Pip assessors

[Ghostfacekjlla]

What have people's experience been with pip assessors when having their assessments? Have they been nice or quite abrupt/efficient? Is one agency they use better than the other?

I'm attending one soon so wanted a heads up

@LadyKenya Yes, in my mandatory reconsideration letter I have listed all the lies and have written the correct information next to them.

e.g. The assessment says that I go out to work in an office 5 full days per week. This is not true. I work fully from home and my contract is for 12 hours per week split across 3-4 mornings, see attached contract of employment.

e.g. the assessment says that I have no diagnosis. This is not true. I have a diagnosis of xxx and yyy. Please see attached diagnoses from Dr Aaa and Dr Bbb. etc etc.

Apparently the review will be complete by 19 June so I’ll try to remember to come back here and update . I’m fully expecting another No though.

How can they say it's about how you are affected and not the conditions if they are saying not having an official diagnosis matters?

Was yours recorded?

I genuinely don’t understand why people have so many issues claiming.
I claimed it on behalf of a colleague who works full time, office based and moving between sites.

If the MR fails then you must appeal- you have to.

It’s fairly repetitive, very long answers for each question.

What was your process like?

My DS had a really good experience, an assessor who really understood him. Report was fully accurate and he got a 9 year award at higher rate for both aspects.

He did have a stack of medical evidence a mile high though.

My partner was asked detailed questions about day to day living (he was applying for PIP for a painful physical condition), the assessor seemed very reasonable, but ended the interview early saying she had all she needed, without there being time to discuss all the issues he has.

They have him 0 points, saying that if he could drive a car (which he can sometimes, not always), he couldn't have a problem. I don't see how they can have the motorbility scheme to provide people vehicles, and at same time give ability to drive as a reason you aren't eligiblefor even lowest rate!

He won't appeal, feels like it'd be begging I think.

Spoke to the person I was completing it for, put myself in their shoes, filled the form in at home.

Admittedly repetitive, long winded reams of A4 extra sheets. The physical effects, how each ‘issue’ affected mental health, how it made them feel, how long each task took, that each task was performed taking way longer than normal, involved make shift equipment.
Claimed Oct 23 I believe, the person had a brief telephone assessment, pip was awarded around Feb 24 ish ? can’t recall exact timeline sorry.

It’s how you feel the majority of the time, how it affects you mentally, depression, anxiety, stress.

@Jo7890123 please appeal. I’ve worked in benefits, (not as a pip assessor) I know it’s soul destroying but he has to. He’s just a number to them.

Do you mind me asking what kind of condition he has?

Why do you want to know all this? It feels like an interrogation

That was my experience too, lies lies and more lies. It was in person and she was very abrupt,bordering rude.

Wtf? It's a message board... For conversation, it's nothing like an interrogation ffs. I'm really nervous about my own assessment if it's all the same to you.... If the person who I actually asked doesn't want to answer, fine, but a bit of empathy wouldn't go amiss

i did my Ds’s I am his appointee

I was expecting to get at least MR .. I got his rate increased . She was actually really good . His gp said he had no issues with activities of daily living . She took the time to understand why he couldn’t do them despite been physically able . I requested the report it never arrived but was happy with his award so never requested it again

That is worse kind of assessor, any assor for that matter

When I worked, I left aged just over 50 now early 60's - I assessed for the council for many years and did meet clients how had been assessed for benefits and or DLA/Att Allwance that was changing to Pips - varying experiences

We all have variable days and don't forget the reasons why you have stopped doing things and or do them a lot less - its often aches and pains and or weakness etc and not because you want to

You can always appeal but it can be stressful
What I noted was the genuine claimants often overstated their independce

Have ALL your evidence to hand.

Have someone with you.

Expect the assessor to not turn up or for there to be technical issues on the day. Expect to have to complain.

When they do finally go ahead with the appointment, tell them you are going to record the conversation. You may need to ask permission, double check.

Be prepared to go to appeal.

Expect letters to be late. Astonishing how long it takes the ferries from Belfast to Liverpool these days and astonishing how long it then takes those letters to reach anywhere else in England.

Be prepared for lies and for assessors who are mostly occupational therapists, physiotherapy specialists and speech and language therapists with little if any knowledge of your condition. We've had two in the last few months who inadvertently admitted they weren't even still registered with the HCPC. The Observer really really really needs to do an investigation into the whole sorry mess.

You might be lucky and get an actual nurse with actual knowledge of conditions but in general neither Capita nor "Independent" Assessment Services (formerly known as ATOS - like a name change has made any difference whatsoever to their MO) don't employ nurses, they're far too well informed and sympathetic.

All of this seems to be designed to make you give up. My partner would be on the streets if I wasn't bankrupting myself to keep them alive. We are not giving up but I despise the assessors we've had to deal with so far. In contrast to the ESA assessor who was very fair and actually was a nurse, as is my partner.

I'd also strongly suggest talking to CAB if you have time or look at https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip and good luck, you may get a decent, honest assessor.

My last one was great, tbh. Capita, face to face. She was very well informed. Claim approved.

