Larry recounts his experience with PIP

Hello, this is Larry Gardner and I think I’m going to have another rant and this rant is entitled the journey to PIP. It starts on my 66th birthday – I was 66 last June. Just after my birthday I received a lovely brown envelope – it terrifies me when they come through my letterbox – and it said that disabled living allowance (DLA) was scrapped and withdrawn, and I would have to reapply for PIP, so I did. I then received a letter saying that I had to go for an assessment and I asked for an assessment at home, which led to quite a big argument. Eventually my doctor said that the only rational way to assess me was to do it in my home to see how I can cope because I live alone. The assessor came and to say that her report was inaccurate would be understating the case. Her report was completely fictitious and fanciful and bore no relation to me – it really did look as though she’d just cut and pasted some sentences from somebody’s else’s report and cobbled it together.
I received another brown letter shortly afterwards to say that my PIP had been refused. So then I decided to ask for what they call a mandatory reconsideration, and received another letter saying the same as the first. So I found an organisation to help me enter an appeal. I asked for lots of evidence from the services that support me and from my GP, and sent it all in.
Then the Department for Work and Pensions called me to say that they would give me half of what I used to have on DLA – I would be awarded some points for one thing but not receive them for the other. They said they would make an award so I accepted it and then, on the advice of my advisor, I entered another appeal.
To cut a long story short, I didn’t have to go to tribunal because the person supporting my appeal to the tribunal was so skilful, and presented the case so well using all the evidence I’d provided, that in the end they decided to make a full PIP award to replace the DLA.
My DLA was an indefinite award and the PIP is a ten year award. I’m 67 now – when I’m 77 they are going to renew this and expect me to reapply but I don’t think I’m going to have all my marbles in ten years time because of symptom progression.
I think this Government has a policy (but it’s never been announced) to let old people die, to let people with dementia die. Most don’t appeal and yet when individuals do appeal for a PIP, over 70pc are successful. I would encourage everyone who is feeling discouraged to enter a tribunal appeal and to get some legal advice from the law centre to help you.
That is the end of my rant and the sooner we get rid of this Government, the sooner I shall be a lot happier. Thank you very much. bye, bye.