You might possibly remember me going on about assessments recently and in particular the Personal Independence Payment that I was more or less forced to apply for in February as I was informed if I did not my existing Disability Living Allowance would stop.
This is because they decided to scrap the benefit for new claimants and force everyone to reapply from scratch rather than just migrating over, reviewing as necessary.
The process was and is long-winded with having to apply by phone, complete a form within a month and then wait for an assessment which for most people would of been at a premises rented for it but for me was a home assessment.
Well eventually I received a letter from Department of Works and Pensions who in the almost fictional separation of hired out assessors and their decision makers making them, they have decided to award me enhanced Daily Living and enhanced Mobility in a massive well stuffed envelope which has been made 'ongoing' which is way of not expressly saying indefinitely or for life but really means "we can't see you improving but we will play to the notion of Lazarus style recoveries for the public by giving you a date we'll check on it (but we won't do much other than confirm you're the same or worse) in ten years time.
This is significantly better than my original DLA award more inline with how I'd assess my needs although looking at the scoring they put nothing down for communication, stress, anxiety and making my own plans.
I could argue with that easily but in reality had they of put them in it would not altered the awards by the scoring points system because I knew I was at least standard Daily Living and potentially crossing into advanced and while they missed out things around help with every day life activities such as planning, getting out which really would of given me around 4 or more points at least, they give me top points on Physical Disabilities such as getting up from a sat position and how far I could walk without needing to break off ordinarily and so on and which were observed.
Given the overall result I feel just accepting it faults an all works as large chunks are covered and in the end the kind of support I may get to deal with these things will be down to me so I can always build in in the missing bits.
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