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PIP descriptors higher than aids and appliances
Although it’s a small sample size, I’ve just released that I don’t think I have seen a PIP assessment that has awarded more than 2 daily living points for any descriptor, and all the 2-point awards are for aids and appliances.
One assessment even mentions the client needs assistance lifting, but has still given an award only for aids and appliances. Is this perhaps the old problem of bottom-up counting (stopping at the first descriptor that applies)?
I’ve seen similar assessments. However, as the overall decisions appear to have mostly been fair, I’ve not taken it to appeal. I wonder whether the DMs making those decisions are used to DLA/AA claims where the use of an aid or appliance would potentially preclude an award. Maybe more guidance is needed.
The difference between PIP and DLA, when examining the role of “aids and appliances”, is quite striking. With PIP the more the merrier when it comes to “aids and appliances”. With DLA they have a negative impact on the possibility of an award. I actively encourage my PIP clients and appellants to seek an Occupational Therapy assessment and to accept everything offered to them.
Seems to me that on the one hand aids and appliance use can be destructive to points because they are supposed to betaken into account to mitigate needs (reg 4 PIP regs), but on the other hand they can be used to harvest multiple low points scores, as has been pointed out. So the overall effect may be to reduce individual high point scoring opportunities, but at the same time allow multiple low scoring opportunities. The PIP Assessment Guide is liberal on what can be an aid (e.g. refers to electric can openers). I agree PIP probably offers more possibilities than DLA, in this way.
I appreciate we’re talking small sample sizes here but has anyone had an example of reg. 4 being followed? My experience thusfar has been that aids/adaptations = points and the impact of any mitigation appears to have been completely ignored. It’s a promising start but unlikely to be sustained.
Thoughts?
I’ve seen more decisions now, and although there is also an occasional 3-point award for bathing (which makes no difference), a disproportionate number of decisions are of 3x 2 points.
It might be a local problem but I’m fairly sure that there is an unofficial policy that 4-point and above descriptors for daily living are off limits or at least rationed. Even when the report finds as a fact that the claimant needs and receives help cooking, the conclusion is ‘I accept you need aid or appliances to cook - 2 points’.
I have had a couple of people with 4 point awards for preparing food, and got a decision yesterday where someone got 4 points for taking nutrition
Just had one through where claimant got 44 points in DL and 16 for mobility. They have still managed to do him over on a couple of things though - 0 points for communicating, 0 points for managing therapy - even though he has near complete paralysis.
This was pushed through as an urgent case by both myself and his specialist nurse, as a result they raced through to a decision in a mere 7 months…
Unfortunately he has been in hospital most of the time so won’t get much actual benefit paid. And they will contact him re. renewal in less than 12 months time.
Grrrr!