PIP and "medical"

[DrDoolalli]

I've been receiving DLA/PIP for five years, submitted my documentation for "review", content saying nothing changed, pain worsened due to new condition, and giving details. Included GP letter confirming nothing has changed.

I've now been called for one of their amazing assessments, with sod all notice too, can't call it a medical as no medical ethics involved.

I'm shitting myself. Unreasonable to think given five years claiming and nothing changing there is no need for this?

I should just add this is an isolated example - I don't see many exaggerating symptoms. I do hate to hear people give the advice of ' describe everything as if it's your worst day ". This is misleading - by all means describe a worst day but also how many days are worst days. To score points on a descriptor the assessor should consider whether you can do something reliably, within a reasonable time frame etc.

What's the percentage of people on PIP in work? I would have a thought a minority so pondlife post makes sense

Based on what?

If we are going for anecdata all the recipients of DLA/PIP I know are in work. Its only available to working age people (16-60).

So no, pondlife doesn't make sense because like you they are making sweeping assumptions, based on anecdote and not even talking about the correct benefit

I don't get why posters always mention low fraud rate when do few investigations take place because they are too costly and time demanding to carry out to stand in court.

Treasury figures don't require a court case. They consistently show DLA/PIP fraud as the lowest of all types of benefit. This isn't surprising considering the high bar of entry and the permanence of the conditions covered.

Just how useful is it to keep reassessing someone who has spent their life in a wheelchair with no prospect of leaving it? Or someone who is blind? Or suffering from severe cerebral palsy? These are the people being called in for these reassessments. At least one acquaintance of mine was called in at short notice for a mandatory reassessment, the other side of his town and up two flights of stairs. He is in a wheelchair. This is not a good enough "excuse" to reschedule apparently. When he was eventually seen the "assessor" didn't even look at him through the assessment until, when asking about employment, he pointed out he was a lawyer with a particular interest in disability rights. Amazingly they have left him alone since then.

They also show tax evasion dwarfs the amounts so if you really care about the total pot of money you would be focusing your attention on tax evasion.

PIP is not a work based benefit. Whether you can or cannot work is not the key point
It isn't but there is a strong correlation that if you struggle to do the tasks that mean you meet the descriptors, you are more likely to struggle to do the tasks excepted in a working environment.

Of course it didn't mean that you are not capable of working and indeed, many people do manage depending on the actual job, but I would think it would be a minority although very happy to be proven wrong

If your condition makes attending the assessment or if an assessment is likely to make your condition worse then you could ask your GP or another medical professional to write saying that an assessment would pose a risk to you.

I second other people's suggestion to request that you can record the assessment. This might postpone the assessment because they might well not have recording facilities for the day of your planned appointment.

** sorry I missed 'difficult' from the first sentence.

Babyroobs, I've just been correctly awarded mobility PIP by a Tribunal because I can "hardly walk at all" by the descriptors for PIP.

But I can sometimes swiftly walk to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

That's how misleading the Qs are, and why it's important to know what they are really asking.

The PIP descriptors are (IIRC) about walking 20 m, between 20 m and 100 m, and over 100 m. Each descriptor includes whether you can walk these distances repeatedly, and the majority of days.

I cannot walk 20 m repeatedly in a day, except for very rare best days.

The distance from sofa to kettle in my place is about 10 m (I actually rearranged the kitchen to shave 1.5 m off), and I can do 10 m repeatedly some days.

I don't get anyone involved in my claim unless they see me frequently for extended periods, including bad days, because they won't have a clue.

Mmm..

I could swiftly walk to the kitchen and put the kettle on...

But unless the milk is already out, I can't also swiftly walk down the hall to the fridge, back up the hall to the kitchen, make the brew, stand there whilst it mashes and then carry it back to the sofa or my desk....

Not without being wobbly, at risk of falling, and in severe pain.

However someone elses ability to tell when I am in severe pain, is not within my control.

That someone else cannot 'see' that having done the tea, ill be out of breath for half an hour and later on ill get muscle spasms that take my breath away and stop me sleeping, and that the following day ill have extra pain and be less able to do things.

I don't object to having to describe this stuff to people however, I'd rather those people were actual professionals with some understanding of the conditions I have.

I'd also quite like it if i didnt have to keep being retested for conditions that are absolutely NOT going to improve or go away, they will only get worse.

I lost out fairly badly in the transfer to PIP because whilst my conditions have all worsened.. PIP does not take into account any help you need at night, where DLA did.

I do not understand why that is, can only assume that we simply go into standby mode at night and whirr back into action at 8am the following day?

I've had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia for 10 years. Very severe. Pain ranging from very severe to excruciating. Bedbound and use a wheelchair. Get out for appointments only.

Mental health is in the shit too. Suspected PTSD being investigated.

Have managed to delay assessment a couple of weeks due to. a clash.

Am really panicking and dreading this. :(

DrDoolalli I think it's standard practise at PIP renewal that it's treated like a new claim so everyone has to go through the assessment process each time, it can be very often for people who have short term awards.

