UPDATE: PIP - advice prior to asking for a mandatory reconsideration

Good evening all, I’m a newbie on the forum. A bit of background: I’m a professional with professional membership because over the last few years I’ve assisted some of my clients with their PIP applications and challenging decisions via mandatory reconsideration. I’m a counsellor by background and work with people who’ve had traumatic injuries.

I have recently had to complete my own application for PIP due mainly to side effects of chemotherapy, and also some minor issues with a shoulder injury with limited range of movement and a knee condition that is being monitored only with no active treatment.

My cancer treatment side effects are numerous, and this triggers a lot of anxiety with managing them, and impacts and limits my ability to engage face to face with people. Aside from necessary things - shopping and attending appointments, I occasionally socialise with family, but generally avoid other face to face socialising. I’m not formerly diagnosed, do not take any medication for anxiety, and declined mental health support in preference to self manage my anxiety. It is, after all, what I’m trained for. I had a telephone assessment in the morning as DWP understood that the severe fatigue I get, which progresses over the course of a day, would make a later assessment more difficult. They offered this, I didn’t request it.

I’ve been awarded standard mobility component, which I wasn’t actually sure I’d get, but only scored 6 points for daily living needs, when I thought I would easily qualify for standard rate.

The DM has said I don’t need assistance with managing medication or therapy in spite of the fact I use a dosette box and an app to remind me to take all my medications, but most especially, my evening dose of asthma inhaler and my chemotherapy tablet. The DM’s letter refers to me being able to “show knowledge from memory of what medication to take and when it is due”. I was scored 0, when I think I should have scored 1 point.

I went into great detail on my PIP form about anxiety and how it affects me, but again scored 0 as the DM said I was able to manage well during the assessment and did not appear to be anxious which demonstrates I’m able to engage well to a functional level, and take no medication and not receiving any specialist mental health care. How can I argue against this rationale? Any ideas? I manage my anxiety with support from my husband, who prompts me to engage with people when I’m feeling like I don’t want to see anyone, and through using my own training to challenge myself. I need to go over the recording I had Capita make, as I’m sure I told the HP that I use my own knowledge and training, rather than access specific support. The descriptor is for face to face engagement with others but my ability to manage over the phone has been used to say I basically don’t have the difficulties I say I’ve got. I’m pretty sure, but will need to check, that the HP asked if I was anxious on the day and I said I was. Can I challenge this even though I’m not on anxiety meds or receiving specialist support?

In addition I was scored 0 for taking nutrition when I believe I should have scored at least 2 points. I have blisters and ulcers caused by chemotherapy that are sometimes large and filled with blood. It makes chewing and swallowing food painful, and if blisters burst I’m at risk of sepsis, which is life threatening. I am prescribed 2 different oral rinses, one of which is a pain killer and temporarily numbs the inside of my mouth, the other a protective gel to provide a layer of protection. I have to take them at least 30 minutes before I eat. When I’m having a flare up of blisters I have to alter my diet to soft foods and often let them go almost cold as the heat is painful and can cause more blisters to appear. I use a straw to drink hot fluids, which I also cool down before drinking. The DM said in their letter that, for the purpose of PIP, mouth blisters cannot be considered within the scope of taking nutrition. I believe I went into great detail to explain that I’m at risk when I have the blisters, that it’s painful and needs to be properly managed.
Has anyone any ideas how I might challenge this? I supplied evidence from my Macmillan nurse with a copy of an assessment in which the blisters and ulcers are listed.

There are a couple of other points to do with managing toilet needs that I feel I can challenge easily as I was quite clear I have and use a bidet and struggle with sit to stand transfers from toilet and low furniture, using the sink to assist with weight bearing, and indicated that I could not use a raised toilet seat or frame as the bidet would not work.

Sorry it’s a long post. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My next task is to listen to the recording and phone and ask for a copy of the PA4 report. I did ask the HP on the day if I could receive a copy and was told I could not.

My decision letter is dated 1st May, but with the 2 bank holidays has only arrived today. I’ve 3 weeks in which to submit my MR letter and any additional comments - and understand they have to have received it by then, so I’ve probably only got 2 weeks.

Thanks, John

Thanks Gary. I plan to phone and ask for the report but I’m concerned it may not arrive in time for me to process my MR request and letter. Only way I guess is to press on and see.

I've been really giving thought to whether I have the energy to ask for a MR or not, but, I've now had chance to review the PA4 and picked out a few holes in the report based on what remember discussing with the HP.

I've then gone on to listen to the recording that I had Capita make and I don't know whether its because of mobile signal on my phone or the recording equipment / software they use but, I can hear the HP clearly, but for my responses there are 'blips' so there are words that are obscure.

I remember being asked about a shoulder injury I have, and whether I have full range of movement (FROM). I know I answered "I don't.." On the recording all you can hear is "I d__", the HP can be heard typing and saying to herself "he still has full range of movement".

There are some other key areas where my answers are obscured by this patchiness in the recording. Looks like I'm going to have to work a bit harder to challenge these points.

Has anyone else had this when they've listened to the recordings made by the HPs?