First PIP Review After Moving from DLA

Hi all my son after my son was diagnosed ASD in 2012 I put in a claim for DLA. He was awarded high-rate care and mobility.

In 2020 he was asked to claim PIP as he had turned 16. We filled in the form and sent in his diagnosis letter from 2012 and a couple of reports from school/college (one from the SEN team and another from his EHCP I think). I got a phone call one day from his assessor, she asked me a few questions and for some examples about things. He was awarded enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility.

We recently got his review form. I know we're to treat it like a new claim but I didn't record the call and never got a copy of the PA4. I rang last week for the PA4 and an extension. they said I didn't need the PA4 and would send a copy of the award. I wanted the report as my son was curious about what it said and also to help us word things well (he will struggle in a F2F) as not much has changed.

In the "My decision" section it says the decision was made using "information on his treatment, medication, test results, and symptoms" it says this was the best info and meant he didn't need a F2F and that the phone call with me backed up this information. Please note that my son has never had any treatment or medication and the only "test result" was his diagnosis 14 years ago.

Since his diagnosis, he only saw his paediatrician a couple of times and he was discharged, EHCPs were very basic in high school and even more basic in college and after that, we were told he could no longer have an EHCP when he started uni. I'm concerned that we don't have much in the way of "proof" that they'll most likely want for his review.

Shall I ring again and demand the PA4? Or shall we just fill in the form and send things that we'd sent before despite them being quite old? The reason I worry is that we've applied for a grant recently from a charity that have always helped us and now they say his "evidence" is too old and they need recent reports from medical professionals but I don't know how they expect us to get those.

This is always a struggle for me too, I have many diagnoses but any medical report is always worded like "she says she's in pain" or "she says she's not left the house for 7 years on her own" and the DWP just dismiss it and say it's not evidence. How do people get past this?

Thanks Gordon, yes, I thought it would be a pain to try and get anything anyway as it takes so long for anything to be posted out. In my experience, evidence is so hard in these cases unless you have someone following you around all day or have seen medical professionals recently as it just turns into a "he said/she said" situation.

Yes, I've been using the guides for years for myself and my family members a few of us are disabled. I'll go through the whole form as a new claim and try and gather as much info, examples, and evidence as I can. I was just wondering more about the PA4 but as you said it doesn't seem there was one anyway.

I agree that there are certainly some things he's adapted to and if that changes his award then that's totally fair.

Much appreciated!

Thanks Gordon! Makes sense about the PA4 not existing haha! Yes, he's adapted in some ways but struggling more in others, if it changes his award that's totally fair. Evidence is such a hard one when you're not under a med prof.

Not sure if all comments are on approval, I did reply just now but not sure what happened to my reply.

Thanks ever so much and yes been using the guides for years as myself and some family members are disabled. much appreciated.

I remember now, thanks again!