Scottish Re-determinations

Hi all,

My colleague and i have recently submitted 2 re-determinations and in both cases the point scored have changed dramatically.

The main difference is that the case has been further assessed by a medical assessor.

In the two cases we had my colleague had scored 8 points for Daily Living and 12 points for Mobility under Planning a Journey.

The applicant wished to apply for Enhanced Daily living and subsequently scored 4 points for Daily living and ZERO points for planning a journey.

In my case the applicant had scored 6 points under daily living and 0 points for Mobility.

The re-determination came back and scored 4 points under daily living and gained 10 points for planning a journey which was a surprise as it was never even considered as even a possibility.

My colleague is in the process of complaining/appeal ti try to understand this, however the question is that is there any similar cases as it seems that re-determinations now come with a significant risk attached!

Angela Barrowcliife, Inverclyde HSCP Advice Services
We are seeing cases like this too where points are changed and reduced at re-determination (although many changed favourably too).
If the cases then go to appeal, the appeal response (because appeals cannot currently lapse) often change again although I’m finding at this stage they are more favourable .
So some of the appeal cases we are representing have 3 different decisions and/or 3 different sets of points.

So some of the appeal cases we are representing have 3 different decisions and/or 3 different sets of points.[/quote]

I have represented at one appeal and that was the situation I was in, 3 different sets of points scoring!
Additionally from our experience as a whole we have also seen quite different redetermination decisions to the detriment of the client than what we used to see for PIP although these tend to have been when the client has requested the redetermination themselves. For cases that I had requested a redetermination they have benefited the client.

I have just picked up a case where they went from 11 on DL and 8 on mobility….to 0 on DL and 4 on mobility.

We are seeing this too. DWP tended to uphold their own decisions but SSS’s approach of doing a complete look at the case with fresh eyes is not working out well for clients.

I have been telling them in my MRs which points we agree with and then tell them why we disagree with the other scorings. So far that has been successful and they have only changed the points we disagree with. MR definitely seems a more precarious process than it was under the DWP.