Pip assessment by independent assessment service

Lisa24

Hi everyone I am new to this site so thank you for accepting me ...I really wanted some advice on my phone call assessment for award review of pip ..I have been on pip for 9 years I have 10 different health conditions ranging from my heart to my feet ..had what I would call an interrogation by an assessor last Tuesday all I can say is that I have never been through anything like that before she was very fast and also asked some stupid questions too and trick questions I guess aswell I don't think it was good and I think that things will change when I get the letter back of dwp ..I havent slept properly and keep having panic attacks cos of it ..has any one else had a bad experience?? 

nasturtium

Hello Lisa24

I cannot comment on experiences but I can give a little advice.

If your award is changed or removed then you will need to do a mandatory reconsideration letter. I would strongly advise you to request that (if needed) by letter and NOT telephone.

Because this is a PIP Review the DWP will need to outline in detail why your condition has improved to warrant your award being reduced or removed. If they do not do this then you need to request they do this on your Mandatory Reconsideration letter.

When you write your MR Letter you need to treat that letter as though your are making a new fresh claim for PIP.

For now it is best to wait for the decision letter but it is good to know your options if things do not work out and you can look to prepare if you need to.

Hope this helps

Nasturtium

Alex_Alumni

Hello there @Lisa24 and welcome to the community, thanks for joining and sharing about your recent PIP assessment. 

I'm sorry to hear it was a bad experience for you. You are certainly not alone in having a difficult and stressful time, as I'm sure many of our members can relate to your experience. It might be quite a wait to hear back about the result of your assessment, but the community is here for you in the meantime. 

I'm also sorry to hear you've been dealing with panic attacks, and you've not been sleeping. The mental health charity Mind has some excellent guidance on self-care for panic attacks, if that's helpful. Have you spoken to any friends or family about the impact the assessment has had? 

It might be helpful to talk to your GP about the impact this is having on your mental health and wellbeing, as they can support you, or review any existing support. 

Let us know if you need anything, and try and focus on things you enjoy for now, or on any coping techniques for stress or anxiety. I know it's easier said that done, but it will help to put PIP to the back of your mind.

Lisa24

Thank you for your help will try and sit it out till I recoeve the letter but will definitely be doing a MR will habe to fight for it ...

navalnurse

I have mine with independent next week,absolutely dreading it,some people just sail through with no ass3ssment yet I’ve got as much documentation as I can from GP to hospital letters and still need video assessment,was only when I rang pip last week as will be 2 years in October my booklet how my condition affects me was sent back,on ringing was told by caseworker that mine had just been sat there

Lisa24

Hi I sent mine back in Sept 21 and had to wait till last week was supposed to have the assessment 3rd March sat there waiting for nearly an hour then they told me that the person wasn't available which really peed me off I was so anxious anyway ..good luck x

Lisa24

Hi can any advise me on a Mr I have had my mobility reduced after my interrogation..just found out have got my decision letter yet .but I feel she has had me over ..my question is do I state what she has done in my mandatory reconsideration? 

poppy123456

For the MR you should put this in writing stating where and why you think you should have scored those points. You should also give a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies to you. Adding detailed information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were.

If you do have a copy of the assessment report then it's ok to mention a couple of contradictions, if there are any but then put it to one side. Concentrating on this will not get you a higher PIP award.