Mandatory reconsideration request
To the decision maker,
I am asking you to look again at the decision on my Personal Independence Payment claim.
Name: Sarah National Insurance number: [your National Insurance number] Date of the decision: [the date on your decision letter] Date of this letter: [today's date]
I am not sending new evidence. Everything below was already in my own daily log at the time of the decision. I have set it out activity by activity, with the wording I say applies, my own words, and the date I wrote them.
Question 3 on the form
Activity 1. Preparing food
I say descriptor 1e applies to me: “Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal.” It is worth 4 points.
On 23 April 2026, 15 June 2026 and 20 July 2026 I wrote: “Tried to cook pasta, had to sit down twice and left the hob on.”E1
My log records this on 71% of the days I wrote in. That is more than half of them, so it is how I am most days rather than how I am at my worst.
On 19% of the days I wrote in my log records something harder still: “Cannot prepare and cook food.” I am not asking for that descriptor, because it is true on fewer than half my days. I mention it so you can see how much this varies.
The Upper Tribunal has decided this point in RJ and others v SSWP [2017] UKUT 105 (AAC): “A judge said cooking is not safe if there is a real chance of harm you cannot ignore.”
Question 14 on the form
Activity 12. Moving around
I say descriptor 12c applies to me: “Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres.” It is worth 8 points.
On 24 April 2026, 18 June 2026 and 11 July 2026 I wrote: “Got about forty metres up the street before my legs went.”E2
My log records this on 64% of the days I wrote in. That is more than half of them, so it is how I am most days rather than how I am at my worst.
On 22% of the days I wrote in my log records something harder still: “Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided.” I am not asking for that descriptor, because it is true on fewer than half my days. I mention it so you can see how much this varies.
The Upper Tribunal has decided this point in KN v SSWP [2016] UKUT 261 (AAC): “A judge said stopping for a rest does not always end a spell of walking.”
What I am asking for
I am asking you to look again at the points for the activities above, using the words in my log.
If you decide not to change the decision, please tell me which part of this evidence you did not accept and why, so I know what to do next.
Yours faithfully, Sarah [your address]