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.

yes they absolutely should be face to face and home visits where necessary

but also well trained staff, they whole process needs to change some of the questions are ridiculous

Where will they get the staff?! also pointless for a lot of claims. My sons disability is outlined in his diagnosis letter. No point wasting my time having someone come to my home to see if he's actually non verbal or not.

Of course it should be face to face and regular. Anything that is state funded by tax should be rigorously reviewed on a regular basis. Not to catch out those that need it but to catch those that don’t.

Nosey much. Get a life

I thought it always was. I see assessment centres in my area?!

Yes because it will make things harder for some claimants. Eg someone in a psychotic break would probably want to avoid the government, and will end up having their income cut for months while it is resolved

Depends really. I've got a relative with a life limiting, degenerative illness. At one point she had 3 assessments in 18 months. Then they were yearly. It was a waste of everyone's time and weirdly she was worse everytime. I think shes got a lifetime award now. No idea if that will change.

Lol I applied for pip years ago, had a face to face assessment. They said I couldn't possibly struggle with eating as I was a perfectly healthy weight.

I had been diagnosed with anorexia. I was in active treatment at eating disorder clinic... And was not at all a healthy weight.

They also said I was well kept. I was in my pyjamas. I was also having to wear an adult nappy at the time due to the effects of the anorexia... But nope, no problems with toileting either. 0 on everything.

Face to face assessments don't stop the assessors lying out their arses.

I didn't tackle it at the time but eventually did get awarded PIP later, when I had support to apply and complain about the bare faced lies the assessors wrote.

The do a mix of f2f, video calls, telephone calls or just paper assessments

This it will make no difference, just cost more

Why are you DELIGHTED, Op?

The only thing that often protects PIP claims is when you're offered the option to have a recorded phone call, for admission in tribunals.

Are you DELIGHTED that people like me, who find transport so overwhelming we pull our hair and skin off will have to go and show that we pull our hair and skin off?

Are you DELIGHTED that people like me who have conditions that can be fine one day can cause chronic flair ups for the rest of the week might not have our struggles observed?

Are you DELIGHTED that people like me who can't get words out when they're faced with conflict, will be caused trauma because we will be in a position where we have to get our words out in order to have financial stability?

You seem awful, if those delight you.

It might be a good thing if a)staff are available to do it and b) if it makes the assessments more thorough and organised so that it cuts down on the number of failed first assessments that go to appeal. The heartache and stress caused by the crap assessment/turn down on some pathetic technicality/wait/wait/wait/appeal/be without benefit worry/wait/wait/reinstate and back date PIP cycle is enormous.

Good grief, my son is autistic and struggles dreadfully out of his safe space. It will change nothing except make him very distressed. Still if It keeps people like the OP happy I guess that’s okay

Good luck to the assessor getting any info from him….he will have his head inside his top. He certainly will not engage with them.

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I was thinking the same. Have they got the staff and the buildings etc?

The DWP cannot track passports as a matter of course. Even where it has powers to request or demand information from other bodies, it often can't do so electronically.

To the point where the government has a bill to strengthen the DWP's powers.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-authorities-fraud-error-and-recovery-bill-2025-factsheets/dwps-information-gathering-powers-in-the-public-authorities-fraud-error-and-recovery-bill-factsheet

Still a good idea to do it face to face.

I mean delighted seems a tad extreme 🙄

it’s also for many claimants a complete waste of time and resources. My daughter has a visual impairment and memory processing issues following a malignant brain tumour. It has also left her with a lot of lifelong health conditions she has to manage one of which can be life threatening.

When we moved from DLA to PIP I had that much evidence I provided pages of extra examples of how she struggles along with all the consultant letters, supporting information and her visual impairment certificate. She was awarded PIP automatically and won’t be reviewed for 6 years. In what way would a F2F appointment be beneficial for her? I couldn’t fabricate all that evidence??!

Surely it’s better to review in a case by case basis depending on the reason for the claim.

Pointless in my son's case. He has enough paper evidence to show he is non verbal, doesn't understand speech etc. Complete waste of money.

My assessment came back that my vision was fine,but nobody checked my vision so not sure how they came to that conclusion.yet a week later I had eye surgery to stop further vision loss.
the assessor also said I walked my dog daily,but I didn’t have a dog I had a cat.I wasn’t asked about a pet.
it also said I drove to the assessment centre,I didn’t as my drivers license had been taken off me for vision loss.

I missed that and it absolutely needed to be done. I also think passports should be tracked and spot checks done. I know someone who during his phone assessment said he couldn't leave the house and then went half way around the world on holiday.

No it's not. It will hopefully put off some of the chancers from applying. Taxpayers money shouldn't just be handed out on the basis of a phone call.

That's surprising as HMRC can track passports so don't see why DWP can't do it.

A phone call? Please expand …embellish.

I see many disabled people being hurt by this because they can’t get to offices. Even if some home visits are authorized, the policy is unlikely to be sufficiently generous.

No it can't. It doesn't have direct access to Home Office systems.

It can request information as part of a specific investigation, but would need a reason to start that investigation in the first place.