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I originally had the Highest award for DLA for both Mobility and Care. When I was reassessed for PIP, they reduced it to Middle rate for both. The Assessor who came to my house wrote things that were completely untrue, and I was horrified. I did ask for them to look again at my case, but they wouldn’t change it. I didn’t expect to be believed even though I had lots of written proofs and X-ray results, which they didn’t even look at. They said they had enough info to go on based on my medication. They assumed I could walk 50 metres, even though I cannot walk more than 10 metres and that is with 2 walking sticks!  i cannot go out without a scooter or wheelchair. The DVLA refused my license at 70 so i am unable to drive anymore because of the morphine. I had my own car, not a Mobility car. 

I was refused point blank and i have cancer the radio treatment has not worked so i will have to appeal simple.

I do not have a success story to tell due to DWP taking so long to deal with my review form which was sent to me last year and returned and received by them on 21 October 2021. 

i received normal mobility & care on my initial PIP award , having subacromial bursitis left shoulder, osteoarthritis right knee, pernicious anaemia, underactive thyroid, enlarged thyroid & goitre. my review came last Jan 2021. i stupidly said my condition had worsened as i now have subacromial bursitis in my right arm , likely caused by over use of the joint when the left shoulder was frozen. i also have pains in my hip and left knee . my meds have increased & new ones added. my assessment was by phone as they say a physical appt is not appropriate (?) . got the notes they made, compared to those i made & did a mandatory recon of 28 pages last June , pointed out errors between what assessor said opposed to what i said , including wrong health conditions recorded, what my conditions are/how it affects me specifically/ meds prescribed, why i thought more points were needed on scoresheet. eventually awarded low care , despite being told i could drive a car so should be able to lift my hands obove my head to dress !! also said initially it was irrelevant i couldnt reach food in cupboards or fridge in order to prepare meals.. did an appeal in december 2021 re loss of mobility ( i have a blue badge but that doesnt count, nor does breathlessness from reduced airway & tiredness from underactive thyroid & pernicious anaemia ).  to date i am still waiting for a date almost a year on... in may 2022 i was told it was to be a phone tribunal but in august they suddenly wanted med records from jan 2020 ( diagnoses were 8 yrs ago) & queried my mental health & capability to drive , all because i said i have to use a satnav, mobile phone on back up and atlas to navigate to an unknown destination . i had to ring DVLA to tell them to see if i could keep my licence, and notify my insurance company to see if theyll still cover me. it seems to me they are making this as stressful as possible to stop people claiming.  i work for DWP and have a disabled parking space, access to OHS assessments & have specialist computer equipment. they believe my conditions at work to provide my adjustments, but disbelieve me as a customer . i doubt for one minute the assessors are as medically trained as they claim - bursitis is an inflamed joint that improves after a few days rest - subacromial bursitis is an inflamed bursar in the rotator cuff that prevents movement of the shoulder joint and arm and has so far affected me for 2 years. 

These figures certainly inform our benefit agency's current workload. It is increasingly common for people to get no points whatsoever on application even with severe health issues vouched for with medical evidence. Delays waiting for mandatory request outcomes ,which normally uphold the original decision, only add to the stress and sense of injustice felt by applicants. Mounting an appeal is a further major stressor and a bridge too far for vulnerable applicants unable to get support from an agency. Is it any wonder that genuine applicants feel that they are set up to fail?

I had to go to appeal court stage for my pip reconsideration last June. 1 week before the expiry date for DWP I received a txt to say DWP decision had been over turned in my favour. 6 months of stress they caused me. I had so much medical evidence of my health conditions. I have Lumbar spinal stenosis, multiple disc degeneration, facet joint compression, Osteo & inflammatory Arthritis. Most of my fingers on right hand don’t bend anymore & left hand heading the same way. I need B12 injections every 3 mths too. 

After my conditions worsened after Covid and going from mild to moderate COPD joints becoming more painful with osteoarthritis as well as other conditions I notified DWP of the changes to my everyday living and mobility. My telephone assessment was 2.5 hours long and when the report arrived I wasn’t happy and asked for a reassessment.