My Mandatory Reconsideration OUTCOME
Hello warriors, how are you?
OK, so today I got the outcome of my Mandatory Reconsideration (MR), with a NO CHANGE.
So a fail. This is now, unfortunately quite common.
When I work with my clients on these we are now literally preparing for the DWP to NOT read them. If you are new to this newsletter, I have proven in the past that they did not even read the MR’s we submitted.
And many of those clients have won at Tribunal level and many are still in progress. Which sucks as its un-necessary stress for the individual.
Right, back to mine.
I appealed as they did not include the major change that I now have an assistance dog. And in accordance with their own scoring system this is POINTS:
In my MR I was very clear I was only appealing the fact they did not mention I have an assistance dog and I NEVER go to new places on my own. I can’t do it, I don’t know the walking distances, how I will feel, the weather changes, if my body will shut down, etc, etc.
And here is part of the evidence I submitted with my review (change of circumstances):
I won’t put everything in here, I will be doing a full video on my experience.
So, you can see:
I was very clear
In accordance with their own procedures, I am entitled to ENHANCED.
This bit will blow your mind. This is there reason for me NOT getting the award:
At NO point did I mention I need prompting. This is a search in my documents I submitted, I never used the word ‘prompt’ or ‘prompting’ (or any word meaning the same thing):
So, what am I going to do. Without this PIP funding (it’s the only Government funding/benefit I receive); I would have lost everything over and over again and I would need to claim all benefits in order to survive.
I just recently had a period of 2 months ish where I was not able to work at all. I need this funding and being chronically ill is expensive. Also, I am entitled to it.
So, unfortunately, I am going to log a Tribunal. I am not sure if the response they have done is relating to my claim. Hopefully someone at the DWP will actually read the document submitted (it will be very short – prob 3 pages, max 4). And correct this error as I would hate to waste a Tribunal committee’s time.
I will keep you posted. Did you see the video I did on the changes the Government did not tell us about? Check the last bit of this video: changes in planning a journey. This might be why they have not awarded me the funding.
Achievement of the week
This is mega. Working with John, my Physiotherapist. Yesterday we had a big break through. We are tracking a lot of data and my daily life was not matching the numbers.
For example, I am consistently managing about 2,500 steps a day. But we identified that sometimes these are over VERY short distances that are not normally this many steps for me. We confirmed that we need to break down the QUALITY of the steps.
When we did this John did some snazzy analysis and figured out that the day before my actual distance was about 1,200 steps. Which in my head matched what I actually did. As I was doing an ARTHRITIC SHUFFLE instead of normal walking steps.
This has been a huge relief for me as I was totally doubting myself:
Am I now a negative nelly?
Am I wrong about my life?
Am I scared?
Why doesn’t it match?
I didn’t want to be in a meetings disagreeing with John about how well its going when the numbers look good. This means I have to record more data, but without the data we have nothing so it needs to be done.
I am still dropping weight which is great. I have confirmed that if I eat after 3pm my sleep is really bad! I never realised how much eating later impacts your sleep!
What has made me happy
I am so happy to be able to work again. I am opening up some more consultancy slots as I am feeling a bit better. I had great chats with code names:
Chutney & mash
8 in the world
All the R’s
The madscotsman
Posh nails
And I got great news from code name:
Penguin walk = win
Under caution = progress update
Get to the fcuking Olympics = progress update
AND!!! We now have 10…..10 posh members of the YouTube channel!!! 9 Battle Buddies and 1 Champion!
I tried to find a way to put a link here so you can join if you want and I can’t figure it out…but I found something called: SUPERS where people have er….pledged money after watching a video as a thanks….I didn’t know this existed on my channel! I must have clicked something at some point!
I can’t believe it! I have messaged my YouTube coach for help LOL
That ‘Membership’ bit on my channel is where you can see what options there are!
Books I have read
Fuck it, still none.
Arthritis update
Pacing SUCKS. Its sooooo fucking hard to pace yourself. If you brain is working you want to crack on. If you have energy you want to do something! My windows in Gertie are manky, I desperately want them cleaned…but I sit and stare at them EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I know I must NOT touch them as it would knock me off my feet for days to weeks and I don’t want that.
The storms have made me bad, I socialised with GREEN KOI and that made me much worse. BUT, I am making progress. I just have to STOP myself from doing more. Its really hard but it works and in the end you are able to do so much more than you ever thought was possible.
It still sucks LOL.
PIP
This is important. I am seeing more and more that the DWP are not checking documents. This is at Mandatory Reconsideration level and Tribunal level. I have the letters proving this, so its not my imagination, its FACT.
It doesn’t actually help you. If you are going through the process and submit and MR, wait months and months. Then they don’t read it and you submit a Tribunal and the DWP don’t read it in 30 days….it then goes through to the Tribunal team. So, its more and more time and stress.
I am so sorry. But, its important to know:
Its not personal
Its just how it is
We must take this into account when we are working on our submissions
Never give up due to the time it takes as its normal.
What I am looking forward to
I am about to join a webinar about writing a book. I want to do a guide for people applying for PIP as I think its hard to keep pressing pause on the videos or having to go back to them. I like to have a book to follow.
I am hoping I am ok ish every day this week as the last two weeks were a bit rough!
I have 3 client meetings next week which I am really looking forward to, I just need to make sure I keep pacing myself. I am planning on doing 4 meetings, but I will see how I go.
This Sunday Terri the lady in charge of donations at the Womens Shelter I volunteer at is away so my mum and I will pop to the carboot just to look around. Its been a while since I have done this, so I am excited about that. In the past 6 months I have struggled to volunteer as I have been so extra poorly. This is something I hope improves.
I want to make sure I have time to film the new Review video as I am late (on my deadlines) with this. Fingers crossed.
This weeks video
Take care of yourself
Charlie
P.S If any of you want to contact me, please email: charliesjourney2024@outlook.com
Code name: YOLO protects me, so she manages all email communication and attempts to make sure I do not over load myself LOL
To book an appointment with me: https://calendly.com/charliesjourney
If you want to send me a little thank you (please do NOT do this unless you can truly afford it as I promise I have food to eat and can pay the mortgage x), here is my Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/29P1EFQ3E47FW?ref_=wl_share