Mandatory Reconsideration Question/Help

[bossygirl]

Hello to all you amazing people on this forum. I hope you are all staying safe and well, especially in these very unusual and difficult times we are in. I would be very grateful to receive your help and or advice regarding how to challenge a PIP award length. My PIP has been recently reviewed, and a decision has been given but I am not happy with the award length and would like to write a letter/MR to the DWP to see whether they can extend the length of my award to at least 5 years.

I provided a well detailed claim form with strong medical evidence, and had the support of both my GP & Psychiatrist who stated strongly in their medical reports that both my physical and mental ill-health are unlikely to improve and will deteriorate more over time.

I have been receiving PIP since 2017 after I transferred from DLA, and frankly like so many severely ill and disabled people, we certainly could do without this dehumanising, cruel, unfair, and insensitive unnecessary form filling system and having to repeat the same information over and over again constantly as well as providing the medical evidence that is required from us, every time that we are reassessed.

A never ending fiasco this is, and it is also very humiliating, callous, and totally degrading in every sense of the word! I am not saying that we shouldn't be assessed at all for PIP, but what I find pointless and unnecessary is the constant repeat assessments for severely ill, and disabled people who are already vulnerable because of their severe and chronic ill health, and have as well met/qualified most of the activities and descriptors of both the daily living and mobility criteria of PIP.

I would be very grateful for any points and or suggestions you may have, to point me in the right direction so that I can start this process and see how it goes with the DWP in regard to my MR or letter.

With grateful thanks and wishing you all very good health and success in all your undertakings.

Jessie xx

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

Hi, you can contact FMA UK's benefit helpine on 0300 999 0055 (Mon, Wed, Fri 10.00-12.00) or email [e-mail]

They can provide guidelines on how to appeal pip decisions

[Treewade]

The assessment sure are degrading and often done by people who don’t have a clue about your condition, but there are people that abuse the system and make it hard for the rest of us plus criteria changes little twerks they make that changes eligibility, in the governments favour, with PIP it doesn’t matter what disability you have it only matters how much help you need if you had no limbs but could make a sandwich dress and bathe yourself you wouldn’t be entitled to care. The DLA system was so much fairer and a lot less invasive but again people were abusing system, that’s why we jump through hoops to rout out the pretenders but they make a lot of mistakes and it’s the genuine disabled suffering for it they spend more money trying to catch fraudulent claimers than they pay them in benefits.

[bossygirl in reply to Treewade]

Thank you so much for your very sensible and true comments about some people who abuse the system. This in fact still goes on, and like you stated, it makes it very hard for the rest of us, especially honest and genuine claimants.

Sadly, we will still continue to jump through hoops as the system still lacks fairness and there will always be those who will go to any lengths to defraud and make false claims about their so called health conditions and disabilities, and the impact it has on them, and they may or may not be successful in obtaining PIP.

Your reply has been greatly appreciated. Many thanks again for taking the time to reply to my post/query. Wishing you and your family a wonderful day!

[Farmerboy in reply to Treewade]

The assessors who carry out the PIP assessments are not expected to know or even need to know about every form of illness, disability or mental health conditions. Their sole job is to access us, you me and all those who require an assessment if we meet the criteria for claiming PIP in a safe, repeatable and timely manner in relation to the PIP descriptiors.

[Treewade in reply to Farmerboy]

I am hypermobile and was asked to touch my toes corse I can if they d have said do splits yup could have done that too and I was marked as being able to do things I can’t because I can touch my toes no mention of the pain I’m in left ing a toilet roll at times or how much pain I’m in walking cos I can walk the lenght if a double decker bus or three doesn’t matter I’m in pain the test should be designed for the disability of at least the disability should be taken into consideration they have the paperwork for months before the face to face that’s enough time to spend a few mins researching the condition they are judging I wouldn’t make an opinion without knowing the facts but they do which in my opinion is wrong. I’m sorry if this is contrary to what you believe but if your not in the middle of a fibro flair for a lot of people they can cope and if they don’t see you mid flair they will and do assume your coping all the time.

