Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

This is how they do it

112 replies

paffuto · 29/06/2019 06:23

I thought MN's might be interested to see how "they" are cutting disabled benefits. Son 24 has severe autism and lives in supported living. He has received DLA since the age of 4 or 5 and is in the support group for esa which means he is not required to work. Has just been changed to PIP and given 0 points, a drop of £320 a month. So now his family, his Carers and Social Workers are going to have to fight for him. Letters cancelling his direct debits will have to be written (he can't write) because there might not be enough money in his bank account to pay all his bills. The council will have to do a reassessment to reduce his contribution towards his supported accommodation. His GP needs to be called and will probably prescribe meds because son is now a wreck. Any future dwp assessments will now require home visits, there is 0 chance of ever getting him to another one. For one of the PIP evidences we used Social Care Report. And here is a few examples of they did it: Social Care - son has an inability to manage and plan bus journey's unaided. PIP decision - I decided you can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided. Social Care - without care support in situ son would be at risk of self neglect. Will only wash every 2-3 days. PIP decision - you wash daily and dress in clean clothing. Social Care - reports on anxiety when going out. PIP decision - you report anxiety going out, however you do not take medication for anxiety. And the whole letter is like this. WTF????!!!!

OP posts:
ProteinshakesandAntonsbum · 29/06/2019 21:15

My mum got her pip assessment and it claimed many things as ridiculous as the ops situation.

She has epilepsy and the report stated that the medication she was in for it, was an over the counter medicine. It's not.

She has other illness and they claimed they observed her walking more than 59ms unaided. They would have struggled because dad parked outside and helped her in. Then moved the car. Then helped her to the room she was interviewed in.

It was blatant lies. Nothing about kot being able to award points. Or anything of the sort.

It was total lies. It disgusting.

I used to work for capita in a different area. They do pay bonus on people bot passing them. But its dressed up as a bonus for other things. They are an appalling company. I am so glad I left.

paffuto · 29/06/2019 21:17

Maintain your poor mum and dadFlowers I still can't get my head round the fact that son is being refused on the grounds he doesn't need help and support yet he is living in a supported living house which is specifically for............ help and support???

OP posts:
paffuto · 29/06/2019 21:23

Proteinshakes thank goodness you left. You would have been dragged into it with them. Well done for "escaping" and thank-you for having morals and decency.

OP posts:
paffuto · 29/06/2019 21:34

Good news. I've been through ds finances with him and with the esa he has got enough for his direct debit bills and food with a little bit left over. Not enough for treats, clothes, home ware, etc but that's what parents are for Wink Thank goodness, I am so relieved. He's only been managing his own bills and finances for 6 months, I was doing it before. I thought we were going to have to cancel direct debits and start all over again. Unfortunately he proudly told the assessor that he now manages his own money and of course, that went against him!!

OP posts:
paffuto · 29/06/2019 21:36

Punished for learning to handle his own money!!

OP posts:
Pinkfinkle · 29/06/2019 21:36

Fuck the Tories.

ProteinshakesandAntonsbum · 29/06/2019 21:40

You would have been dragged into it with them. Well done for "escaping" and thank-you for having morals and decency.

I worked in one of their call centres. Nit is this sector. But we all heard.

Honestly, how they get away with treating people how they do (I mean staff and customers) is unbelievable. I left because of the way they expected me to treat people who work under me.

It was horrific and I couldnt do it. It makes me feel anxious just thinking about working there. I dont know these assessors sleep at night.

paffuto · 29/06/2019 21:46

Good Luck all of you who are going through it and well said madcatladyforever

OP posts:
paffuto · 29/06/2019 21:51

Pinkfinkle my sentiments exactly.

OP posts:
HowWhenWhy · 29/06/2019 21:52

@paffuto please contact Fightback4Justice - they are amazing and will help you. They have a Facebook page where you can contact them.

Good luck Thanks

onwardsandupwards1 · 29/06/2019 22:26

Horrendous, so sorry OP. One of the biggest reasons we need the tories out of government.

MaintainTheMolehill · 29/06/2019 22:29

Sorry I asked for my comment to removed as it's not my story to tell and is identifying. I know what you mean op, it's as if all common sense goes out the window! I really think your sons is a case that will be overturned at the MR stage. I really hope it's sorted as quickly as possible.

I wrote to our MP who stated that this is basically a cost cutting exercise. A certain percentage of people won't appeal. Once we have a decision she will help us make a complaint against the assessor. I urge you to do the same. The more assessors are highlighted as liars the less people have to go through weeks, sometimes months of worry Flowers

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/06/2019 00:32

The points say 'Can you walk 50m'? 'Can you put your hand on your head?' 'Can you pick up a pint of milk'. If you can do all those things but you're in constant pain or feel very poorly, you will probably score 'nil' points.

As somebody with reduced mobility and chronic pain, this simplistic question has never made sense to me at all. It's in most people's nature to push themselves to do what they are able to, often far beyond what they should. The question is 'Can you walk 50m unaided?' and that's that. No additions of 'on a good day' or 'without pain' etc. Somebody may turn up to their morning appointment on a good day and demonstrate that they can indeed walk 50m at a reasonable pace (albeit in a lot of pain), but doing it could well mean that their energy reserves for the rest of the day, or even the week, have been all used up. 'Can walk 50m' = 'is fully fit for work' isn't much use if it means you have to spend the next 8 hours in bed just to recover.

