Why was my PIP reduced? — Scope | Disability forum
If we become concerned about you or anyone else while using one of our services, we will act in line with our safeguarding policy and procedures. This may involve sharing this information with relevant authorities to ensure we comply with our policies and legal obligations.

Find out how to let us know if you're concerned about another member's safety.
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Why was my PIP reduced?

peppapot
peppapot Community member Posts: 5 Listener
edited August 2018 in PIP, DLA, and AA
Please can someone explain how I was assessed for dla and got high rate mobility and used a walking stick. I then got assessed for pip and got standard rate mobility and I now use a mobility scooter?? I now will lose my mobility car too it’s farcical was there suddenly a miracle cure as I walked into the assessment at pip. I thought pip meant personal INDEPENDENCE payment I have now had my independence taken away as I can’t walk far and can’t use public transport because of other issues plus impossible to use on a scooter. Can anyone please help me what happened??

Comments

  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @peppapot

    Welcome to the community!

    Sorry to hear about your situation, unfortunately I don't know the best advice to give you however other members of the community will share their knowledge and give you their advice soon.

    Ami :)
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • peppapot
    peppapot Community member Posts: 5 Listener
    Thanks ami  :) I should have said I went into the pip assessment on my scooter not walked lol 
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
    Unbelievably more common than you think! Get advice from cab or welfare rights about appealing the decision. Dla anc pip are different with different descriptors but you will see lots of folks on here getting zero or less than they hoped for and having to go down the appeal route. 
  • peppapot
    peppapot Community member Posts: 5 Listener
    A quick update I have sent in a letter of complaint about how unqualified the assessor was and even got my medication wrong etc. I will put another update when I hear anything back.
  • markyboy
    markyboy Community member Posts: 367 Pioneering
    You need ask for a MR and put your case forward and if that fails go through the appeals process
    complaining about the assessor will not get you a result at any stage of the process even though you believe they got it wrong.as they all cover each others backs
     
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    peppapot said:
    Please can someone explain how I was assessed for dla and got high rate mobility and used a walking stick. I then got assessed for pip and got standard rate mobility and I now use a mobility scooter?? I now will lose my mobility car too it’s farcical was there suddenly a miracle cure as I walked into the assessment at pip. I thought pip meant personal INDEPENDENCE payment I have now had my independence taken away as I can’t walk far and can’t use public transport because of other issues plus impossible to use on a scooter.


    The simple answer is that under DLA you would have received the highest award if you could not walk more than 50 metres.

    Under PIP that distance was reduced down to 20 metres.

    So anybody that can walk  beyond 20 metres and under 50 metres will now lose out. As in your case your Motability car has to be returned.

    The idea behind this when the government brought it in was to reduce the number of claimants that were previously being paid the high rate of DLA for mobility.

  • peppapot
    peppapot Community member Posts: 5 Listener
    Is that not called discrimination? I’m being penalised for being disabled and now my independence has been taken away I will not be able to go out as much I totally rely on my car. When I got the letter from pip I sobbed my heart out as I will know be stuck at home more.
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    edited August 2018
    Yes, Mike is correct. There was a challenge to the reduction in distance for PIP but given that the government can and do make things different when setting out the regulations for a new benefit the appeal was lost.

    I presume that the government in their thinking thought that 50 metres is too far to assess someone who says that they have difficulties walking 20 metres would only pull in the most serious of cases only + it fulfilled the intention to save money. It could have been worse if they had decided that only 1 metre was the test.
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    It may be worth taking the PIP Self- Test online to see what score you could have been given by an assessor. PIP and DLA are different benefits and assess different things. Some people get higher on PIP and some score higher on DLA.
    Scope

Brightness

Complete our feedback form and tell us how we can make the community better.

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.