Most of you know i had a medical assessment a few weeks ago to do with my Disability Benefits, well i got a letter today from Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) about my claim for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which is replacing my Disability Living Allowance (DLA). They have awarded me Standard Level Care componemt and also Standard Level Mobility ☹☹ My DLA was paid at low level care and high level mobility.
Due to the care component for PIP being much more than it was for DLA i will only lose 10 pound a month but only being awarded standard mobility means if i want a mobility scooter i have to save up to buy one , anything from 500 to 1500 pound plus insurance and road tax, whereas if i had high level mobilty component i could use it to rent one. This is why i chose to wait to get one as if i had already been renting one i would now have it taken off me. There is also a possibility i could lose my Blue Badge, which allows my Dad to park in disabled parking bays when i am with him. It is due for renewal next year and high level mobility meant i get it automatically but now they will decide if i merit one.
The really annoying thing is the reasoning behind the change in my mobility benefit level. Under PIP you are scored out of 12 for 'moving around' and i scored 10. But you are also scored out of 12 for 'Planning and Following a journey' and for that i scored 0. The assessor said i did not appear anxious during the assessment, i don't have therapy and only take one medication (Prozac) so my cognitive ability is suffient to plan a journey. So basically to get the high level not only do you have to be physically unable to travell but mentally incapable of planning a journey. This to me sounds stupid as i have the cognitive ability to plan a trip up mount Everest but would not be physically able to even make it out of the country. It is also stupid that if the government paid hundreds if not thousands of pounds for therapy and medication they would then pay me the extra benefit but because i deal with my PTSD myself they won't. Not sure whether i am going to appeal as not sure if i am strong enough to go through the process, especially as i would probably have to have a psych evaluation.