Thankfully for me, I'm not (yet) in the position that many utterly dependent people are, but reading these and many other heartbreaking stories send me the crystal clear message that, should I eventually end up in a highly-dependent physical condition, nobody in government could care less about me. They might rate theatres on how easy they make it for me to go and watch a play (which is a very good thing), but they wouldn't care about me having somewhere to live and the means to buy food and pay my bills, much less be able to buy a ticket for the play.

As PP have said, the big problem with many MH problems and learning disabilities/difficulties is that, by their very nature, many people who have them will not understand the extent or even the basic existence of their problem. Also, a lot won't appreciate how their over-optimistic determination and assertions will be used directly against them by these people who, we can all clearly see (however much they will deny it), have been specifically tasked to fight against the most vulnerable people in society and take away as much essential support as they possibly can. If it leads to a suicide then that's just another 'problem' off their books. I really don't see how these people can be human. Even Wonga would have rejected most of them for roles as aggressive salespeople for being too evil. They obviously have nothing to lose by rejecting people. Some of those who have family with the strength, knowledge, time, willpower and ability to fight will get the lies overturned, but the lying assessors will never be punished in any way. As for the rest of their victims, well we all know.

I have a relative with severe MH issues who will tell you things that are categorically not true and insist until she's blue in the face, and cannot understand why everybody disbelieves her. She is not deliberately lying, but she is telling 'her truth' as she genuinely believes it to be.

If somebody with severe MH problems insisted to these 'people' against all obvious signs of reality that they were Bill Gates (living in a HA flat in Wigan and eating beans on toast), I honestly wouldn't put it past them to not only check out Forbes magazine and rule that they therefore were very financially independent, but also to tip off HMRC that they were suspected of committing mass tax evasion.

paffuto · 30/06/2019 09:32

WeBuilt brilliant post, completely agree with you. A perfect example is AJPTaylor yesterday 07.32 The first question was how does your autism effect you? It doesn't he said. Came out with 0 points

OP posts:
paffuto · 30/06/2019 09:39

HowWhenWhy had a look at "Fight", looks really positive except they are solicitors and have meetings with atos and capita? Feel a bit wary of that.

OP posts:
paffuto · 30/06/2019 09:52

For posters who wish to help fight against this ongoing victimisation please sign the petition I posted at 19.57 yesterday

OP posts:
CitadelsofScience · 30/06/2019 10:15

paffuto Honestly, don't be wary of Fightback. As I said at the beginning of your post, they are brilliant and tens of thousands follow them on Facebook.

Thanks to them I was awarded PIP and then reawarded it when I was reassessed.

I'd advise anyone to use them because they have specialist knowledge and have written hundreds of submissions that you can access if you don't want them to fill your form in.

It's not free because they have to cover costs of rent, phones, stationary etc. So you pay a donation.

KittyMarion · 30/06/2019 10:38

The benefits system is an absolute disgrace. It makes me so angry.

I work for a CMHT and attended a Pip assessment with a patient of mine after her Care Coordinator said they couldn't.

The report of the assessment did not reflect my experience of the assessment and she was placed on a much lower rate.

Same thing happened for ESA, put in suitable for work group.

This was totally unacceptable IMO. We appealed and I wrote a very detailed letter based on the criteria. We were successful but it was so stressful for my patient. They are now in a horrible limbo. No sufficiently recovered to access employment and come off benefits and terrified of being on benefits because it it makes them feel so vulnerable and helpless.

I hate the current system so much. It does not support people to recover and it does not even support people with long term conditions who can't improve.

paffuto · 30/06/2019 11:44

Thanks Citadels we will go there then but will have to check with son's social worker first before giving Fightback his details. Thanks for your reassurance.

OP posts:
paffuto · 30/06/2019 12:08

Under the care (probably permanently) of social services yet not entitled to disability benefit?? Doesn't make sense.

OP posts:
paffuto · 30/06/2019 12:34

I suppose this bit of the PIP Decision is right in theory? Does anyone know please? Evidence, Expert Diagnosis: Full autism including some features of aspergers and dyspraxia. Possible mild brain damage from childhood illness for which he was hospitalised. PIP Decision: "You do not have a diagnosed cognitive or intellectual impairment."

OP posts:
TheInebriati · 30/06/2019 14:29

I think you could challenge that, if his autism is severe enough to cause ''cognitive or intellectual impairment."
The potential brain damage would cause issues in addition to his autism, the fact the diagnosis hasn't been confirmed is irrelevant if he already has cognitive impairment.

I honestly wonder at the mentality of the people they get to agree to do all of this.

paffuto · 30/06/2019 15:31

Thanks Thelnebriati we're wondering about their mentality too.

OP posts:
paffuto · 30/06/2019 15:42

Citadels we decided not to wait for social worker permission and join the website. Hopefully that would be ok because son is deemed as having capacity and I have explained to son and asked his permission. However, I was just about to pay (11.99 a month) when we realised in the terms of use it doesn't mention if /how you can end the payments if required? Also on the 2 levels (4.99 and 11.99) it doesn't mention that they will fill the forms / letters for you, which is what we need really? Do you know anything about these 2 issues please?

OP posts:
paffuto · 30/06/2019 16:01

Worried again now because we've realised that son will lose his disability premium which is in with the esa and possibly be removed from esa support group, which is more money removed and having to attend interviews which he just isn't capable of. The added loss of these two extra monies means he won't have enough to pay all his bills after all. Fortunately both ourselves and his sister can help with that but so scary to realise that this will be happening to vulnerable people with no family. Fuck sake!!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread