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Informing the DWP
- Susan
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2 years 9 months ago #270679 by Susan
Informing the DWP was created by Susan
Hi,
Can anyone advise? I was recently awarded PIP based on severe symptoms. My conditions are long covid, microvascular angina and autonomic dysfunction. I was awarded for 10 years and the assessor based most of her commentary around the microvascular angina diagnosis. I have today been told that a repeat scan (one year since the previous one) is not showing microvascular dysfunction in my heart anymore. I am unclear what this actually means - whether it has disappeared, or the meds are doing their job, or just that the test didn't pick it up (they have to stress your heart to see it and I'm on meds that keep your HR low, so perhaps they didn't stress it enough). Anyway, my symptoms are unchanged, so regardless of the scan, I am just as disabled as I was when assessed.
What I am unsure of, is what to tell the DWP. Nothing has changed with my level of disability, but if it is the long covid or autonomic dysfunction causing my symptoms, rather than the heart condition, perhaps they would have given me a shorter award.
I have written to my consultant to ask for more clarity on what this means, but what do I do? Do I write to the DWP to let them know about the new test result? Will this trigger reassessment or because my symptoms are unchanged, will I be ok? I was literally only awarded PIP a couple of weeks ago after 16 months of severe disability.
Can anyone advise? I was recently awarded PIP based on severe symptoms. My conditions are long covid, microvascular angina and autonomic dysfunction. I was awarded for 10 years and the assessor based most of her commentary around the microvascular angina diagnosis. I have today been told that a repeat scan (one year since the previous one) is not showing microvascular dysfunction in my heart anymore. I am unclear what this actually means - whether it has disappeared, or the meds are doing their job, or just that the test didn't pick it up (they have to stress your heart to see it and I'm on meds that keep your HR low, so perhaps they didn't stress it enough). Anyway, my symptoms are unchanged, so regardless of the scan, I am just as disabled as I was when assessed.
What I am unsure of, is what to tell the DWP. Nothing has changed with my level of disability, but if it is the long covid or autonomic dysfunction causing my symptoms, rather than the heart condition, perhaps they would have given me a shorter award.
I have written to my consultant to ask for more clarity on what this means, but what do I do? Do I write to the DWP to let them know about the new test result? Will this trigger reassessment or because my symptoms are unchanged, will I be ok? I was literally only awarded PIP a couple of weeks ago after 16 months of severe disability.
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- LL26
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2 years 9 months ago #270695 by LL26
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by LL26 on topic Informing the DWP
Hi Susan,
You have recently had an award, and presumably are not awaiting any immediate further decision from DWP.
PIP is based on lack of function, not diagnosis or whatever a test nay show.
Providing that your condition has not changed and you remain equally unable to do the various PIP activities that DWP scored you for, then you do not have to notify DWP at all.
I think you need to clarify the results of the recent heart test. No doubt your consultant will advise on this aspect. However, if subsequent results reveal that your health has improved, and as a result it is easier to do PIP activities, then you may well need to contact DWP at that time. The points/award would be based on actual disability rather than the condition so no need to worry about that, or the possibility of a shorter award as a result.
Please note, you would only need to report a change where it is clear that points are no longer awardable. So if you gained points because eg you needed helped to put on lower clothing, which was originally trousers, shoes and socks, but say you improved to the extent you could now do trousers but still not shoes or socks you would still be entitled to points as you still help with some lower clothing. Likewise if you gained points on something because you were too slow. The time limit is twice that of an able bodied person. If you originally took 4 times as long, but now its only 3 times longer, you still fall outside the reasonable time despite what appears on paper as a large improvement. Similarly if your walking ability was 50-200m because you could only go 60m, but have improved to 170m you are also still within the same band.
Consider if your health condition has actually changed sufficiently to mean less points, before contacting DWP. Also, consider if your health has improved whether this is just a slightly better few days in a variable condition. It is hard to know when you have actually improved when this happens slowly over a period of time. I guess you realise you can walk further, or getting into the bath etc is easier, maybe after a few weeks. Make absolutely sure before you tell DWP because otherwise you'll be faced with the whole tedious and difficult assessment process for no reason, and potentially then lose the award you have.
I hope this helps.
LL26
You have recently had an award, and presumably are not awaiting any immediate further decision from DWP.
PIP is based on lack of function, not diagnosis or whatever a test nay show.
Providing that your condition has not changed and you remain equally unable to do the various PIP activities that DWP scored you for, then you do not have to notify DWP at all.
I think you need to clarify the results of the recent heart test. No doubt your consultant will advise on this aspect. However, if subsequent results reveal that your health has improved, and as a result it is easier to do PIP activities, then you may well need to contact DWP at that time. The points/award would be based on actual disability rather than the condition so no need to worry about that, or the possibility of a shorter award as a result.
Please note, you would only need to report a change where it is clear that points are no longer awardable. So if you gained points because eg you needed helped to put on lower clothing, which was originally trousers, shoes and socks, but say you improved to the extent you could now do trousers but still not shoes or socks you would still be entitled to points as you still help with some lower clothing. Likewise if you gained points on something because you were too slow. The time limit is twice that of an able bodied person. If you originally took 4 times as long, but now its only 3 times longer, you still fall outside the reasonable time despite what appears on paper as a large improvement. Similarly if your walking ability was 50-200m because you could only go 60m, but have improved to 170m you are also still within the same band.
Consider if your health condition has actually changed sufficiently to mean less points, before contacting DWP. Also, consider if your health has improved whether this is just a slightly better few days in a variable condition. It is hard to know when you have actually improved when this happens slowly over a period of time. I guess you realise you can walk further, or getting into the bath etc is easier, maybe after a few weeks. Make absolutely sure before you tell DWP because otherwise you'll be faced with the whole tedious and difficult assessment process for no reason, and potentially then lose the award you have.
I hope this helps.
LL26
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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- Caz1
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2 years 9 months ago #270696 by Caz1
Replied by Caz1 on topic Informing the DWP
Hi,
Be very sure before you contact DWP
I was on pip and had standard rate for both since 2016
My osteoarthritis is severe in all my joints and my mobility got worse
I was on 11 points for both, last September I contacted DWP to tell them my mobility was worse
They sent another form to fill in which I did, explaining it was my mobility that had changed and everything else was just the same
I received a letter on the 29th April to tell me I still had mobility standard and nothing for care
I couldn’t believe it, they put me down from 11 points to 6 points
Before I even started to get in touch my award was until 2024
I phoned them up and a lovely lady answered, she helped me fill the form in with the descriptors, they had taken off me
That was posted on April 29th and I’m still waiting
I don’t know what to do if they don’t change it back and hopefully not to wait the full 3 month
So please be certain of everything before you contact them, I wouldn’t like anyone to go through the same
Be very sure before you contact DWP
I was on pip and had standard rate for both since 2016
My osteoarthritis is severe in all my joints and my mobility got worse
I was on 11 points for both, last September I contacted DWP to tell them my mobility was worse
They sent another form to fill in which I did, explaining it was my mobility that had changed and everything else was just the same
I received a letter on the 29th April to tell me I still had mobility standard and nothing for care
I couldn’t believe it, they put me down from 11 points to 6 points
Before I even started to get in touch my award was until 2024
I phoned them up and a lovely lady answered, she helped me fill the form in with the descriptors, they had taken off me
That was posted on April 29th and I’m still waiting
I don’t know what to do if they don’t change it back and hopefully not to wait the full 3 month
So please be certain of everything before you contact them, I wouldn’t like anyone to go through the same
The following user(s) said Thank You: an ex nurse, LL26
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