PIP assessor here

[Fsj88]

Good evening

I’ve been encouraged to sign up to Mumsnet by a friend who has suggested that some people might find it useful to be able to ask a PIP assessor questions.

If there’s anything you think I can help you with, please ask away

Thanks, that’s helpful but clearly part of the reasoning the system doesn’t work and why it needs a complete overhaul. Some cases are complex, and we answered honestly but when my son has the face to face assessment so many of his answers were it depends, and even his EHCP says in terms he will not accept his hard things are and understate the level of his difficulties.

Do cases get assigned to the right person? Or is it random. My son would suit a physio, or similar. A nurse is unlikely to understand what his condition means unless they have worked with people like him.

With no disrespect intended at all, more consideration was given to my son’s para swimming classification than his PIP (he’s complex there too) but that had a paediatric neuro consultant doing the assessment..

Is more time given to the mandatory reconsideration?

I am in a very peculiar place where I’m as sure as I can be we will succeed at tribunal but trying desperately to avoid getting there. Absolutely no-one who knows my son thinks he shouldn’t get high and high for what is quite complex CP, but it’s entirely physical

So I've arthritis in hips, & foot, fused spine from L5 & dislocated knee approx 10 years ago so cant Berlin or squat down. Have to walk up up & down steps one at a time, have difficulty walking on rough terrain or distances. Need help with some household stuff. What evidence would I need to claim please? Under Consulrant for foot & awaiting steroid jabs, but just told by docs to take painkillers for hip & back. Ive had to purchase different footwear as cant bend foot & instep has dropped. Have difficulty getting in & out of vehicles too. Thanks

Some of us provide it and still get refused. Maybe because nurses think they know more about a condition than the specialists the person is actually under 🤷‍♀️

Is your performance assessed in any way on the number of claims you reject?

Thanks for doing this thread. I was confused by the response to my PIP. I scored 0 across the board and have resubmitted. One thing that confused me was the response to my claim re mental health. I have chronic pain which impacts mobility. I also have post traumatic stress which means I am unable to currently (and for the last year) go out unaccompanied. This is related to frightening episodes of immobility outside my home and resultant subsequent episodes of hospitalisation. I explained this in section 11 on doing journeys. The assessor seemed flabbergasted (and frankly a bit rude) when I explained this, and that I had submitted accompanying evidence in the form of a detailed letter from the psychologist who specialises in pain. The psychologist now works privately but for many years worked in an nhs pain clinic.

The response to my application mentioned I had not sought help for my mental health from my GP, or been seen by a community mental health team, or had therapy. I did have therapy, with the apsychologist, and as a psychotherapist myself, I’m very aware the chances of getting help in the nhs beyond a handful of sessions from a counsellor, or SSRI drugs are scant. Extensive help tends to go to those with major psychiatric diagnoses and even then help is hard to come by. For this reason and also the lengthy wait for the pain clinic, I sought help and paid for ten sessions with the most relevant professional for dealing with my issue. Does this simply mean that any mental health issues will be discounted unless someone has a major psychiatric diagnosis?

My adoptive mum had a 30 percent industrial injuries award previously and last year had a stroke. She applied and hasn’t been asked to go for an interview. She panics all the time and thinks it will be rejected and believe me she needs it but only evidence she sent was her stroke papers and award papers. Has she been rejected. It has been three months now it is there a real delay. It is a shame with delays as a lot of people will panic

Do assessors get into trouble if they approve too many claims?

I was lucky when I made my initial claim as my assessor was familiar with my type of illness. Do you have to do research (google?) for conditions you know nothing about? Do you believe that a fair assessment can be made by someone who isn’t an expert?

You suggest that if a claimant and their companion give inconsistent accounts, the assessment is likely to be discontinued, and that the claimant needs to demonstrate good insight. Where exactly is that requirement in the PIP assessment guidance? A companion may be needed precisely because the claimant has difficulty recognising, understanding or communicating the extent of their own needs. Someone with autism, ADHD, a learning disability or cognitive difficulties may minimise their difficulties or give answers that don’t reflect what happens in everyday life. Differences between accounts should be explored and considered in context; they shouldn’t automatically be treated as a reason to discontinue an assessment. Surely the purpose of having a companion there is, in part, to help the assessor understand the claimant’s actual functional difficulties?

www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-the-assessment-process?

