Benefits and Work has obtained a sample copy of the Award Review (AR1) form introduced last month for personal independence payment (PIP) claimants. The form is being issued when a PIP award is due for renewal or where there is a change in a claimant’s condition or circumstances.{jcomments on}
The Award Review form is meant to make it easier for claimants to tell the DWP what has changed without having to complete a whole ‘How your disability affects you’ form.
It is intended for use where a time-limited award is due for renewal or where claimants tell the DWP about a change in their circumstances. It may also be used where information provided by someone else suggests there may have been a change in a claimant’s condition.
The form is 12 pages long. It begins by explaining:
We know people’s lives can change making it easier or harder for people with a health condition or disability to do everyday things, so Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is awarded for a set time. This means we need to check to see if anything has changed.
For example, your needs may have changed, you may have had your home adapted, your medication or treatment may have changed or you may have worked out different ways to do things.
We need to ask about any changes in how your health condition or disability affects you since we last looked at your PIP claim.
This form is the easy way to tell us about any changes and help us get your PIP award right.
The form follows a standard format. So, for the ‘Preparing food’ activity, for example, you are asked to say whether doing so is:
- Easier
- Harder
- No change
You are then asked what has happened and when. You are also asked to say how this has made things easier or harder in your life.
There are also questions about treatment and medication.
A decision maker will look at the form and either make a fresh decision based on the information in it, along with your previous assessment report and any new medical evidence, or refer the case to Maximus or Capita if they consider that more information is needed.
We’ll be publishing guidance on completing the AR1 in an updated version of our PIP guide later this summer.
Meanwhile, subscribers can download a sample copy of the PIP Award Review (AR1) form from the DWP Resources section of the PIP member’s area.
