Am I just unlucky ? — Scope | Disability forum
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Am I just unlucky ?

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pennymortiboy
pennymortiboy Community member Posts: 8 Listener
Hi guys, I'm new on here so I apologise if this has already been spoken about
I went from a happy high rate for both sections DLA in 2015 to a very unhappy standard rate for both sections in 2015, during the reconsideration period I handed in more information from my consultants, GP, a letter from my local councillor and a letter from my MP on top of other info and everything was still ignored so I took them to appeal, once requested after a few weeks I received the letter from the Tribunal centre letting me know they'd agreed to the appeal, I was disgusted however when all of the paperwork arrived from DWP allowing me access to the medical I had at home and their reasoning as to why they decided I was still only entitled to standard rate for both, I appeared at my appeal and the judge said he was baffled by the decision PIP had made, I was elated to win my appeal and the judge wrote a scathing letter to PIP with their findings. .... 2017 just 2 years later they request a review, I jumped through their hoops and this time round i had more wrong with me, yet again they dropped my care component back down to standard but left the mobility at enhanced, I once again handed in more information including a 6 page letter from my GP,  consultants letters etc for reconsideration, once again they disagreed so for a 2nd time I took them to appeal, once again the paperwork they sent from DWP was disgusting because of what they thought of me but they also sent all of the paperwork from the 1st trial etc, my husband  ( carer ) pushed me through the court door and I had an apology from the 3 panelists because A, PIP hadn't bothered to turn up again, B, this was my 2nd time, C, for my illnesses and D, for wasting my time, WHY .?  Well the judge explained that been as I'd taken PIP to appeal on my original claim and won and I'd declared and proven to PIP I was no better than before in fact far worse during the review by law PIP couldn't downgrade my claim unless I'd declared i was so much better because a judge and panel had overridden PIPs original claim  ( I hope that makes sense ), he did also let me know that after reading the notes I still would of won so it wasn't just default, however even though PIP during the review changed my expiry date from 2019 to 2021 ( just 2 years ) the judge explained that he could only readjust my appeal back to the original claim which was 2015 to 2019 so in a Nutshell PIP put me through hell last year for NOTHING, so it was a waste of my time and they put me through so much, a waste of my representatives time and as a charity their money, and waste of the panels time and even worse a waste of taxpayers money, it definitely shouldn't of been me apologising to the judge, the GP and Care executive who were my panel for the day, I got home in the freezing cold weather because of the snow fall we'd all had in agony but elated that after 2 PIP applications and 2 appeals I'd won twice and I thought I'd got a year to calm down, gather my thoughts and wait for the letter letting me know my claim was about to expire and I had to make a new one, I got into bed and read the letter from the judge to PIP about the decision it was then I discovered that the judge had made a mistake and declared that my claim expired March 2018 not 2019 but he'd given me a few months extension or else I wouldn't have enough time, my Rep emailed the courts straight away but by then it was too late, PIP paid my back pay along with a cheeky little letter asking if I wanted to make a new claim, so here I am a very long discussion piece later, my paperwork is in, I now have even far bigger health issues than before, I'm on week 6 still not knowing if they're going to request a medical at home for a 3rd time but I know they will, why ? Because it's PIP, I also have a feeling my original claim will ex pure before a decision is made so I'll have no money coming in to help and yes they're going to cancel my husbands carers allowance on the date my original claim expires, SO, am I just very unlucky to have to make 3 PIP claims in 3 years with 2 appeals  ( so far ) or does this happen to everyone ? 
I apologise for the lengthy post but I couldn't word it any smaller, I hope their is someone/s out there who can reply to my post with a why, I also hate the fact that I know people who got enhanced PIP without having to do anything and have it at PIPs longest time frame of 10 years and yet their declaration of illness is no where near their Facebook photographs
Sorry rant over 
Penny 