[Farmerboy in reply to Treewade]

I know what your saying , remember the accessors do and have done many assessments covering many illnesses, and disabilities and everything in between. So when you or I submit our application or reviews we must be diligent in how we submit our evidence relevant to each of the descriptors that effect us. The assessors only see you for an hour or so and you and I need to give more than enough information, evidence in our application form and be prepared to do a MR if needed and follow through to a tribunal.

[Treewade in reply to Farmerboy]

Ife had to go through to tribunal each time where there is a doctor who understands

[Farmerboy in reply to Treewade]

Hello it dose annoy you, me and all the genuine claimants. The worst offenders are some blue badge holders and their family members, using the badge for their own connivence and mobile cars as well I’ve been told that a family member of the claimed using the car daily to work, another to go playing golf and dog walking. It’s a very gray area as the person using the car may be using it to benefit the claimant, earning a living, having rest bite from caring the list could go on.

[Hidden]

Hi I have not really heard of anyone challenging the length of their award I think most are grateful they have been given PIP. Mine was for 3 years which I think at one point everyone was given this . As a pensioner now I have the light touch review making my award for 10 years. Best of luck getting your award extended to 5 years. MistyA x

[bossygirl in reply to Hidden]

Hello MistyA,

Hope you and your family are all keeping safe and well. Very strange times we all are in, unfortunately!

Many thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Congratulations too, for the light touch review of your PIP award.

You amazing pensioners on this meaningful forum and elsewhere, deserve to get the well -earned help and support you need.

Wishing you all the best, and please look after yourself.

[Hidden in reply to bossygirl]

Hi Bossygirl, thank you for your lovely message you write in such a positive manner, its nice to see.

I am keeping quite well thank you, at least free from germs. Not so bad right now though the usual fibro symptoms. Brain fog being a nightmare and was trying to put a huge bottle of Surf in the fridge LOL.

I can tell you it was a huge relief that the DWP are not going to bother me now until I am 76 lol... here is to the next 10 years then... I see a fair amount of my daughter and her four children and am hoping that we don't go into Lockdown again.

Let us all know how you get on with challenging the DWP for a longer term of your award, 3 years is pathetic really when we have degenerative conditions.

Look after yourself lovely. Take care MistyA

[Farmerboy]

A good morning Ajay, I look on my phone news items and over the past months there is an increase information about PIP how to claim what illnesses, how much you can claim ect. I think this is or has lead to an increase of claimants making claims which do not or have not a chance of receiving PIP and are clogging up the system just an observation and reading people’s views and comments on different sites. Have a good day Ajay warm here in Wiltshire

[Clairelb75]

Hi bossy girl, I got my award length extended from 3 years to just over 5 years . I asked them to just look at award length not the whole award as I was happy with everything else the assessor had done. I also stated that their own guidelines are if double enhanced ward given with evidence to support no improvement then awards should be light touch 5 years minimum. You can read their guidelines online, be warned very extensive took me weeks to read. Good luck, Claire.

[bossygirl in reply to Clairelb75]

Hello Clairelb75,

Hope you and your family are all staying safe and well? Thank you for your very kind reply to my post/question re, mandatory reconsideration for the length of my award.

The advice you kindly provided are very much appreciated and taken on board. Many thanks again, and please keep well and stay safe especially during these strange and difficult times we all are experiencing.

Kind regards,

Jessie x

[bossygirl]

Hello Ajay,

Thank you so very much for your positive comments, much appreciated. What you have written makes absolute sense and I will follow the advice which you kindly provided.

It is abysmal that so many of us have to go through this merry go round, especially through no fault of ours, but you know what, we just have to keep positive, stay strong, and fight for our rights and at the same time carry on supporting each other through this amazing forum!

Many thanks again Ajay, and have a fantastic day!

[Clairelb75]

Your welcome and take care x

[Dinkie]

If you haven’t already done so get a statement or two from relatives or friends who know you well and can say how you manage/don’t manage your day to day life. I did this for a friend and he went from standard living and no mobility to enhanced living and standard mobility at the MR stage which he accepted so no need for him to stress about tribunal. Good luck.

[bossygirl]

Hello Dinkie,

Hope you and your family are well. Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my post. Much appreciated.

You have provided a very good tip here, and your input is greatly appreciated. I did not even think of that.

My carer and I are so impressed with this excellent idea/suggestion and can't thank you enough for your kind help.

Hope you have a great week, and please always keep well and stay safe.