Help me understand

saz11

Hi everyone i am new to the site 
I was recently refused pip daily living component after my renewal assessment.
The letter from DWP stated the following. : 

I have reduced your pip as i would not expect you to know information provided would affect your award.

I dont really understand what they are meaning by this, could anyone shed any light on this ?

I was only awarded 6 points.....previous award was 8 points. The only difference i see is i have only been awarded 2 points for Preparing and cooking food were as previous i scored 4 points.

Any feedback would be really appreciated.

saz11

Hi 
Yes i requested a MR on the 28th May followed up by a letter. I did phone and ask them what this meant but they were not able to give me a answer. As time has gone on and having time to go over decision again again and again i still cant figure it out which is frustrating me.

poppy123456

Hi,

When you first claimed PIP you scored 4 points for preparing food, which is 1E, for needing assistance/supervision. This time you scored only 2 points. Which descriptor did you score this for 1B,C or D?

It sounds like to me that there was either something in the evidence that stated something or it was something that you wrote or said that made them believe that assistance isn't needed. Because of this they reduced your points, which means you now don't qualify for standard daily living.

Do you have a copy of the assessment report from your previous PIP claim? If you do then have a look on their to see what it says. Also if you have a copy of the award letter from that claim to see what it says then compare those against this most recent review.

saz11

Thanks Poppy i was thinking along those lines too. I don't have the report from my previous assessment but i do have my award letter. The only difference is it mentions use of a microwave to cook a meal so i am assuming it must be that. It says i can't cook a meal on a cooker on first award but on current award it states i cant cook a meal on a cooker but can using a microwave 
I was asked if i could use a microwave which i advised to yes but only to heat a ready meal in the past but i no longer use any cooking appliances without someone being present due to safety reasons.

Hopefully i will here back from them soon. 

Adrian_Scope

Hi @saz11 and welcome to the community. I hope Poppy and Woodbine have been able to help you. But if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to let us know!

saz11

Thank you @Adrian_Scope
Poppy helped me clarify my thoughts on it. . Advice much appreciated ?

cristobal

@saz11 - I don't know if this will help but the descriptor about 'Preparing food' i.e. cooking etc is according to the guidelines,

"...to prepare and cook a simple meal for one from fresh ingredients. It assesses ability to open packaging, peel and chop, serve food on to a plate and use a microwave oven or cooker hob to cook or heat food"

Fairly obviously this excludes heating up a ready-meal.

Cooking a meal in a microwave can take a long time - imagine making spaghetti bolognese, or a curry etc from fresh - but I do not know whether this is taken into account by the assessor. Maybe @ilovecats does?

Curiously my assessor didn't ask about fresh ingredients. I'd already acknowledged that I could open a can and put bread in a toaster - so although she never said anything it was obvious that I would be living on beans on toast!!

PS I love beans on toast - and do have it quite a lot....!!!

saz11

@cristobal

thanks for that. It frustrates first time awarded 4 points now only 2 points after renewal assessment. On my original award i was awarded till Jan 2020 but after the review in May 19 payments stopped also i lost sdp premium  with esa because pip was denied. 

So bowls of cereal for me then....?

saz11

@ilovecats Thank you for your reply its much appreciated. 

I believed that using a microwave to heat a ready meal was not classed as cooking and preparing from fresh ingredients. At my assessment i was asked if i could use a microwave and i replied yes to heat a ready meal not to cook a full meal. My previous award i was given 4 points for this activity and only 2 points . As there hasn't been any change or improvement in my condition i would have expected to score the same as my first award. So i really don't understand how they have come to this conclusion when i specifically said i don't use a microwave for cooking. Am i missing something or has there been a change since 2017 that i am not aware of. Any information on this and your thoughts on whether points awarded are correct  would be appreciated ?

IHaveEpilepsy81

What are you claiming pip for if you don’t mind me asking?

saz11

Hi i claim pip for epilepsy and depression.

IHaveEpilepsy81

I too have uncontrolled epilepsy and I am in the same situation.  I have been refused PIP, acting 12 points mobility and only 6 points for daily living.  I was refused again at the MR stage and I have had a supplementary report done and still there’s is no award for daily living.  All my medical evidence is very detailed and very accurate.  Apparently people with uncontrolled epilepsy need supervision whilst bathing incase they drown, but are fine to cook and eat unsupervised.  

Roll on my tribunal.

saz11

Thiis seems to be the case unfortunately. 
I was in receipt of the daily living component until May 19 and after renewal assessment it was stopped.
I am currently waiting on MR decision. I have explained in detail the help and assistance i need. It seems bizarre the activity i need help help with every day they reduce my award on.