To be delighted PIP assessments are to be face to face?

[PAYE]

The only good thing about the budget is that Rachel Reeves announced that face to face assessments for PIP and disability benefits are being brought back. AIBU to think that this is a great thing?

It will make sure that the money goes to those who need it. It is madness that such face to face assessments were ever stopped.

As long as they are not run by crapita or the likes then it might be good.

I think it’s a good thing, broadly. However, do they have the staff in the right places to provide this service? I think there will likely be high wait times for these assessments.

They don't have the staff for starters, and it's complete madness to request it in some medical conditions that are clearly outlined in medical reports.

I hope a home visit will be an option.

As long as they have the staff for home visits.

How often though? And when will it start? As I’ve mentioned on another thread, I know someone travelling around south-east Asia. Claiming PIP and disability allowance and UC. Has a flat paid for by the state which has her stuff in it but is otherwise unoccupied.

She feels confident to continue her holiday / travelling, because her claim isn't reassessed until 2027.

My husband has arthrogryposis and essentially no use of his arms or hands, he had a face to face assessment. He scored zero, the ‘medical professional’ also said she witnessed him lifting a full kettle, not only is that physically impossible for him, there wasn’t even one in the room. The problem we have is that assessors don’t receive any consequenes for telling lies, these lies cost both time and money.

I think it's a good thing as it will prove who's faking and who's not.

It will need a huge cash injection. My phone consultation was put back an entire 18 months because of wait times

I don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing. I’ve got 3 auto immune diseases, I’m bipolar, adhd and autistic. I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and have ptsd. The drs and consultants have shared my entire medical history with the pip assessment team. I need a knee replacement and looking like a hip replacement to. But they won’t do it due to my age. They have ALL my X-rays, my medical history and my prescription list. I’m as stable as im every likely to be but the chance of me ever working more than my current 8 -12 hours voluntary is very slim. And I can’t even do that reliably. All it takes is a flare up and I’m done for 4-16 weeks until it dissipates. I’ve had surgery twice this year, once for a mass on my vocal cords that left me completely unable to talk legibly and another for a hugely infected gallbladder and bypass. Last year I had an infected hip joint that took 12 days in hospital and 8 weeks on antibiotics.

face to face assessments won’t change my medical history. I will still get the same award if the criteria remain the same. It seems a total waste of time tbh.

But I do think that for the first assessment then yes and you should 100% have to share your full medical history.

And yet you have to notify uc of leaving the country.

I don’t see how this is possible when UC claims end if you’re out of the country for more than 4 weeks?

She is aware her passport is being tracked and if shes out of the country more than a set period of time her benefits stop? Not the PIp but the UC.

if you don’t get awarded it you can appeal and over 60% win, even then if not then take it to court and over 90% win the appeal. Yeah it takes time but don’t worry if you die cos it can still be claimed for posthumously. Sometimes mega mega (high earner amounts!) bucks in back payments.

You do pip aswell. Don't believe people like this on the Internet they're full of shit

Won’t the cost of this outweigh the benefits of “catching people out?” It seems the optics are more important than the cost.

Will claimants already in the system still continue to be paid if there are delays due to this requirement?

Yeah they will still be paid. Pip is already extended about a year due to backlog during reassessment so it will most likely be extended another 2/3 years if everyone has face to face as a lot will have to be home visits and there are not enough staff

There is no intention to catch out people who don’t need money. The intention is to grow the size of benefits and give out even more free money, while those being taxed go without.

Yes it will but it’s a people pleaser, pacifies the baying mobs.

I don’t really mind a face to face. For my ds it’s likely he would be considered far more disabled than I would be able to convey. He’s unusual in that he’s probably enjoy the outing. It does cost money to take time off to go with him, though, and presumably everyone else applying will have a related expense to attending. Would that be reimbursed or just another bit lost to the household?

Wha about people that struggle with face to face?, do we just get ignored then?. It sounds like they just want to kick everyone who isn't outwardly disabled off.

They used to be in person.
Someone I know would come back from running his tours in India to attend them.

The last F2F I had ended up in an appeal.
They acknowledged I wouldn't be able to travel so they came to me, then I lost points because they saw me walk.
How the hell else would I get to the door to let them in?

That's where a whistleblowing portal should be used - if this is genuine of course/

No it won't. The assessors falsify paperwork.