Remember that all of the what appear to be an innocent chit-chat questions are designed to extract one piece of information, then that information is taken and expanded upon to your detriment, e.g. the only thing you'll be asked is 'Do you have a dog?'
You won't be asked any more questions about the dog's care, but it will be assumed and recorded in the report that because you have said Yes you have a dog, that you walk it and therefore have no mobility needs. You can walk the dog for x amount of time therefore have no breathing or co-ordination or balance problems. You can bend to scoop its poop so no back problems. You can navigate a route to walk the dog therefore 0 points for planning and following a journey.

This is what has people up in arms about the unfairness of the face-to-face interview, it's one answer to one innocent question which is then extrapolated into so many often wrong assumptions to award little or no points on several questions. Then the person who is being assessed is forced to go and find then provide written evidence to challenge these assumptions at appeal (Mandatory Reconsideration) which are often rejected, then eventually Tribunal in a court with a Judge, a Medical Expert and a Disability Expert, where there will be a fair hearing.

The fact that someone has a dog in the family and someone else in the household provides all of the dog's care all the time is never queried by the assessor, all they want is a Yes answer then that triggers the above assumptions and no points.

Many of the questions are designed along those lines and points are deducted because of the often erroneous assumptions that the assessors make from a Yes answer.

It's so very wrong.

All anyone wants is a FAIR system for assessment, these assessments are anything but fair.

OP, if they ask about anything you have difficulty with, do not answer Yes, but, always answer No, but then qualify the difficulty you have.

This may be of interest for those people who have no experience of this awful system.
www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2018/september/4-out-10-pip-claimants-do-not-appeal-it-would-be-too-stressful

@DrDoolalli you can request a home assessment, please do so.

You have said that your pain is worse-they are reviewing you to make sure you’re recieving the correct level of award as your needs may be higher. If it is a pip assessment then it’s not a medical assessment it’s a functional assessment-looking at how you’re currently functioning. What you can and can’t do, why you are experiencing restrictions and what support/aids you need to complete activities.

Home visit? Not possible, the property is filthy, smelly, shit-sty, stuff everywhere.

Results from being significantly disabled & bedbound.

*for 10 years.

Home visit? Not possible, the property is filthy, smelly, shit-sty, stuff everywhere.
Results from being significantly disabled & bedbound

Seriously, that's what they need to see to get a grasp of your reality and your daily needs

Once you make yourself presentable, nice and clean etc. it gives a false impression of your daily life.

Please reconsider.

It doesn't matter about what state your home is in, as above it adds to the picture of how you are affected.

If you want a home visit and they won't give one the Mp may help arrange this. Mine did when they wanted me to go to the nearest city on a Saturday afternoon (mental health). they (Atos) became much more understanding when the MP explained how difficult that would be to someone with mental health. Up to then they weren't budging. they then granted home visit first thing in the day so as to be less stressful (they still wrote nonsense (and an OT!) and made mistakes but thankfully DWP read the other stuff and previous award and gave back the PIp before needing to appeal.

The MP has some kind of contact at Atos

It seems to be a running theme with a lot of benefit claimants in the run up to April (new tax year). Not PIP but one of my close friends just had her income support suspended because she didn’t declare changing doctors, they discovered this when doing a routine interview. She was very sick and had to go to the hospital for a biopsy she’s still waiting the results on. They ignored her and just cut her money, even though it was never clear changing doctors was considered a change in circumstance. Poor woman is a lone parent to a 2yo in private rent and has now lost her housing benefit, can’t pay her rent and is living off £80 a week. The DWP is a complete shambles right now imo. My heart hurts for you OP! I can’t even begin to imagine how nervous you feel. I really hope you get the outcome you want and deserve. Don’t let the bastards get you down

‘Home visit? Not possible, the property is filthy, smelly, shit-sty, stuff everywhere. Results from being significantly disabled & ’

Take photos of your home with the day’s newspaper headline & date visible. Embed images into additional numbered pages that you send on to in the assessment form or, in your case take them to your assessment as evidence to show that impact of your condition adversely affects your ability to look after yourself - washing , dressing, cooking basic meal & all the other categories in the assessment form - safely, reasonably repeatedly, within a reasonable time period & on the majority of days.

I’d take the images in with you AND send them in as well. Always send post to DWP by signed-for delivery. Post Office counter staff are helpful.

If your home is dirty & cluttered, then it is not safe.
Have your energy to clean & tidy safely/reasonably often/for enough time on most days- which is what most people do. The answer is no, no, no & no because your ME & fatigue means you do not have the energy or initiative to do this. Does some one have to prompt you or help you do the basics to have a clean safe home?

Apply this logical method of safety, repetition, in good time & on most days to all questions asked in the assessment forms.

Like sitting an exam, you have to provide the expected answers to gain marks, & you have to read the question carefully to make sure you understand it correctly. Answer the question as it is expected - safety, repetition, in reasonable time & on most days - & do not go off on a tangent.

Are you a hoarder?
Again, photos to show the reality of how you live.
This is indicative of MH problems.

If your GP visits you at home to treat you, then you may qualify for the DWP to send someone round to make the assessment. DWP states this some where on the documentation, but you could ring to check.