PIP downgrade - worried about ESA

Hi All,

I just got the bad news that my former high rate DLA mobility and care have been downgraded on the PIP transfer to the standard rates. I will be appealing.

It is ridiculous and my oncologist will be telling them so as I have very many illnesses caused by my chemo.

I am now worried that this downgrade will trigger ATOS to remove me from the Support Group and put me in the WRAG. I am so ill that they had to give me a home assessment at my doctor's assistance but I am worried that I may now be sanctioned for not being able to attend WRAG events.

Any info on this would be gratefully received.

Also, does anyone know the success rate for the PIP Mandatory Reconsideration stage. I hope the stats are as good as for the Tribunal Appeals stage.

Many thanks,

Fizz

Hello Fizz

Sorry that your PIP award is not what you wanted; if you've just received your award letter then you have a month to apply for Mandatory Reconsideration. If you haven't already done so, you also need to request a copy of your assessment, so that you can see where the assessor has made mistakes (!). You can phone the DWP to request a copy of your assessment, but it's wise to follow the telephone request with written confirmation.

If you go to

Qualifying for the support group

you should be able to check for yourself whether it is likely that you are removed from the support group or not. The descriptors for ESA are very different from those for PIP, so it doesn't necessarily follow that there will be any change in your ESA award. If you read through the guides, hopefully you will be reassured.

The success rate for MR is unpredictable; if you have good supportive evidence, and it sounds as though your GP and Oncologist ARE supportive, then you might get an altered award. Good luck with the MR