OK. Sorry for taking so long to reply. I have researched this and asked around among people who have had first hand experience. To clarify. Challenging both the care and mobility components at tribunal means that you risk having points deducted for either component and possibly having the award reduced or lost altogether. This is because the tribunal is looking at the whole award and if they think DWP have been too generous or have awarded points in error they will not hesitate to deduct them. However, if you only challenge one component and not both, they will only look at the component you are challenging.
Here are a couple of examples I’ve gathered from my friends who have been through this process. One lady was awarded PIP standard rate care and mobility, having had a higher rate award of both under DLA. She challenged both, hoping to increase the award in both areas but the tribunal decided that the DWP had made an error in the care award and reduced the points – losing her the care award altogether. She did, however, end up with the higher rate mobility allowance.
In the second instance the gentleman in question was migrated from higher rate DLA care and mobility and the PiP award again gave him standard rate of both. He chose to accept the loss of higher rate care and decided that the mobility component was more important to him, as he had lost a motability vehicle as a result of the migration to PiP. He went to tribunal and won the higher rate mobility component back, and retained his standard rate care award because he had not challenged it.
In all cases I asked about, the CAB representatives who handled the cases at tribunal had forewarned the claimants that if they challenged both components they could lose out, and to really think hard about what was most important to them. In addition, there have also been cases where the claimant has arrived at the court for the tribunal and has immediately been advised by a tribunal representative that if they continued with the case, they were likely to lose out because on preliminary examination there was a case for deducting points
I think the latter is quite encouraging because it reinforces the point that the tribunal judges try to be fair.
I think you need to decide what is most important to you and go with that. My own opinion – and it is just an opinion, is that you should leave the care component as it is and challenge the mobility decision. If you already have four points for not being able to walk more than 200 metres, you only need a further 4 points to total 8 and be awarded the standard rate, which is £21 a week. If you can successfully argue that you have cognitive difficulties and cannot go out alone, this alone will attract a further 4 points, and you’re there.
You also need to look at the 4 points you have already been awarded, and decide whether you should have been awarded more – if so, then you also need to challenge this at the tribunal. Remember the ‘reliability’ rule. To be judged capable of walking any distance, you must be able to walk it repeatedly, to an acceptable standard, with due regard to any pain you experience and in less than twice the maximum time it would take someone without a disability. If you cannot do it to this standard then you cannot do it and you would then fall into the next higher category. To get 8 points you are judged to be able to walk unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres, and if you need to use an aid such as a stick or crutches, or you need help from someone else, this increases to 10 points. It’s important to decide which category you think you fall into before you complete the tribunal submission, as once you make the argument you cannot change it.
I know this is a bit complicated but I hope it helps and please don’t hesitate to ask if you need any further help or info.