Comments

  • wilko
    wilko Community member Posts: 2,458 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hello pennymortiboy, and a big wecowel to the scope comunity. You should be script writer. Plenty of details which let members fully understand and get a clear picture of your situation. Firstly did you get copies of your previous accessments? Do they give an accurate report of your illness,disability? If not the accessors report may have been amended at the request of DWP hence why you had to appeal previously. I looks as if someone has it in for you. But you have proved DWP wrong twice before so looks as if you may be going for a hat trick. We hope not, you are a strong minded person and will not allow yourself to be taken advantage of. Keep posting and updating we all need people to give us a boost.
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2018
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    No, not unlucky, just another day in the life of a PIP claimant.
    I had DLA (High Care & Mobility indefinitely). Then in 2013 I moved to PIP had the usual face to face assessment and had a decision that I didn't score any points. Put in for an MR and was awarded Enhanced Care & Mobility.
    Then in 2015 same again and had to go to MR where once again Enhanced care & Mobility was awarded.
    Then in 2017 had my third face to face and a decision once again giving me no points. Put in for a third MR but this time round they decided to agree that I was not entitled to any points. I then had the option of going to appeal but having had 5 years and three assessments I had enough. 
    I'm 70 now and the thought of 3 year awards (review after 2 years) filled me with dread.
    Life is peaceful now with no stress and pleased that I am no longer in the cross hairs of the DWP.
    Unfortunately that has come with a cost - the loss of nearly £200 a week!!

    So the choice I had was £200 a week really worth the aggravation and stress of PIP - no. 
  • pennymortiboy
    pennymortiboy Community member Posts: 8 Listener
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    Yadnad, the fact that you're 70 means that you would be back in the open arms of the DLA which I bet most of us have never had a problem with, find a local charity organisation that deals and helps with benefits, make an appointment and take all of your information in including any consultants etc, the representative will fill out all of your information do all of your photocopying and will be with you right the way through, DLA of old and new solely work on your illnesses where as PIP don't they work on what the people need financially so maybe your claims were rejected become they didn't think you needed help that way ( I hope that makes sense  ? ) I'm incredibly new on this and I'm sorry because I don't know how to get about the site
    Good evening 
    Penny 
  • pennymortiboy
    pennymortiboy Community member Posts: 8 Listener
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    Wilson,  my representative and I are already waiting.for it and I haven't had my medical yet, PIP felt that because I spoke on and off to the non qualigned medical person that meant I could take my.own medication, I had to explain what some of my conditions were because she didn't know how to deal with it, my GP was furious and wrote a 6 page letter as to why I can't,  I have a 75mg Fentanyl patch on for a start and then aass of other meds, I get confused so quickly without warning.so I'm not even allowed to be onyour own and I have to live upstairs, whoever was dealing with my case and had to reply to the Tribunal as to why I shouldn't be allowed an appeal wrote that they felt the non medical person knew enough about me in the half an hour she was here and the long letter from my GP didn't say anything and yet she wrote a full medical his and why I couldn't do things, so by that I've understood it to be not to speak to the medical person apart from answering 
    Unfortunately I both write and speak a lot because my brain is like Spaghetti and I can't remember what I have and haven't said, when I talk I don't finish a conversation and start talking about something else, writing is a bit easier apart.from it being lengthy because I can see what I've written
    I don't know.if I've replied in the correct place because the site confuses me so I'm going to have to get one of my adult kids to work it out for Mr
    Good evening 
    Penny 

  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
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    Yadnad, the fact that you're 70 means that you would be back in the open arms of the DLA which I bet most of us have never had a problem with, find a local charity organisation that deals and helps with benefits, make an appointment and take all of your information in including any consultants etc, the representative will fill out all of your information do all of your photocopying and will be with you right the way through, DLA of old and new solely work on your illnesses where as PIP don't they work on what the people need financially so maybe your claims were rejected become they didn't think you needed help that way ( I hope that makes sense  ? ) I'm incredibly new on this and I'm sorry because I don't know how to get about the site
    Good evening 
    Penny 
    Thanks

    To stay on DLA you had to be 65 on the 8th April 2013. I just missed that date by a few weeks so had to claim PIP.

    Finding any form of help was and has been impossible locally. Consequently I never got any help with anything which is quite normal nowadays for most people.

    PIP is nothing to do with needing money it is all down to fitting my difficulties to the descriptors only.

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