To be delighted PIP assessments are to be face to face?

For some people, yes. I would have no problem with it, but I understand that for other people, it could cause acute distress. The OP has stated that they are delighted that F2F are coming back, but has not said that the other ways of being assessed are going to be binned, so I don't think that people should worry too much. The DWP still understands that there is still a need for home visits, and telephone assessments.

Is there public transport or is your route not served?

No sarcasm.

My nearest assessment centre for my pip claim is 15 miles away. I don't drive, have trouble walking any distance. They did the assessment by telephone. Yes face to face is good but not always practical for everyone

Face to face is appropriate, I think.

I'm unsure really, face to face might be fine if it were done humanely but often the assessors seem to be looking for any reason to deny claims rather than allow them including lying on their assessments of people, I've seen some of the reports people have been sent and its ridiculous. It certainly seems that they are encouraged to refuse claims no matter what. I also know that people who are claiming for other illnesses and disabilities have had their mental health put though the mill and ended up on additional medication due to the process of trying to access these benefits causing them to develop depression and anxiety.

It's very unpalatable to many but disability benefits are very difficult to access in the UK and are not easy to stay on long term and many more people need and are eligible for support and even apply due to how invasive and humiliating the experience is.

All it will do is cause longer wait times due to staffing issues and then wasting everyone's time in general since most appeals etc go on to be successful anyway.

DLA doesn't require face to face assessments so I don't see why it needs to be different with PIP unless I'm missing something obvious.

I’m not sure this will catch as many fraudulent claims (that allegedly are everywhere costing so much) but I suppose we will see.
Part of me thinks if someone is able to have already duped assessors and medical staff they’ll continue to be able to do that, surely?

I don’t look forward to the day my DD switches from DLA to PIP but at least the fact that she can do NOTHING for herself is self-evident. I’d hate to be someone applying for PIP with a condition that an assessor can and will lie about,

@Simonjt my DD has the same condition (AMC but DD doesn’t have amyoplasia) as your DH (it’s possible we know each other given how rare it is!!)and I almost wailed when I read what the assessor said about picking up a full kettle. Given most people with AMC don’t have any biceps… and have severe contractures . Words fail me

Very well said.

Excellently put.

I am fine with having face-to-face assessments for PIP. I have very light touch very occasional re-assessments as my disability is life-long and will not improve. I know this will probably be very upsetting for some posters on here to read in case it allows me to game the system in some way, so, to put your poor minds at rest, I am quite happy for the government to send someone round once a year, or more often if you prefer, to check that the eyes I was born without haven't miraculously sprouted in the last six months. I am unsure this is a great use of resources, but if it makes some of the concerned posters on here sleep better at night then it's surely money well spent!
Being serious for a moment, it strikes me that this is an entirely pointless policy proposal which will save the government no money and is merely intended to placate all the tiresome whingers, like those who proliferate on threads like this, banging on and on ad nauseum about the life of lavish tax-payer funded luxury all us disabled benefits scroungers apparently live.
No matter how many people take the time to patiently explain the PIP assessment process to these geniuses, they are always adamant that all you have to do is send a letter to the DWP telling them you have a sore finger or feel a bit sad and they will send you a big envelope stuffed with cash by return post. Not to mention all the posters on here who definitely know a, not remotely imaginary, friend, family member or neighbour who claims PIP for a bad back while being world limbo champion. I am not remotely casting aspersions on the existence of these surely not at all fictitious folks, but it never ceases to amaze me how these benefits fraudsters, who absolutely aren't figments of the posters fevered imagination, are so charmingly garrulous! One would think that, if one were to commit benefits fraud, one would be a little reticent about broadcasting this fact to all and sundry. Apparently this is not the case for the, again completely real and not made-up, benefits cheats being described on threads like this who seem happy to share their crimes with judgemental nosy parkers like these commenters!

Thank you for sharing your stories. My niece is one of the reasons PIp assessments have a poor reputation. There's an element of really working the system by my SIL that has done her daughter no favours. Embracing a mental health condition to max out benefits and maintenance.
I do like the idea of a society with universal benefits but it's not working like that is it. Child care, education and student loans are at the bottom of the heap.
My brother is also on PIP, this time for depression. It funds fags and booze so I guess most of it makes it back to the treasury.

I'm sorry my family has made PIp so much harder for those that really do need the extra support.

Ah, I see. I was going to ask woolyguru for the telephone number, could do with a bit of spare cash.

It should not, and does not without sufficient medical evidence, which would have been sent in with the initial form.

I would hope they would offer telephone calls for the reassessments and where appropriate.

With anything like this there will be consequences and for some it will be negative and some positive.

The cost of living crisis has made life so hard for so many, I think people are delighted that some of the benefit cheats might be caught and dealt with. People see that every penny counts and some of the examples of theft on this thread add in to this narrative.

we need to protect our vulnerable and ensure they can get what they are entitled to whilst also being responsible and ensuring people aren’t gaming the system.

No it can't. It doesn't have direct access to Home Office systems.

It can request information as part of a specific investigation, but would need a reason to start that investigation in the first place.

I see many disabled people being hurt by this because they can’t get to offices. Even if some home visits are authorized, the policy is unlikely to be sufficiently generous.

A phone call? Please expand …embellish.

That's surprising as HMRC can track passports so don't see why DWP can't do it.

No it's not. It will hopefully put off some of the chancers from applying. Taxpayers money shouldn't just be handed out on the basis of a phone call.

I missed that and it absolutely needed to be done. I also think passports should be tracked and spot checks done. I know someone who during his phone assessment said he couldn't leave the house and then went half way around the world on holiday.

My assessment came back that my vision was fine,but nobody checked my vision so not sure how they came to that conclusion.yet a week later I had eye surgery to stop further vision loss.
the assessor also said I walked my dog daily,but I didn’t have a dog I had a cat.I wasn’t asked about a pet.
it also said I drove to the assessment centre,I didn’t as my drivers license had been taken off me for vision loss.

Pointless in my son's case. He has enough paper evidence to show he is non verbal, doesn't understand speech etc. Complete waste of money.

I mean delighted seems a tad extreme 🙄

it’s also for many claimants a complete waste of time and resources. My daughter has a visual impairment and memory processing issues following a malignant brain tumour. It has also left her with a lot of lifelong health conditions she has to manage one of which can be life threatening.

When we moved from DLA to PIP I had that much evidence I provided pages of extra examples of how she struggles along with all the consultant letters, supporting information and her visual impairment certificate. She was awarded PIP automatically and won’t be reviewed for 6 years. In what way would a F2F appointment be beneficial for her? I couldn’t fabricate all that evidence??!

Surely it’s better to review in a case by case basis depending on the reason for the claim.

Still a good idea to do it face to face.

The DWP cannot track passports as a matter of course. Even where it has powers to request or demand information from other bodies, it often can't do so electronically.

To the point where the government has a bill to strengthen the DWP's powers.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-authorities-fraud-error-and-recovery-bill-2025-factsheets/dwps-information-gathering-powers-in-the-public-authorities-fraud-error-and-recovery-bill-factsheet