One to one benefit assessments

[Amazonjaunt]

It would save money in the long run if all benefits claims had to be assessed one to one, surely?

My husband hasn't had a PIP review in about 4 years, they came to us as he is tetraplegic, they didn't stay long, one look at him and a few basic questions to make sure he was still compus mentus and that was it. They were very nice

The fact that 81 per cent of ‘paper-based reviews’ of personal independence payments claims are signed off whereas just 42 per cent of face-to-face consultations are signed off would suggest that at least some of the paper ones are not valid.

And lots of people don’t appeal because they’ve been can’t cope with the stress of going to tribunal. Or they don’t know how to, get about it in the wrong way (there are many ways DWP trips people) etc….

Re UC you have to attend an in person appointment to check who you are.
You could do the same thing with pip if you wanted. ONCE. For a 5 mins job with a piece of Id.
After that, and esp for reassessment, what makes you think this face to face stuff would help?

Exactly every single benefit should be one to one, twins need an appointment each.

No, it doesn’t suggest that at all. The reasons behind the higher rate is explained in my first post.

Naturally. Everything must be one to one!

No, we need a political party to have balls and mandate to look at causation. If, as I suspect, the OP is really getting at those who cannot work due to less obvious issues such as poor mental health or neuro-diversity, we need someone to address how the education system, CAMHS and NHS is structured to support these people much earlier on so they dont become NEETS and fall through the cracks. There is definitely a growing number of people in this category..not due to laziness but due to how they've been mishandled early on and the lack of understanding about what is possible. . Coupled with the changes Labour have made to employment terms making it economically unviable for many companies to employ young people or those that need .more support, thats a big factor in why people might be seeking benefits instead of work.

No it means these are people who are reassessed usually and are very severely disabled so they can’t even cope with a telephone appointment.
Thats why they have a much higher ‘success rate’.

Youre talking shit because you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Start by educating yourself and have a tiny bit of critical thinking going into the process. A lot of things will become clearer

OP doesn't seem to want to respond directly to me that's for certain.

81 per cent of ‘paper-based reviews’ of personal independence payments (PIP) claims are signed off.
42 per cent of face-to-face consultations are signed off.
It seems likely therefore that people are indeed being caught out if they are face to face.

@Amazonjaunt isn’t saying that nobody should get help & in fact there would be more support available for those truly in need if the number of claimants hadn’t skyrocketed.

The increase in people claiming for all manner of things has definitely increased since bills have gone up. I don’t believe it is sustainable.

The current generation NI payments go towards pensions. If we carry on the way we are then there won’t be enough coming in to pay pension costs for this generation of claimants.

Currently according to HMRC app 21.3% of my tax is Welfare, 20.9% is Health & State Pension is 11.9%. So it’s not true to say that welfare is less than pensions. I don’t know what people think will happen to them in old age if we just get rid of the state pension. We already have the lowest amount of any European country.

https://www.lv.com/pensions-retirement/articles/average-pension-by-country

People seem to be expecting those that have been frugal & saved for old age to accept a drop in pension, or accept no state pension in order to finance the huge welfare bill.

You're repeating yourself.

Because pip assessors never lie do they?

No, it doesn’t ‘seem likely’.

You seem to have missed my explanation in my pp, so I will repeat it here. Of course those who have had paper based assessments have a higher eligibility percentage than those who have had other types of assessments (which also include a written form for most - there are a very small minority whose asses sent continues even if they don’t return the form). Paper based assessments are undertaken for those who are claiming under the special rules, when there is really strong evidence supporting the claim (and sometimes where professionals involved with the claimant have been contacted for further evidence) &/or where there are risks associated with undertaking other types of assessments. They are mostly those with complex &/or significant disabilities. Having these have F2F assessments won’t suddenly make them not eligible.

They shouldn’t lie obviously.

You cannot assess Child Benefit or state pension - you either qualify or you don’t. The birth certificate proves a child exists, and the NI record proves a pensioner is a pensioner.

Means tested universal benefits could be tested - not sure how though.

Every government, recently, has talked about reforming PIP/DLA/sickness benefit - yes, they could be retested, but with certain physical or neuro conditions (Such as MS, MND etc), or limb amputees etc, it would be pointless.

For many, it would require home tests. 🤷‍♀️

Or it could suggest that a percentage of paper based reviews are obviously "no change" so bound to be granted. More questionable claims are more likely to be assessed in person (face to face or by telephone/zoom interview) so more of them are refused.

But they do lie. alot. Thats why people go to tribunals and it’s mostly overturned! Just wasting even more money.

Need to do away with these assessments and go off good old medical evidence.

I wasn’t singling out any particular group of benefits claimants, having said which I agree with a lot of what you’re saying.

Mine was approved without f2f there is really nothing they would have gained with a face to face appt, that my surgeon and doctors letters among other evidence didn’t already tell them.

They did this with DLA. Whilst you had people appealing their decisions, I don't remember it being the number that it is under pip

The Idea of pip was to save money

Do you think every renewal should require a face to face appointment?

Exactly because DLA went off medical evidence not an assessor making up a pack of lies. Half of the time you can tell they’ve copied and pasted from another report or the report is about someone else completely!

I receive PIP and had a face to face assessment when I first claimed and have had paper reviews ever since. I submit over a 100 pages of care plans from the mental health team and they’ve also contacted my care coordinator.

Having a face to face assessment would require me taking diazepam before the assessment and on the day of just to be able to get there. It would also take me days to recover.

Face to face assessments would cause more harm than good.

OP just wonder if you mean all disabilities. Or are you referring to people with anxiety, ADHD, ASD etc?