PIP Review

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your help in the past.

My wife's PIP review form has recently arrived (typically, right in the middle of me completing my daughter's DLA application form). My wife's mentally ill and unable to complete the form, so I will be completing it for her (I'm her carer and became her appointee after her initial PIP award, when we claimed UC), but I have a couple of questions and I hope someone can offer some advice.

1. Should I complete the form as though she were writing it? I worry that as part of her claim is that she is unable to process longer pieces of information, having a completed form may lead them to believe that she is fully able to do this.

2. Her last PIP review was one of those that was awarded 0 points after face-to-face assessment and MR stages, and then we got the phonecall offering a lower award (she was previously on enhanced daily living, she was offered standard) after submitting the tribunal application. She was so exhausted with the process that we just accepted, dropped the appeal and didn't push for enhanced even though she was entitled to it.

Now looking back, it seems as though some of the points were awarded for the wrong things (eg. The award letter states she cannot undertake any journey due to psychological distress, but the written section underneath acknowledges that she only leaves the house with me for medical appointments but will miss them if I can't go with her, the applicable one would have been cannot follow an unfamiliar journey without another person). We were so drained by the process (as the removal of PIP had also changed circumstances leading to other benefits stopping and triggering the move to UC), we didn't even think to check where they had assigned the points.

Her condition and support needs haven't changed, although they do not align with what is stated on the award letter (but they do still align with the evidence I sent in during the MR stage). My thinking is that I state that her needs haven't changed (as they haven't), and then give the additional supporting information to explain her needs as they still are. Would this be advised? I'm aware that this will likely trigger an assessment as according to their paperwork it will appear as though her needs have changed, which leads me to my third question.

3. I'm sure that I read somewhere that appointees can answer for the person that they're the appointee for in assessments. Is this correct? I ask as at my wife's last assessment, she really struggled to answer some of the questions and when I tried to help, the assessor told me I'm not allowed to answer any questions. Since her last assessment, I became her appointee, while applying for UC.

Apologies for the length of the post, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Gordon,

As always, thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Chris.