Are PIP assessors medically trained and what experience have they got?

chaszam47

I am waiting for an Assessment for PIP. I have been receiving DLA indefinatley. I am also in the support group for ESA after a Judical inquiry. Surely if you are in the support which was decided by a Doctor and a Judge it should mean you get PIP. The whole thing is a farce we are being made to feel like frauds and scroungers. I worked a s a nurse for 10 years before I was pensioned off on ill health after being deemed a health and safety risk. Can anyone say if the assessors are medically trained and what experience have they got to make decisions.? 

iza

Hi @chaszam, this system is very bad. 
When I had my case previously in Lower Tribunal the judge was supported by medical who from long time has no rights to see patients in GP. The DR was no longer registered with professional body to perform legally duties within UK. I am surprised how they the DR Lady can work for court?
 Not to mention that the DR lady did not specialise in the required  fields. 
I worked in medical private sectors for years and compering to  other European Countries it is essential for Tribunal  to be supported by the best specialist in required fields of clients illness. 

In this country is ....... a dream. 

Sorry, but this is my experience in life. 

As a young person I feel ashamed for politicians decision. 

Matilda

Hi @chaszam47

No, PIP assessors are not very highly medically trained!  None are doctors and mine was a paramedic.  Strictly speaking, the assessors don't make award decisions.  But DWP decision makers usually base their award decisions on the assessors' reports.  As you say, the PIP assessment is a farce which is why over 60% of appeals are successful.

Catastrophe

Please everybody start emailing your local MP and protest that taxpayers money which is meant to be for the public purse is being paid over to private companies like Atos and Capita who are using unqualified people to assess our mental and physical disabilities.  Only a qualified Doctor has the skill and knowledge to asses our health issues and how these affect our daily lives.  We have the right to see what has been written about us and request that our forms are amended if we are not happy with what has been recorded.  You should ask if your Assessor is Expert in your specific health issue(s) and if they are not, you must request that this is recorded on your form and that you place your initials where they have admitted this.  You should write to the DWP to express your concern that your Assessor was not specialised in your disability(ies).  We have the right to take away a print off of what has been recorded about us so that we can read through this in the privacy of our own homes.  An Assessor who says he or she is a Nurse could be a Psychiatric Nurse or a Dental Nurse and would not have a clue about for example, Lupus or Fibromyalgia and many have not even heard about some illnesses that Claimants present with, let alone know how this would affect their daily lives.  It has been reported on other forums that some of these Assessors are actually Doctors who have been struck off for misconduct, or retired ex-army medics and even Dental Nurses!  It has also been stated that some Assessors have deliberately mis-recorded our health issues yet if we were to falsify our Claim Forms which is a legally binding document, we could be held accountable in court as this is deemed fraud, so these Assessors should also be held accountable for recording information that is detrimental to our claim for PIP and has been recorded fraudulently in order to stop our payments or reduce our claim from enhanced to standard.  If the government wants to cut back it should start at the House of Lords where these Lords get paid £300 just for turning up at work to clock on, many of whom swiftly disappear to the bars down in Soho and who never contribute to topics being discussed.  With over 800 of them at £300 per day, this is where the government needs to make cuts, not to desperately vulnerable people with painful distressing mental and physical illnesses.  You, each and every one of you, has the right to know exactly who you are sitting in front of and if they say they are a Nurse or a Paramedic, you have the right to see evidence of this and to which organisation they are registered with.  People need to start speaking up and speaking up loud and do not feel intimidated.  Take a Witness with you who is a close friend and even go so far as to leave their mobile phone on voice recorder so you have evidence of what you said and how your Assessor interpreted this.  I do not care if it is legal or not, there is a lot of illegality going on in both central and local government in the dark smokey back rooms.  You are not scrounging but claiming something that you are entitled to.  Personally I think Atos and Capita should have their contracts cancelled and PIP Assessments should be handled within the NHS.  It is not an issue of NHS Doctors policing the Benefits System but about the NHS and your GP ensuring that you get what you are entitled to as they are the ones who see us and prescribe are medications and best placed to describe how our health issues affect our daily lives.  So start asking questions of your Assessor.  It is YOUR right to know exactly what their skills and knowledge are because what they record could have a very negative impact on your life if they get it wrong.  Some Assessors have not even heard of some illnesses and conditions that Claimants are presenting with, let alone have any clue of how this adversely affects their daily lives.  Therefore, how can they call themselves medically qualified and in a position to Assess our disability(ies).  Good luck everyone.

