I’m a PIP assessor, happy to advise if I can

[Impr90]

Hello all,

If you’ve got any questions you think I might be able to help with, please let me know

All the best for the New Year

Unfortunately, for some reason, ableds refuse to believe that this happens. Whenever a disabled person attempts to speak up about it, they are immediately shot down, as this thread proves. Our experiences are ignored, we're accused of being liars or frauds and apparently it's impossible that someone "just doing their job" could be so awful.

It's very sad that these people are clearly more than happy for disabled people to be humiliated, abused and denied basic rights, in favour of someone "just doing their job".

Ableism is getting so much worse.

Why did you take the job? I’m a physio and have been offered more PIP assessor roles than I can count. The money isn’t great to spend a large part of your day making people miserable!

PIP rates don’t change because of wages or savings. PIP payments are the same every month regardless.

Are you confusing PIP with another disability benefit perhaps?

Op can you give me any kind of idea why an assessor would have written lies in my report?

What's is like a job? I'm also a nurse and at point have considered it but not keen on targets etc.

I've reported her/him for the laughing reactions to my posts.

It's pure baiting.

Hi OP,

I do the same job as you (though I’m not sure what provider you work for). I’ve also done one of these AMAs and they always seem to descend into chaos with people asking how you sleep at night.

How long have you been in the job?

@Mikiamo why are you going round laugh reacting to anyone who disagrees with you?

I did this job for 2.5 years. How long have you been doing it?

Large swathes of Mumsnet hates PIP assessors!!

Agree. I've helped loads of people to apply and they've mostly been awarded first attempt and assessors have always seemed fair. I've only sat in on one bad assessment. Whether the assessors act differently if there is a third party there I don't know but would like to think not.

Thank you so much @TigerRag and @ARichtGoodDram. If I’m honest I have no idea. Thinking about it, it is probably more like 12-15 years ago now, but I could be wrong. I hadn’t even thought about it until I saw this thread. It could have been an indefinite award.

@Impr90 Thanks for the thread. Presumably you were aware of the well documented concerns around PIP assessments when you applied for your post; what made you decide to go for it? Who is your employer? Are you a MH nurse? If not, have you had any training in mental health? What is your opinion on all the reports and research into how damaging this assessment process is? The reason why I ask is because many claimants are applying for mental health reasons and have a background in trauma.

I am a mental health clinician and I believe I would suffer from moral injury if I had to conduct such tick box assessments under government pressures. I know the pay can be very good though which seems to be the main reason clinicians apply for this role.

Me stating an example of something that happened to a vulnerable person is histrionic? I'm sorry that you feel that way about disabled people. I'm perfectly "balanced", thank you. Are you insulting people with mental illness there too?

Is the unwritten guidance for PIP assessors to decline applications until someone appeals or takes it to court? I can appreciate a lot of people attempt to abuse the system, but I know of 3 people on PIP all of whom have serious medical conditions backed up with bundles of evidence from Drs and hospitals, all 3 had to take it to tribunal to be awarded.

Can't help as a PIP assessor however my da gets enhanced for both and has hereditary spastic paraplegia which is similar.

He can either walk or not! When I spoke to his consultant she just said explain it all. How most days there will be periods you can't do x y and z, how in predictable the condition is etc.

We talk about how ds has a continuous tremor and even though it fluctuates it's dangerous for him to be moving pans of hot water etc because there is no predicting what will happen.

When da had his original switch from dla to PIP we had a physio assess so I would ask for someone who understands MS to do the assessment - however as you have a chronic disability you'll likely get the review paperwork we do - basically asks if there's any change?!

^

Hi, any review date should have been indicated on your initial letter but if you’re at all unsure you could always contact the DWP and ask. It may well be that you won’t be reviewed

I think we just need to keep on reporting.

The truth is not abuse. Why are you so against disabled people standing up for themselves? Why are you against us sharing experiences?

I don’t think that’s fair. Expressing emotion does not mean she is ‘unbalanced’.

I can understand the frustration. A lot of my time as a clinician is spent writing to PIP assessors who have denied a patients claim, yet again. I’ve worked with many people who have been suicidal after these assessments. Thankfully I have reasons to believe things are changing, but the assessment process has been critiqued for very good reasons.

Op there's been lots in the media about possible big changes coming for the PIP process next year. Do you think this is just media hype or will the process be reformed ? I am a benefits advisor and think there needs to be a massive overhaul.

What possible big changes please?

Yes, you report the nasty disabled person sharing experiences and speaking the truth, which is well documented everywhere. I hope that it makes you feel extra special ☺️

Name changed to post.

PIP assessors vary in their professional backgrounds and professionalism. It is evident from reading this thread.

But one thing that isn’t being highlighted is that assessors work for different companies. Each company will have their own ethos and internal targets, which may or may not relate to the percentage of claims turned down.

OP, please could you comment on this? If you work for one company, how much knowledge do you have of the others?

According to https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/haas-health-assessment-advisory-service-has-taken-over-pip-and-wca-assessments

”assessors themselves work for private sector companies. There are four companies involved in carrying out benefits assessments:

• Maximus cover Northern England and Scotland (though PIP has been replaced by ADP in Scotland and is not part of the contract)
• Capita cover the Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Serco cover South West England and South Central England
• Ingeus cover South East England, London and East Anglia

In addition, a small number of assessments are now done directly by the DWP.

You can find a full list of all the postcodes and which HAAS provider covers them on the .gov.uk website