Previous assessments were farcical, their reports were fictional and, the only time I went to appeal, the panel was plainly interested in 'catching me out' rather than evaluating the evidence.

My main condition is ME-CFS, which many people do think is just an excuse for being lazy. The process of applying, then submitting the mandatory review was so taxing that it caused major downturns. In court, I was a quivering wreck and had no representation. I didn't bother appealing the next time.

This could be taken the wrong way by some and if you want to flame me, fine, but if you genuinely fit the criteria required then you have nothing to be concerned about.

Yes, I am sure some assessors can and do make misjudgements, but that's why there's an appeals process. If there's sufficient medical evidence to back up the claim, you needn't worry at all. I have been through a few assessments over 12 years as only ever get a 3 year award, and yes it's bloody dehumanising and very stressful to feel like you must "prove" your condition and go through the same shit every few years. But if the evidence is clear, then it's honestly just a case of dealing with the process as in my personal experience I've been dealt with fairly and sensitively every time.

This could be taken the wrong way by some and if you want to flame me, fine, but if you genuinely fit the criteria required then you have nothing to be concerned about

I know for a fact some assessors are told to only pass a certain number of applicants per day regardless of disability/ condition.

I've very glad you were awarded it though but that's certainly not the case for many people.

Hence the part of my post highlighting the fact that there's a contingency by way of appeal. Crap that this is the case, but adequate evidence will mitigate.

You would think so my Ds was awarded however I have read too many stories where the claimant feels the report doesn’t reflect the conversations .

too many tales of how assessors have targets - people who left the job due to demoralising to try catch people out .

i am just can’t ignore so much evidence

If the assessments were fair then the success rate at appeal wouldn't be so high at approximately 68%. It can take over a year for an appeal to be heard so many people have a very long wait to receive a payment.

Really kind on the visit, then blatantly lied about everything on the report and I had a lifetime award overturned

Appeal was then during covid on a call panel and I just gave up, they were horrible and made me feel like crap

Really hope yours are better

Yes, I have. It was beyond an attitude, it was very aggressive, and I started surreptitiously recording him after he had come around his desk and was standing over me in my wheelchair bellowing at me. I'm quite robust and not easily unnerved, but had good reason to believe he was on the verge of assaulting me. I wanted what he was shouting, and hopefully if he did hit me, the sound of it, caught on tape.

I made the complaint soon after the interview and assumed challenging his behavior would be held against me.
It was investigated including his report, and I wasn't surprised to be told I'd gone from higher needs mobility and care to insufficient points for any award, overnight, despite strong medical evidence and life long disability.
Interestingly is he had unusually IME, stated that nothing unusual had happened and I had left satisfied. He had also made a claim that the medical evidence supplied would have shown would require an actual miracle to have taken place.

TBF once it was realized I had the lot illicitly on tape, and just how bad and extreme his behavior was, and it was provable, I got apologized to, and was encouraged to accept a phone reassessment direct with a case handler. There was an unexpected, but genuine, desire to put things right. Credit where due.

All the other assessors I've had ranged from perfunctory to highly professional.

I was very scared to report him tbh, but I thought about if it affected me that badly, what it might do to someone more fragile, and TBF the case handler agreed.

I had one pip assessment with an assessor who came to my home as I am housebound. She was ok but not knowledgable on one of my conditions. She didn’t lie as such but made assumptions based on nothing which were incorrect. I put in a mandatory reconsideration and her assumptions were overturned. At renewal they decided it on paper so no face to face assessment.
I do know people whose assessors have outright lied. I would definitely advise recording your assessment just in case.

There's a difficulty with obtaining adequate evidence.
The first time I applied I didn't have a formal diagnosis or any notes from physio or treatment etc etc, for two main reasons: ridiculously long NHS waiting lists, and GPs who told me for months on end to come back in three months if I was still ill before they would put me on said waiting lists. So I got a much lower award than I was eligible for.
I did a change of circumstances application once I had some diagnoses and very detailed notes from rehab (which I only got because I happened to move into a different NHS trust, the first one didn't offer any treatment at all), and got a higher award without having to do another assessment. The daft thing is, the rehab intake doctor who wrote the notes didn't come and test me doing all the things. She just asked me what my difficulties were so that we could arrange suitable treatment, and believed me. When I originally told the PIP assessors what I couldn't do, they just wrote "you have said that you cannot do X, but I believe that you can".

So I see what you're saying, but it's not as simple as "if you're really eligible you'll have no issues".

Sorry OP - I think as you can see, experiences vary. It's worth going in aware of the difficulties, but also no point worrying yourself to death over it as that won't help.
My practical tips are to have someone with you if you can, and to be aware of leading questions - that is, questions that you're socially wired to agree with. e.g. "so, you're fine with stairs?" or similar, that your brain automatically wants to say "yeah" to on autopilot before you've really processed it. Record it if you possibly can as PP have said. And prepare yourself to do a mandatory reconsideration and appeal; if you don't need to, then it'll be a nice surprise!
Finally, plan a nice treat/ relaxing thing to do after the assessment (or the next day after you've cried and slept if you have an energy limiting condition like me lol).