PIP Change Of Award Date, Decision Timeframes and Mobility Criteria

Hi,

Hoping for some advice if possible please. I had my original award end date given by the tribunal service, received my re-assessment questionnaire and extended the deadline to return it quite a few times because of being unwell. Whilst DWP were awaiting the return of my forms, they sent me a letter stating that they had changed my award end date (extended it).

I have my assessment this week but now I’m wondering if there has been a reason for them extending the award. Could this be so that any backpay they may have to payout would be less? I’ve been in receipt of PIP for a number of years (this is my second or third assessment) and I I’ve never had them do this before.

Whilst I’m here I do have a couple of other questions if anyone has any advice please.

How long is it currently taking to get a decision following an assessment? I know there’s long delays waiting for the actual assessment, but what about once it’s been completed?

I was very close to being awarded high rate mobility on my last assessment and my tribunal but unfortunately fell short. I was awarded high rate daily and standard mobility. Is there any advice on how I can push for the extra couple of points? I explained that I don’t go out unless I’m with someone because of severe anxiety which also worsens my physical pain. And I explained I can’t follow the route of a familiar journey giving them an example that I met a friend at a location only 10 minutes from home, which was a location I had grown up in so was extremely familiar with. However I continuously took wrong turns, ended up on the motorway (which was absolutely not the necessary route given I was so close to home) and missed several exists on the motorway because of sheer panic and not focusing properly. In total the journey took me around 1 hour. But the tribunals response to this was (and this is verbatim) - “but you did actually get home didn’t you?”. This completely threw me because the basics of PIP (safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and timely fashion) had clearly not been met. And now I’m worried that I will fall short on the points needed again if they are seeing this as being able to follow the route of a familiar journey.

Thank you so much for reading.