PIP Telephone Assessment - Using RelayUK

MillyB

The Health Assessment Advisory Service, who do the assessments, have acknowledged my request for Reasonable Adjustment (using Relay UK), which has been refused twice now, as they have stated they haven't got the ability to use Relay UK - I believe this is nonsense, and have made it clear several times that Relay UK is Government-endorsed and a HAAS like them would be expected to have this capability to include use of it.

Currently, they keep booking telephone assessments, then I'll send them a letter to request use of Relay UK etc, and they will then cancel the appointment and explain in a letter that they will contact me again soon. Then, the cycle continues, with telephone assessment being booked, followed by my letter to request use of RelayUK, followed by their cancellation and response.

I'm currently awaiting the letter from them regarding my next telephone assessment booking (which I have only had a text for, at the moment), then I will respond yet again.

Part of me just wants to not send a letter, then just answer using RelayUK on the currently-booked assessment day, then they can't cancel it again and will have to explain themselves within the RelayUK call.

Any thoughts as to what I should do?

Albus_Scope

Heya @MillyB and welcome to the community.

That's an odd one, as I've just had a little google and their (Serco) website even states you can contact them via RelayUK. It may be worth reminding them of that. It's a perfectly normal reasonable adjustment to ask for.

wobblyone

I have no answer but I also agree with you about RelayUK. It is added as an option for new claims.

https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

I personally gave up with Relay UK as I find it very difficult to get people to use and for other personal reasons. But seeing that they add it to the Gov.uk website there really is no reason for them not to use it.

I used an app for the same reason. Unfortunately it stopped working so I couldn’t recommend it now.

Reasonable adjustments for people who have hearing issues should be very straight forward because they advertise Relay UK and Video BSL.

MillyB

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/993159#Comment_993159

Hi, unfortunately this is Ingeus (as I'm in the South East), not Serco, although you would like to think they all should be operating in the same way, to be aligned and fair to all across the country.

wobblyone

hi @MillyB I am surprised they won’t accept your number as I used a landline number with a different text captioning service for several years and most services including DWP were fine with it.

I haven’t used the app for several years but if you register the phone number you are using then they will phone the number and then be put through to Relay they have no reason to object. You can phone and/or write to inform them but they should be aware.

I found the app clunky in the past and don’t feel comfortable with the third person typing so gave up with it but for DWP purposes it worked well in the past as they intervened when I was misunderstood in the past. They are digital now so I’m assuming some of the translation is automated.

Hopefully they are mistaken and don’t understand what you are asking. You shouldn’t have to write to them but you can do so to prevent them making excuses.

You could send them the link and tell them you are using it instead of asking.

https://www.relayuk.bt.com/how-to-use-relay-uk.html