I’m spending this evening with family (and a glass or two of wine) and want to be sure I respond to every post diligently as I can so I’ll be back to reply tomorrow xx

I’m really shocked - this seems really low to understand and evaluate the evidence against the descriptors and to give the decision makers the information they need. I should think for the minority of claimants with profound/ permanent disabilities it would suffice, but I sense the majority of claims take far longer to analyse.

What is activity 1?

Where can I find a list of activities? (link please)

Do the activities change ever?

How can people receive PIP but then also a carers allowance for someone else?

Are you a registered health professional and is your registration still in date?

Here is a list of the activities and points: https://benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

Except my ds with hereditary spastic paraplegia and autism has been reviewed twice in 6 years!

He’s never going to stop being autistic and HSP is degenerative and progressive.

Two and a half years ago I received a full award for 10 years. I know it’s a long way off but as it stands currently what should I expect when reassessment time comes around.

Take my son

He had a complex medical history form birth but now attends university with 50 hours PA support per week. 10 hours university funded and 40 hours social services.

Before university he went to life skills. He had complex needs with ASD and severe receptive SLi on 1 percentile but most noticeably pragmatic / semantic on 0.75, executive functioning on 2 and 4 , working memory on similar and ASD. He has motors coordination 0.5 percentile ( so impacts cutting skills and general kitchen safety)

He has been reviewed several times be social care and has a package worth some 45,000 to 50,000 per annum. His ASD report states he will struggle with ADL.

yet he will be reviewed in 2030 and I will have to spend hours completing the form - I tend to say aww diary for each question and run a diary.

In reality what can you add to the social care report when the largest expense is social care and pip expenses pales in comparison. To me it’s a bizarre duplication of assessments. We go on holiday and 24/7 care moves in which is telling and expensive.

So why can’t pip just merge with social care for one report rather than repeat reports. At least they see him in person for an hour or so at home and have dynamic access to care records as well as all the medical reports - OT SAlT paed life skills college and care reports - what do you add to the process ?

placemarking

My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's. His job was good to him but eventually let him go as he was no longer physically able to do the job. He's also cognitively slower than he used to be and found the phone assessment too fast and sometimes confusing. He asked if my Mum could help over the phone and was told no. He can't walk as far as he used to, has to have my mom cook the majority of meals and has had to have the bathroom reconfigured to make access easier for him due to drop foot. He also has a has spondylitis which he's had for 20 years.

He was declined PIP despite losing his job, getting a blue badge and having a deteriorating neurological condition, where at some point they will probably accept his claim when he appeals as he deteriorates. This has caused so much stress for my Mum and dad to the point they didn't even want to appeal at first. This was almost a year ago.

What can my dad do in this situation that would help his claim?

I can’t read this anymore!

My son is in the process of going from dla to pip (he's had high rate care and mobility since he was three). I've just read your post on supporting documents and too many not being helpful. He has severe autism and learning disability plus other diagnosis that go along with them. His ehcp alone is over 30 pages and I sent ot, salt, social care, paed, ed psych, safeguarding docs etc as well. I took it as read that he would get enhanced on both as requires 1:1 support at all times inside and 2:1 support outside and it is well documented that he needs substantial support with all activities of daily living. Should I be worried now that I've sent too much?

I think you do have to provide medical evidence. I helped someone fill one in and most certainly medical evidence was required.

Thanks for this @MildlyUnimpressed I think this illustrates how simple the assessment criteria are particularly the mobility criteria for instance. But it must be really stressful for perhaps a claimants DM to understand that her DC can not move more than 200 metres "unaided". In this context unaided means "using a walking aid" for example a wheelchair. This is not obvious when you read the text of the assessment criteria for the first time.

If you mobilise by wheelchair you wouldn’t be considered to be able to move over 200 metres or more - you’d score either 12E or F, depending whether you can move a metre without it. A wheelchair isn’t considered a walking aid under the scope

No, you don’t