never get any better only worse,the health care professional was informed of all this but seemed to ignore what she was told,My wife's deppression has gotten worse,so she spends all day in bed.
no idea what to do now ???

Unfortunately what has happened to your wife is all too common. There is no logic behind some of the decisions being made. Someone with an ounce of intelligence must see that to have the enhanced rate previously and then to have it reduced can only happen if (a) the actual reason for getting it in the first place is removed or the condition has improved or (b) the decision maker is not looking at the claim in the round, not considering why it was offered before and what has happened since.
I am the same in that this situation has happened three times now - enhanced mobility to 0 points after another assessment.

jamesak62

In my opinion all claiments should be assessed by a medically qualified person , not some dubious individuals employed by atos or whoever with the remit to remove disabled people from the scheme at any cost,just to make the company look good to the department of health and justify their cost to the taxpayers?

thespiceman

Hello @jamesak62 Thank you for your comments. Understand everything, though like to share with you..

We know it is not working and yet the Government persists every day I see this as a community champion. Feel for the members and every one else in this situation.

That is one of the roles we play. Being supportive, offering words of comfort.

Being constantly reassessed every eighteen months to be evaluated hurts me mentally.

One assessor says am fit have to sign on for a year all the hassle, etc. etc. More anxiety and stress. Where am I going all that. Eighteen months down the road another assessor say unfit to work and away we ago around. Again another eighteen months fit then again eighteen months unfit. Very much continuing for a long time.

Twenty plus years like that. Continuing.

I had the support of my mental health team. No point me going to look for work no one wants me. Got the skills, qualifications, experience but have the disability and other health issues.

Intervention of them the mental health team advisors all helped.

Big problem is still going to get assessed now this year probably. Going to have more hassle again. Also have lost the car, do not go out.

My question to my self am being 55 this year when is a enough a enough.

Add to that being on all sorts of benefits on and off since leaving school.

Find and use this forum to get educated. Learnt a lot from members thanks to them.

Please may I suggest have look at Disability News gives the whole inside story plus Benefits and Works website the other one I would recommend.

One other final point MP's are beginning to acknowledge what the hell is going on with PIP and Universal Credit.

There are proposals for change but Government will not do them.

I want to be like courts have advocate, video recorded, statements typed up copy to claimant. Any mistakes retyped and done there and then. Not any exercises and all that . Just a pen pushing exercise.

Always get shouted at when refusing why because there is no legal obligation to do so as I pointed out in their own assessment leaflet every time.

Hope you do appeal and get the success you do deserve pleasure to talk to you.

Take care.

@thespiceman

DCBM

I am truly sorry Sarah has this problem with PIP and a 'Decision letter' that tell's her she is losing her 'Enhanced rate' of mobility and being told that the Motability provider will contact her in due course to give her options regarding the returning of her car. My heart and soul goes out to you both.
I joined your community today and submitted my situation that is exactly the same as Sarah's. I received a 'Decision' that has told me exactly the same on December 29, my Son's 21st Birthday, which is dated December 19, so it took 10 day's to arrive.
I was given an Award for Life under DLA and have had 5 Motability car's in the last 18 year's. Diagnosed with Chronic Crohn's 1984 I have had major bowel surgery 12 time's, last rites, Intensive Care for Crohn's and a following a brain haemorrhage in 2012 resulting in frontal lobe damage, colostomy, gall bladder removal, liver half clipped off due to it atrophying. My abdominal muscles have never knitted back together, that area is hollow, I have spur's on my spine and spinal cord with numbness up to my knee's rom my toe's as well as 24 hour incontinent pads and 21 prescribed drugs with Methotrexate stored in the fridge as well as Tylex and Tramadol pain killer's to get by. Mobility and daily life **** I suppose. I recognise and understand everyone's stress on here.
I didn't think to ask this initially today which perhaps explains why nothing has appeared in response to it, nothing I can see anyway as I am not used to this site being a newby - HAS ANY ONE GOT ANY ADVICE PLEASE. I AM AT MY WIT'S END MY DWP DEADLINE FOR MANDATORY RECONSIDERATION IS JAN 16.
With NYear imposible to get anywhere timesacale wise. Sorry. H-E-L-P

poppy123456

@DCBM

PIP isn't about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activities based on the PIP descriptors.

Your next step is to request the MR and you need to put this in writing. You need to take a look at the PIP descriptors to see where you think you should have scored those points and your reasons why. Adding 2-3 examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies.

It's extremely difficult to advice anything more on an internet forum because no one knows exactly how your conditions affect you.

You should send evidence that proves how your conditions affect you. They rarely contact anyone for evidence, the onus is always on the claimant to make sure it's sent to support your claim.

Only 18% of MR decisions change so you'll most likely have to take it to Tribunal.

This link may help you understand the descriptors a little more.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria