Complaint Against Capita Assessors Report - Conclusion

Shecar

Just to let people know - after my daughter received zero points after her latest assessment, history 25+ years of higher rate DLA/PIP - mobility & living, I sent in a complaint to Capita. 

The complaint was based upon the Assessors report not being factual and ignoring/omitting all evidence that had been supplied.

Today I received a letter from Capita, who after their Clinical Advisors investigation of my complaint, found "the Assessors Report not to be of the DWP's required Standard and was clinically inconsistent". 

The letter then goes on to note the recording of the assessment and the inconsistencies with the PA4 - including individual findings/ignored evidence etc. 

The letter concludes, "In line with the Clinical Advisors comments, we have requested your case is returned to Capita for the report to be amended, to enable us to provide further advice to the DWP"

Oh, and a £100 offer of compensation as a gesture of goodwill for both the 'Assessment Report not being up to Capita standards' and 'Upset and stress caused' - quite honestly, I'd have settled for confirmation that the original Assessor was going to have her work audited and past assessments re-assessed.

I have posted this to make as many claimants as possible aware that they are entitled to complain and that it will be addressed by Capita.
 

Rosie_Scope

Sorry you had such a rough time with your daughter's assessment @Shecar, but it's good to know that they investigated and something came of your complaint. Thanks for sharing the results with us.

honestjon

TheManFromLondon said:

I have seen that before with someone from my therapy group. Brace for a new assessment, and it will be a hard one with an experienced assessor . Ensure this time to ask for it to be recorded, they will try to make sure the £100 is the last you get from this claim and will be very confusing and manipulating.

Good luck.

The next assessment might be paper based and if it is then it won't be hard.
I would ask you to stop making unnecessary comments that are causing alarm to people who are looking for good advice.
Telling the poster to brace for a hard assessment is not good advice and is out of order in my opinion.

Shecar

I'm not concerned honestjon.

'Manfromlondon' - I was a H&S Accident Investigator by trade, so am au fait with interview procedure, I not only requested a recording but also recorded it myself, I was and still am more than aware that we had produced all of the evidence needed and that the Assessor was negligent in blatantly ignoring the lot of it!
Capita have asked for the case papers to be returned in order to 'make amendments based on the Clinical Advisors comments', which were confirming all of the evidence and the fact that my daughter needed a high level of care both at home and work, so 'paperbased', I am sure, as suggested by honestjon.

But It must be said, I agree with 'honestjons' reply - someone else may have been concerned by your post, which could have been unnecessarily worrying to another claimant, maybe think before posting what could be construed as alarming comments - there are a lot of people who are suffering unnecessary anxiety brought about by the DWP - I don't think anyone benefits by users on these boards adding to it

Shecar

Update: Case papers returned to Capita 12/04, (report was amended as per Clinical Advisors comments)
             Amended PA4 received by DWP 16/04
And.........
Award letter sent out 16/04 - advised by DWP Agent Enhanced/Enhanced to 2030

So, if you are unhappy with the content of the Assessors Report and you can prove the assessor has been inconsistent/ignoring evidence supplied, please complain to the Assessing body straight away, copying in the DWP 'for their attention' - this may negate the need for a Mandatory Reconsideration - Reviews are piling up in the system and a successful complaint can generate an amended PA4 Report before the DWP Case worker looks at your review.

Albus_Scope

Excellent news @Shecar I'm glad the complaint bared fruit! I think people are often too scared to complain, just in case the assessors use it against them, but I agree it's worth doing!

Shecar

Albus_Scope said:

Excellent news @Shecar I'm glad the complaint bared fruit! I think people are often too scared to complain, just in case the assessors use it against them, but I agree it's worth doing!

To add to that - it might help members to know that when I initially rang Capita to complain, the agent advised me that as the PA4 Report had been sent to DWP that I could only raise a Mandatory Reconsideration, that it was out of their hands - I informed her that I could complain as the complaint was against Capita and not the DWP - and that inline with their own Complaints Procedure I was to have my complaint recorded and that someone would contact me within 48 hours! Needless to say I didn't wait to be contacted - I emailed my grounds for complaint that day!

So beware - Agents are not always the font of all knowledge   

Kirkers

Hello,

My recent assessor's report was full of errors and omissions, as if she had twisted everything I said. So for a question like: Can you walk? Yes, because I don't have tremors when I walk, only when standing still. And thus it was recorded as "Yes." disregarding anything else I said. 
I wrote to ask for a MR and cited the report and where I disagreed, giving examples. But maybe, having read this, I wonder I should have also complained to Capita? 

Albus_Scope

It's not too late to put a complaint in @Kirkers I think it's certainly something more people should do. 

Shecar

Kirkers said:

Hello,

My recent assessor's report was full of errors and omissions, as if she had twisted everything I said. So for a question like: Can you walk? Yes, because I don't have tremors when I walk, only when standing still. And thus it was recorded as "Yes." disregarding anything else I said. 
I wrote to ask for a MR and cited the report and where I disagreed, giving examples. But maybe, having read this, I wonder I should have also complained to Capita? 

I can only advise that if you can prove that the assessor has ignored evidence ie: Assessment recording made by Capita or evidence submitted, logged and ignored - then go for it, too many people being walked over by these assessing bodies and so many mistakes are being made that are detrimental to the claimant.
I wish you luck Kirkers, it's a tough slog but worth it if you have the evidence - take the report apart one descriptor at a time, it may take a while for the complaint to be looked into, (20 working days) - therefore about a month before you get any answers but it may help the Decision Maker award you the points you deserve - if you have had to put in for a Mandatory Reconsideration, advise the DWP that you have raised the complaint - and keep on Capitas back until you get an acknowledgement letter!

