Help! My PIP assessor lied about everything!

[adammylove]

Hi Please can someone give me some advice?
I submitted a PIP application after years of suffering from headaches, the assessor has given me 0 points for everything, even though I am not able to open my eyes or function for more than half of the week. I explained I am probably going to lose my job soon but they said I currently am holding down a job. They said I am able to drive, which is true, on the days I do not have a severe headache. I feel let down that the report provided to DWP is not a true reflection of what we discussed in the assessment. Is anyone else in this situation?
Thanks

I think it's a useful question tbh. While once you have an award you can spend your money however you want, be on someone that helps you get through the day or you blow it all on dancing girls it's your own business.

If you think about what you need the money for it can help to answer the questions. If you could pay for things to make life easier what would they be? Someone to help? Some sort of gadget? What would it do? Just someone to be there to make sure you were safe or encourage you? Transport? You don't need to share that information with anyone but you might use it to help you say "I need x to help me with y because" you can talk about the help you need not just the help you actually get.

Thank you. I don't mind whatever OP spends her money on, I'll not say what I mine on!

You worded it better than me. There was telling her what to do in my post, it was geared to answering the questions.

Hopefully OP will find a lot more help in the forum.

They are very direct questions. OP may need someone to drive her some days. Somebody to pick up the kids... Etc etc

Hey ho.

Okay, what I was trying to say is that match her answer to the question.

I'm not telling anyone where they can spend the award on but you're not going to get if you don't fill the question criteria. Which includes a lot basic care. I don't care where she spends her money.

That's where it's needs to start. Being able to answer the questions and give reasons why.

Migraines are truly awful but I guess not many migraine suffers quality for PIP as it’s not a compensation for being sick benefit but payment to help do what you can’t. Do you really not eat at all for 4 days a week? Or limited? I guess the difficult bit is you’re fully capable the rest of the time so makes it hard to assess. I know when I have migraines day of migraine I can’t do anything, vomit, sleep, truly horrible, but next day I’m not fully better but can definitely function - eg get dressed etc. Are you saying for 4 days you can’t get dressed, can’t shower, can’t cook, can’t walk etc or is that the 1 day when things are really bad and remainder of week you’re able to work etc? How many days a week are you taking off sick?

I'll tell you what, PIP assessors are basically horrible people who - yes - tell lies. I took my DC for their physical assessment and when they answered a question, the assessor typed something different. Several times. How do I know? Because I secretly recorded the interview and compared it with the notes that came back before we went to tribunal. I also asked the evil cow if she had any experience of the specific condition and its effects on a child's growing body and she said no, but she had friends who knew something about it.
Atos, who do the interview and assessment, are losing their contract next year. About bloody time, too. The down side of that is it's being taken over by another company who are just as money grabbing and lying as Atos are.
Atos cause people to die by suicide.

I don’t think that’s a universal experience @BlissfullyIgnorant , ours was absolutely fine and straightforward.

I agree. I've had three transfers from DLA to PIP (one migration, two turning 16), over the last 6 years. All were well backed up with evidence and all gave very fair accounts of 'better days' 'worse days' and 'worst days'. All 3 were dealt with on paper, without face to face assessment, and (rightly) awarded enhanced rate for both elements.

Thanks for your reply. My post was about this. It seems a lot of people trying to help me on this forum have also taken a deep dive into my condition itself and whether they think I should qualify or not and are asking the ins and outs of my migraines which is fine I guess, I have learnt some stuff especially about headache clinics which I definitely need to push again with the GP. But your response is so on point, people have ended their lives after assessments finding out the lies that were reported back to DWP. I didn't know the company taking over were also similar. If the response I had was 'you cannot do this/that however you don't qualify because your condition doesn't affect you in the majority of days' I would find that acceptable, because I don't meet the threshold set, but it's the lies, and the sneaky way he did it and manipluated my answers. Nothing in his report matched what I said. It's almost 2024 and this type of thing is still happening and that's what's so shocking.

Mine too and I had assessor helping me through the entire process and she was lovely.

Aren't all calls recorded for training purposes?

@JanglingJack the calls "May be recorded" but only seem to be retained when it's in the DWP's interest. I've seen too many reports of the recordings from assessments being "lost" or otherwise unusable when they would show the assessors in a bad light.
I recorded my assessment on DH's phone while mine was on speakerphone, and just as well, as my assessor ignored most of what I said and claimed I have no cognitive difficulties because I completed my education. She couldn't discern learning difficulties from acquired cognitive problems.
She dismissed my chronic pain despite all my medical evidence and witness statements because "claimant did not sound like she had pain".
I'm appealing their decision despite being awarded a small amount on my first application, because I don't like the lies the assessor said about me, and because when I need to review my award in a couple of years I don't want them to use those lies as the basis of my next award.

That's right 'may be recorded' thank you.

@JanglingJack I misunderstood you when you asked about what she'd spend the money on and I apologise. You meant the answer to what she may in theory spend it in could identify an area of need where she struggles?

I'll mention something I spend a good chunk of my money on and I've been called lazy for it. Takeaways.

I rely heavily on meal deliveries several times a week, I'm not safe to use the hob and have the scars to prove it, I can barely hold an empty pan on a rare good day. I order the same food from the same place that doesn't taste like shit if it goes cold and doesn't need cutting and I eat straight from the so don't have dishes to do. Food is a big struggle for me, prepping, eating and clearing up takes hours.

So if that's what you meant when asking the OP what she'd spend it on I apologise for my misunderstanding.

Also Merry Christmas and I hope everyone has a happy and healthy one.

Hi, actually part of my TBI includes semiweekly post traumatic migraines because the flow of spinal fluid to and from my brain was badly damaged when the RTA broke my neck.

So, I do suffer from migraines myself and understand completely what you mean. I do know that not all migraines are the same, but as I cannot take any beta blockers due to another medical condition, I have to ride out the migraines with nothing to help it during onset. Have you looked into beta blockers at all?

Thank you for the clarification by saying that on the 4th day you can eat if prompted. This means you can eat for over half the week. Still recommend you look at the descriptors, as can eat (take nutrition) when prompted is one of them. It is separate from preparing a meal and I understand that you would not be preparing the meal yourself on day 4. My comments are not about diagnosis but I am trying to help you with your PIP. Each descriptor matches up to the points you get for each activity.

Sorry, this is why you need to look at the descriptors. They match up to different #s of points you get for each activity. You can then see what you should get based on your difficulties.

@adammylove
I can’t recall if this was posted earlier in the thread and I’ve been absent past couple of days due to migraine. But here is a link to what is meant by look at the descriptors.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/MigratedDocuments/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

Ive screen shot the take nutrition (eating) and what I was saying earlier is it sounds like by telling the assessor that you cannot eat for over half the week, you were telling them you qualify for descriptor f. Which may not be corroborated by the fact you work more than 25hrs/week and I had asked earlier do you have GP records as to malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, weight loss due to inability to eat? For medical evidence as you do need it.

From what you have said, I think you can definitely prove you meet descriptor d. Needs prompting , which still gives you 4pts.