PIP lower than expected (thread title changed)

[ally]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/personal-independence-payment-pip-assessment-guidance-updated

Sunny, will the above be of any help?

[Sunny Clouds]

I'd already got those criteria, but I think maybe in an older format, so thank-you.

The thing is that I'm guessing the DWP takes the view I just like to use a hearing aid not need to use one, so what I was after was any decided cases on it.

I'll cope with this better when I've calmed down the way I keep telling others to!

[auntieCtheM]

    
To make you feel a little better. 

[Monic1511]

Sunny
just to say I am aware of your post but will come back tomorrow when not so shattered and have a look again.
it you could post or pm the points you were awarded I might have a better idea what can be challenged - sort of like
awarded
daily living 1b - 2 pts etc

thanks
Monic

[KizzyKazaer]

Thanks for clarifying the award details, Sunny (and altering the thread title!)  Just to chip in with a point here:  living alone should not prejudice the DWP in any way against you.  I've lived on my tod for over thirty years now, bar a succession of cats for company, but this has never stopped me receiving DLA or now the enhanced daily living PIP.  It's as much about the help that could make life safer etc for you, as it is about the help you actually do or don't get.  I was just wondering if, while you slogged through the Form from Hell, you'd concentrated more on the physical difficulties you have than the mental health stuff? 

[Sunny Clouds]

(forgive rough typing as I copy text without punctuation just spaces)

preparing food scored out of 8 - you need prompting from another person to prepare or cook a simple meal 2

eating and drinking scored out of 10 - you can eat and rink unaided 0

managing your treatments scored out of 8 - you can either manage midication/therapy or monitor your health condition unaided or you don't need to 0

washing and bathing scored out of 8 - you need supervision or prompting from another person to wash or bathe 2

managing your toilet needs scored out of 8 - you can manage your toilet needs or incontinence unaided 0

dressing and undressing scored out of 8 - you either need another person to tell you to get dressed or undressed, how to do it or when to keep your clothes on , or that you need prompting or assistance ot select appropriate clothing 2

communicating scored out of 12 - you can express and understand verbal information unaided

reading scored out of 8 - you can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using glasses or contact lenses 0

mixing with other people scored out of 8 - youi need to be prompted by another person to engage with other people 2

making budgetting decisions scored out of 6 - you need prompting or assistance from another person to make omplex budgetting decisions.

My comments.

They seem to  think I don't need my hearing aids.
I should score higher on the mixing.
They haven't taken into account with the cooking the physical limitations or memory disorder, i.e. they see it as someone phoning to say "Isn't it about time you ate something?" not "Please tell me you haven't  blown up another cooker or got more nasty hand injuries!"

[Sunny Clouds]

I answered every single question on the form in detail.  Around a hundred pages, mostly info, some evidence such as reports, witness statements etc.

Anyway, I've been trying to pluck up courage for a long time to go from tapering off my meds to stopping completely and now I've done it.  Meds out of packets, packets in bin, meds disposed of separately.   I feel liberated.  How long before I stop falling over and I start understanding what people say better and my nystagmus goes away, I wonder?

If they're not paying for support with the side-effects, they can stuff their pills.  They've doped me up and chained me down with them for too long now.

I believe in the welfare state but it's not been as kind to me as it could have been.  I wish I'd sued the hell out of the NHS for what it did to me.

And yes, I'm het up.  Just doing more re-thinking of lots of stuff.  Time to do things very differently.

[auntieCtheM]

Sunny,  I can see that you are very upset at the moment.  Take a deep breath and do not do anything until a few days have gone by.  You need to take the longer view  at the moment.

[Sunny Clouds]

Sorry, I'm just wound up.  Don't worry about me, folks.  I daresay I can get more pills on Monday, and in the meantime I'll see what happens.  Maybe my GP won't have too much of an apoplexy if I suggest trying it for longer or maybe just going back on a lower dose.

It's just that this builds on some resentment I'd been working through and, I'd thought, gradually laying to rest, about how I'd been treated years ago, and how much of my life I feel has been 'stolen' from me variously by incompetence and cruelty. 

So we'll see how it goes.

Ok - lesson for others.  See how daft someone sounds when they go into meltdown over benefits.  Try not to do likewise.

[auntieCtheM]

 

[Monic1511]

OK Sunny You were awarded:
Food Prep: 1d 2pts d. Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. 2
Washing 4c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. 2
Dressing 6 cii: c. Needs (ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing.  2
Engaging b. Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people. 2
Budgeting 10b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions. 2

You can ask for a revision saying that you accept the above criteria but do not understand why you were not awarded Communication 7b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. 2 points and possibly Managing medication needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication or monitor a health condition.  1 point.  That would get you 13 in total enough for enhanced daily living.   As you said its harder to get mobility and to get standard rate of mobility you would need to get 11b b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 4, and then the physical one 12 b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided 4   

I’m sorry I can’t keep track of who has what illnesses so feel free to pm and ask more details stuff. But that’s my offering based just on basic reading of this post and not the others

best wishes Monic

[SteveX]

[Sunny Clouds]

Thanks Monic.  That's really helpful.

I also need social support to be able to engage with other people and I was able to provide written statements from people that know me saying how and why.

I'm not convinced I need prompting to do it.  I actively seek to engage.  I just can't do it functionally.  I need someone with me in order not to cause serious problems for others unless I'm simply one on one with someone with good emotional boundaries.

In groups I dominate the conversation.  I don't understand when I've got my message across.  I'm so desperately anxious to be accepted and understood, that every conversation turns into a long explanation by me of something and everything.

[Sunny Clouds]

You read my posts on here.  You know how long my posts can be.  You see how the more anxious I am, the longer and more repetitive my posts get.  Can you imagine that in a live conversation, especially in a group?  Nightmaresville for everyone around me.

[Sunny Clouds]

I've only just checked the date on the letter to see how long I've got to appeal.  It's dated 3/11/17.  I had a suspicion it wouldn't have been dated just before I got it, but I wonder how many don't check and just assume they've got a month.

Ok, so I've got 3 weeks to appeal, and I want to get it posted early, so two weeks to get my act together.

Time to get some evidence.