Link to scoring for PIP Points please

mary123

Hello - I've just received the DWP/Capita report for my son for his PIP Assessment.
I was a little surprised as they appear to have scored him quite lowly on the Daily Living Activities - I'm not sure he's going to make enough points to be awarded anything (we're still waiting for the decision). 
I'm just wondering if there is a current breakdown online of how the points are awarded eg he Got 'e. - Needs supervision' for 'Activity 1 - preparing food'?
I've found a Citizens Advice breakdown but this seems to be more generous than others online and I'm not sure which is accurate/most current?
I think he'll be just shy of the 8 points for an allowance but given I have the 'letter' grades awarded to each activity, in the report, would like to add them up in advance.
Can anyway point me in the direction of the current breakdown for scores - if it is publicly available?
Many thanks. 

poppy123456

The Citizens Advice descriptors are correct. You can also see them here https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system
I always find it easier to use the PIP self test. Put the dots from the report into the self test. At the end it will tell you the scores. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/pip-test-form

Please be aware the report is a recommendation and not the decision. Though they do mostly go with it, it has been known for them to go against it.

mary123

@poppy123456 thank you - sorry to ask more questions but:
i) My son seems to have scored 7 points on Daily Living Component from link above.  We'll have to wait for DWP decision but going from self test they've scored him just under the threshold for any benefits.  I'm minded to appeal but would like to know if I need to reword the application - son suffers from uncontrolled epilepsy and is still having breakthrough seizures with medication.  I have to help clean him multiple days a week but they scored him 0 on this advising as he 'only' averages 3 seizures a week he's fine for majority of week.  Guess I'll just leave him sleep in his own urine for the minority of the week then... 
ii) They've also given him max 12 points for mobility part of assessment due to H&S risk when out and about.  So I think he should get enhanced rate for that.
It all feels a bit odd that he gets everything for mobility but nothing for daily living - especially as he can't cook unsupervised due to seizure risk with hot items etc. 
If we get the enhanced mobility and appeal will DWP keep paying current award - i.e. for enhanced mobility - whilst we're appealing the Daily Living Component? 
One other query - we had no appointment for the 'assessment', they just rang the house out of the blue and as my son answered the phone started the assessment.  He was totally unprepared and whilst he answered them as honestly as he could said he didn't really know on a few answers - eg how many times/much I help him (normally as he's passed out following a seizure). I was going to bring this up in the appeal as the Assessor didn't really afford him the support/adjustment requested i.e. myself being with him at the time.  

calcotti

If you request a Mandatory Reconsideration the award already made will  be paid until such time as a new decision is made.

Your comments on what he can and can’t do should address the descriptors/point scoring system. Explain what happens if he tries to do things himself.

If he is not capable of managing his benefits himself you can apply to DWP to become his appointee.
https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

chiarieds

Hi @mary123 - you may find the following helpful which I quote about 'Safety & supervision' from the Benefits & Work Guide for PIP June 2018:

'Until now, the DWP have argued that a claimant can only score points for being unsafe if harm is likely to occur on more than 50% of the occasions on which they attempt an activity.
So a claimant with epilepsy who has seizures twice a week would not get points for needing supervision when cooking. This is because they could not show that it is ‘more likely than not’ that they will have a seizure on any given occasion when they prepare food.
However, on 9th March 2017, in CPIP/1599/2016 a panel of Upper Tribunal judges held that the DWP were wrong.
Instead, they said, the decision maker should look at whether there is a real possibility that harm might occur and also at how great the harm might be. The greater the potential harm, the less likely it needs to be that it would happen on any specific occasion.
So, if there is a real possibility that a claimant with epilepsy might have a seizure whilst cooking then then they reasonably require supervision for this activity, even though the chances of a seizure happening on any specific occasion may be quite small.
They should score points for needing supervision even if they don’t actually have anyone to provide it.
But the Upper Tribunal went even further than this.
They ruled that where a claimant is at risk all the time, then they may also be at risk when carrying out PIP activities that do not carry any additional likelihood of harm.
So, a claimant may not be at any additional risk of harm if they have a seizure when using the toilet or taking medication, for example. But, because they are at risk whatever they are doing, then we would argue that they still reasonably require supervision during these activities, because they cannot do them safely without supervision.'