PIP video/phone Healthcare Professional assessment

LL26: Thanks; I agree. I was, I think, clear in why I considered I can reliably walk no more than 200m per fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and osteoarthritis (consultant-diagnosed), inc 'full marks' awarded by local authority for blue badge assessment and award. This ought to be decisive, so I'm unclear why - as you say - time and not distance was probed. At best it's a waste of time discussing; at worst it's evasive of the correct criterion for that activity. LA criteria are very strict for badge award and it seems to me as demanding as PIP mobility criteria for enhanced award on physical impairment grounds - thus in this instance either LA was wrong of PIP is scoring is wrong if the points are unawarded.

Should the 4 pts for that descriptor be unawarded I can only waste more time appealing.

Thanks again!

Now have report. This is the second full PIP assessment and one for which I have an additional chronic diagnosis - but I've been given fewer points than last time and no award if DWP accepts!

All conditions are chronic and deteriorating - yet descriptors I was awarded for last time have received 0 points. This is so disappointing and contradictory. I don't see how being four years older than last time and objectively more disabled per gradual deterioration of chronic conditions as well as an additional diagnosis of (chronic fatigue syndrome) can reasonably produce fewer points.

I have had a blue badge (maximum points given by local authority at assessment) since last PIP assessment yet only *just* get the same 4 pts for 'moving around' (ie, these now only given on reliability grounds), when the same award was given last time for consistent limitation, not just unreliable non-limitation.

So according to this report my general functional impairment is less than it was several years ago when it was significantly better.

So annoying to have to go to MR/appeal over this...

BIS: Thanks; I will. I know this sort of outcome's typical. Part of the problem may be that I was treated for a large part in the Armed Forces, and I've found DWP aren't as engaged with its medical support as they are NHS. This opposes the Military Covenant. Many veterans have had such issues.

It's useful to know that they should justify 'improved impairment' when reducing score since last assessment. Is that written somewhere in DWP's/tribunal's regs or case law, please?