DWP et al

[Tâf]

YOOHOO! Sense at last from the dreaded DWP! 

And I know what you mean by the odd points awarded. I know 2 ladies who were marked down for washing, cooking and eating. They had enough other points for enhanced/enhanced, so let it go. At review the DWP knocked points off something else and they were below the points needed. They took it to Tribunal, and were told they should have contested the points given at the first award. But they argued that if they did, the DWP has a habit of dropping ALL the points due to them DARING to contest the award. The Tribunal said that the points should be recorded as maximum for washing, cooking and eating for the first award, and carried over to the review.

[El]

The only thing I can think of is his OT, brain trainer (not sure of her title) philips and nurses all know that we are pro active him doing activities.  They have watched him make toast with a motorised toaster, make tea with a tassimo and use Alexa.
I'm thinking that their reports have found their way to them. This only happens on a good day and involves me pushing his wheelchair to the table and watching him every step of the way.
But at least it is common sense. We will not need to badger people for reports or save every scrap of medical evidence.  As you know, the longer the illness or disability, the less chance you have of seeing consultants. At least those who have any influence in decisions.
He was always going to actually get pip. He really is that bad. It's no walk in the park in our house for sure. He qualifies in every single way. So why would anyone have him face assesment?  It would be madness. And money wasting.
I told him and he just said "I'll be dead before ten years is up". He really has no clue of the stress of it all. At least this spares him having to prove he is disabled. I hope this is the way forward for lots of cases. It's a much more caring and dignified way of dealing with assesment. 

[Tâf]

Has he claimed ESA?

[El]

Yes. He's in the support group. We had to claim as he can't get state pension until 66. Have to say that they were brilliant.  I sent them all his information when he came out of hospital and then they asked a year later if he had improved. He stays on contribution based until he retires at pension age.

[Tâf]

Let's hope that the rumoured ESA/PIP assessments don't go ahead. Quite a few people have been dragged out of the Support Group, especially if they claim UC (which has slightly different criteria of course, the twots).

[El]

We were very lucky in the sense that he worked from 15 - 59 so had full contributions. Also that we had a bit of savings so did not claim income based income support. I think that might have took us into UC. I hate that. It's been in our town for a good few years and is ruining people's lives. Mistakes with housing benefit  are putting people literally on the streets. Again, we are lucky that the house is very nearly ours.
I fear for my kids and grandchildren.  It's such an uncaring society.

[Tâf]

It's such an uncaring society.

An uncaring government... both flavours.

[Tâf]

I've just got a letter from the DWP.

Our daughter's Tribunal has been cancelled.

From ZERO points on all descriptors, she has now been raised to 13 for care, and 12 for mobility.

Ongoing as her condition will not change.

So that's ENHANCED on both parts, backdated to when her DLA was stopped.

But then I read it vey carefully, and they have awarded her extra points for being unable to make journeys to FAMILIAR places, but we only said that she had great difficulties with UNFAMILIAR journeys.

I feel I should let them know this, as it's either a typo or excessive points have been awarded.

[El]

Yay 😀
Not sure I would challenge though. I was miffed that they said Chris could make meals and wash himself even though he has enhanced/enhanced anyway due to brain injury no left side,epilepsy, no mobility and incontinent . I spoke to his nurses and they said not to be bothered as although he can't now, there is always room for improvement and I will not need to inform them if he does ever make a meal. Technically he can make a sandwich if I push him to the table and he uses his helper board that hold the bread in place so maybe that is a meal?
I suppose you could ask where they got that information from? This way though if she does start to have difficulty with familiar places then you wouldn't have to go through the added nightmare of assessment? 

[Tâf]

I'm more worried about it being a trap. All would take is one person to say they saw her travelling alone without a satnav running, and we'd be open to charges of fraud.

I've just reread all the forms we put in, and we never claimed for Familiar Journeys.

I've been on hold to them for 18 minutes already, thank gawd for 0800 numbers...

[K@]

You could always argue that you didn't notice and, after all, it's their fukkup. Plus, of course, there're good days and bad days. Some days, she might be able to do such things, but on others (most) seh can't. Still not even had a date, for mine.

Ho-hum. Good to read some good news, re DWP, for a change, though.

[Tâf]

Good to read some good news, re DWP, for a change, though.

Quite a few first decisions and mandatory reconsiderations are being overturned by DWP themselves once a claim for Tribunal hits them.

32 minutes to get through to the Carers Unit. "You have to reclaim online" I was told. It took 5 attempts to do so as their site kept on crashing.

After 52 minutes trying to get through to PIP, I gave up as the music was driving me batty. I'll try again next week.

[K@]

I wonder how netless people are supposed to claim. Shit, when the net dies, this country's fkd.

[Tâf]

Try doing anything with Universal Credit. All the people I know on it HAVE to do it all online. And they are all very untechie....

[K@]

Might be good to play dumb, if I have to contact them, again. Tell them I can't afford such luxuries, on fuck all.