Being messed around again part 2 - result (of sorts)

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.

Wednesday's assessment

Last Wednesday I had my face to face assessment for Personal Independence Payment at home as it had been decided I couldn't attend a centre belong to the people who do it.
The person who I'd say was in their thirties to do it was about a quarter of an hour early which I had anticipated being somewhat questioning of peoples motivations and so was as prepared as I could be and seen to be engaging in removing anything that might put thoughts into their minds.
It was quite a bit shorter than I'd of expected at just over twenty-five minutes from coming in to leaving whereas an hour is typical so it may be a question of going through the motions so having checked I had ID (thanks to folk who come from backgrounds where ID Fraud is common in 2019 you have to prove everything triple fold) she took a short history of me before going into a few areas on the previously completed form.
These areas included planning, getting and eating a meal which for me include the inability grip things, chop things, remember instructions (and what things look like), help with eating such as cutting up food and drinking where typically I use straws.
She dd ask about hobbies so I mentioned comic and magazine reading being light weight so easier to turn pages and ties to developmental disabilities and dyslexia which with me puts me on a reading age below eleven years and watching tv specifically childrens tv because so much of adult tv is beyond my understanding and following plus my plushie collection where upon being asked if I buy and sell said I didn't I just collect and Mom explained I have them bought for me.
Anything involving keyboards, gripping things wasn't mentioned.  
Former voluntary work was mentioned but explained no longer did and it was very much as and when I was well enough to attend.
We talked about dressing where I need help putting clothes on, seeing the aren't inside out and back to front, help with bathing  before moving on to a few tests.
I was asked to show how far could raise arm up, bend down, move neck, find a wall where I failed to and to raise from chair where I didn't manage to get fully upright before needing to sit so tests on my feet for staying upright were cancelled (I suspect they'll take my word and medical evidence for.)
We did talk about anxiety as it effects me, needing someone to keep me calm, help deal with situations.
With that it was concluded with her reassuring me I have nothing to worry about and that I wouldn't lose any money after explaining she'd write a report for DWP who run this thing.
We'll see how it goes.

Being messed about again

Sometimes it can seem that you're surround by a Government run merry-go-round as having eventually got my money sorted for being unable to work even if felt up to it, we have another hoop to go through because the money that's supposed to help meet my personal needs has had a change.
In Britain, we have for a longish period of time given by assessment money to people to help meet the costs of disability such as adaptions, equipment, services or support outside of social services through a variety of differing schemes.
The last expansion of this came in 1992 with the replacement of Attendence Allowance and Mobility payments for under 65's by a broader mainly self certified scheme called Disability Living Allowance where you set out what your needs were and why, doctors and consultants would be asked  to verify the accuracy of you said and so you'd be given an award for varying periods depending on likelihood of it improving or not.
I remember applying for it in November of 1994 and because of my own situation was given an 'indefinite' award because mine cannot improve, quite the opposite actually so when in response to some concern about the potential for fraud, many people were sent to 'medicals' periodically effectively I was exempted not that much fraud really existed but it satisfied the man at the pub who thought so and so believed they shouldn't be getting it.
It is worthwhile considering what actually is the criteria to be considered because to simply have a condition of itself isn't sufficient, you normally need to show how that effects you, what you may need and how that help.
The example people tend to quote against automatic condition as qualifier is a person has a eye deficiency - let's say they are short-sighted - and while without correction they are impacted supplying a (inexpensive) pair of glasses enables them to get around so they don't *need* extra payments.
Two things I'd say from that is this presumes people have sufficient money after regular spending to buy a pair since free glasses ended for most people over eighteen in the mid 1980's and some eye conditions don't lend themselves to simple correction and are grounds to such as severe impairment or actual blindness.
Fuelled by what was seen as increased costs and the idea some with low care needs didn't really need financial help the then coalition government  in 2010 decided to change the system to something that had less provision for lower rate care needs and radically reduced distances  for showing a person was unable or virtually unable to walk with face to face assessments by people called health care professionals who aren't and don't consider anything from specialists to decide if you do.
This is called Personal Independence Payments (P.I.P's)
To date the governments own National Audit Office Report has shown this change has actually allowing for inflation resulted in more spending on disability payments not the anticipated reduction, more cases are won on appeal at expense and many reports from the health care professionals contain errors sometimes even whole falsehoods.
I received a letter late last week informing my INDEFINITE award was stopping soon and I'd have to make a fresh application for PIP so I now have to get a form and fill it out like I did for the Work Capability Assessment eighteen months ago and like I ended up to sort out my main income replacement benefit just before Christmas.
I finally after a long wait and a twenty-two minute phone call got the form coming to me soon.
Will this ever end as with me at least nothing can change for the better and to be honest they might as well of just passported me over as they all the information they need as I'm not getting any better as my body ages.