Nashota

I recorded my assessment, I had an issue with it though so I couldn't use it even if I'd wanted to because the assessor was mumbling and had an accent so the recorder didn't fully pick up what was said, you could hardly hear him. I did try and complain about the assessor but it was the usual rubbish of them trying to make excuses, although, they did slip up and tell me that they'd requested a GPFR from the wrong medical centre which I didn't even know about, I just knew it was taking longer than it should and the DWP were accusing my current GP of not filling out the GPFR when he didn't receive it in the first place! It took them 8 weeks to rectify their error by which time my award was ending so the daft DM went along with the report that she'd disputed anyway and my award was lowered.. it was all very silly and stressful.

bernadetta

That's indeed such a good news and advice, I will keep that in mind for the future reference regarding Capita! Congratulations on your perseverance 

Ramonica

TheManFromLondon said:

@honestjon I would appreciate it if you stop requesting people to be muted.

readers have their own judgment they dint need you to decide what they read.

i have people who like and dislike posts of mine as you do.

we all have a way we speak, i am neurodivergent and i may sound off, but this is a disability forum in case you missed it.

This is a democratic forum, we sometimes get it wrong, phrase it wrong, but we wont mute people because some want to post only the beautiful side if life.

totally appalled from your message, this is a charity forum, nit The Guardian live comments feed.

Be more democratic and less abusive, I would really appreciate it.

Ignore him please, I have seen his messages too. Be the better man.

MariaGi

@TheManFromLondon I see this recently quite a lot, this "shut up" culture. Ignore them. Speak your mind. I have read only a few of your messages and I have already made note that you are autistic, and remind that to myself when I read a comment from you. It comes down to being considered of other people situation I guess. 90% of people dont care about that I'm afraid, any disabled individual will tell you that.

Peronsally, I am happy to know the good and the bad of any situation, that has been or may be. I dont like living in the dark, I prefer being ready.

Shecar

MariaGi, Ramonica & Manfromlondon
Not sure that any of your comments are anything to do with my original post, or information contained within - maybe be best not to 'muddy the waters' of other peoples, (I hope), informative posts re subject matter.

Shecar

TheManFromLondon said:

Shecar said:

I'm not concerned honestjon.

'

Of course you dont, you see value in reality and dint want people to tell you only sugarcoat half truths.

I'm not actually sure what you are saying here? But being blessed with a pretty good education and of fairly good common sense etc I can assure you that I hold no interest in information that has been sugar coated, nor scare tactics by wannabe keyboard warriors - so please don't bother turning my post into your 'show' 

Albus_Scope

Ok folks, let's keep this on track please and let's not get personal.  Please remember the community house rules. 

Amaya_Ringo

I have a question about the Capita appeal and such - do assessments now get full reports sent out as part of the decision process? I was reading this wondering why we didn't follow that action when I was switched over to apply for PIP, then I realised that I didn't have my full assessment report sent to me by the DWP until I filed for tribunal. I only had a very vague decision statement which didn't really enlighten me as to what had/had not been found.

If they are sending those out now then great, that's a lot more transparent and I feel more people should definitely know that they have that option.

I do know that recording is more usual now. I do have a recording of my assessment, which I did myself (assessor didn't stop me), but I'm guessing one of the key reasons this appeal process is now possible is because Capita also record their assessments and have their own files? 

poppy123456

Assessment reports are not automatically sent out. If you want a copy you need to ring PIP to ask. If it gets to Tribunal stage you will receive a copy as part of the bundle. 

You do not need the assessment report to request the MR as that is known to cause a distraction to what you should be concentrating on. 

Assessments are not automatically recorded. You can either record your own or ask them to record it for you. No, they do not keep any of your information. Once the assessment is completed everything is returned back to DWP. 

chiarieds

As a disability forum we all want to help others who have a disability, so giving the best info available, especially about benefits, is so important. I'm sorry if it may feel uncomfortable to some, but we will also try to correct any misinformation the better to help others. 

@Shecar has been able to fight their own fight, & get a result, but for the benefit of others that may later read a post such as this, I can only say that @honestjon gave the benefit of his accurate & 'honest' response, & wasn't in the slightesty abusive. It's far better to see correct advice whenever possible, so members strive to achieve this. We have members that are both neurodivergent & neurotypical, but we're all here to help each other & new members, so share this in common; 'good' advice is still 'good' advice whoever shares it....

Amaya_Ringo

Hrm, more information we were not given prior to the assessment.

I meant that Capita recorded it themselves rather than relying on an external person's recording, hence their own files, not that they kept their own records on claimants (sorry if I was ambiguous).

I've completed 2 PIP claims,  so I'm aware of the process re MR. I just didn't remember them mentioning we could request a copy of the assessment report ahead of the tribunal. It was some years back, as I didn't get reassessed for the renewal claim.

When I was assessed, the only option for recording was to pay them some massive amount of money and arrange your own equipment. If you tried to record it yourself and an assessor objected you could be thrown out and the assessment would be forfeit. But my assessor didn't do that, so I have a recording of mine. It's clearly changed for the better since then which is a good thing.