John1961

No, PIP assessors are not very highly medically trained! 
I READ THIS ON THE DWP WEBSITE
IT SAID Some Assessors  MAY NOT BE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS . AND GET ONE WEEKS TRAINING ON THE PC NOTPADS THEY USE yo assess you it really  POT LUCK AS  Had my  Assessors today home visit dla to pip 
and she repeated some of the questions over and over TO CATCH PEOPLE OUT 
but in end she was ok friendly listened to what i had to say  so wish
you well on yours chaszam47

Catastrophe

So glad your assessment turned out well for you John1961.  I have many debilitating health issues and so if my payments got reduced or even worse stopped, this would be evidence in itself that the assessment process is farcical for many and that radical changes should be made.  Take care.  God Bless xx

maid08

sadly my experience twice now is professional liers not medical  and no way will dwp or acesers employers believe or listen even if its clear on paperwork their reply is they are fully qualified

Catastrophe

You should always get your Assessors full name and job title.  If they say they are a Nurse, you can always check this out at the Royal College of Nursing and Midwifery.  If you discover they have lied, this is a criminal offence and you should let ATOS or CAPITA know that you are calling the Police to register this crime and take a Crime Reference.  The Police will probably tell you to phone or access Action Fraud.  Ask for a copy of what was recorded and you can challenge this with the help and support of your GP or even a Consultant if you have or can borrow the money to see one.  The Decision Makers definitely are not medically qualified.  Be prepared to be in for the long haul if you have had your PIP stopped completely or reduced.   A Psychiatric Nurse would not have any idea on how physical abilities adversely effect your daily life and so your assessment is automatically flawed.  Do not take no for an answer.  It is us the taxpayer who is paying the wages of all these staff and purchasing or paying rent on all the Assessment Centre around the UK.  Onwards and upwards!

Sandycfedup

I asked for the women's full name.. She said she want allowed to give that information.. I was stuck what to say.. As she had then started the interview.. She was a ex staff nurse... In what.. Psychology.. Paediatrics.. Elderly care.. Surgery.. Theatre nurse... The list goes on.. UNBELIEVABLE.... 

Matilda

The assessor's name will be on their report along with their 'professional' qualification.  

Nystagmite

It was clear mine wasn't that trained - she had to ask what one of my conditions was (yes, I do appreciate it's not overly common; but she could have done her research before) and then there was the assumption that because I couldn't produce the piece of paper she wanted saying I can't drive, she assumed I could. It's far more complex than that and very few people with one of my conditions do drive. And you can't drive if you take certain medication.

kah22

I think you might find it useful to read  THIS thread over at the DWPexamination website

Tricia1912

WOW Catastrophe that was a piece of writing. Well said, something most of would want to say but can’t put it together like that. What you say is probably very true and we do feel intimidated infront of these people. Who can be if you like imposters if their not challenged. Why shouldn’t they, this is people’s health and lives they can sometimes be destroying. 
Well said l applaud you. 

wilko

Hello all, as far as I can make out all PIP accessors are registered with their professional body but have not worked in main stream medicine for months or years but have a qualifiecation as a nurse ,Physo, Doctor ect. The whole excersise of PIP is for you the claimant to fill in the applecation form stating what you can or can't do in answering the questions and stating the reasons why. The accessment is for the accessor to go through the questions slowing by questions and answers making an informed decision on each question of your ability to complete or do the task in a reasonable and safe manner. The fact that you we have a multitude of health problems of which they the accessor may or may not have any knowledge of is irrelevant to the accessment which is soley to acess if and how and why we can't do the tasks listed in the applecation form and if we can't then we have to justify why we can't to the accessor who asks us to do certain arm and leg movements and questions about our leisure and hobbies interests. I believe those moving from DLA to PIP have the bigest challenges as the criteria for both benefits is so different.
From my own two PIP accessments both where nurses the first a female who when I checked her name against a registration site she could have changed her name by getting married but the second nurse male checked out but no details of any specialties or fields of medical qualifications. 

whistles

chaszam47 said:

I am waiting for an Assessment for PIP. I have been receiving DLA indefinatley. I am also in the support group for ESA after a Judical inquiry. Surely if you are in the support which was decided by a Doctor and a Judge it should mean you get PIP. The whole thing is a farce we are being made to feel like frauds and scroungers. I worked a s a nurse for 10 years before I was pensioned off on ill health after being deemed a health and safety risk. Can anyone say if the assessors are medically trained and what experience have they got to make decisions.? 

No it doesn't. 
ESA is your fitness to work and be able to be got back to work.
PIP is about how your conditions effect your day to day living itself. 

My assessor was a paramedic. 
Have you done the self test on various days? 
I was DLA indefinite and didn't qualify for pip care. It's a different benefit with different criteria.

Nystagmite

The DWP make the final decisions. But they're not medically trained. They go off what the assessor has written. Even if they contradict themselves or their supposed findings contradict what your consultant says.

Catastrophe

Sadly there is dishonesty amongst PIP Assessors with the DWP actually telling them to lie about Claimants disabilities.  https://www.disabledgo.com/blog/2017/08/labour-mp-to-push-for-action-on-widespread-claims-of-pip-assessment-lies/#.Wrtq8GinFfg

whistles

Nystagmite said:

The DWP make the final decisions. But they're not medically trained. They go off what the assessor has written. Even if they contradict themselves or their supposed findings contradict what your consultant says.

In my case that's not true. They removed points that the assessor gave me.
I think we've been told before what the gp or consultant says just shows you have the problem, it doesn't show how you do or do not manage with it- with those descriptors only. 
My condition is known as fluctuating (learnt a new word since pip then because I hadn't even given that a thought) They informed me, I didn't inform them!

Someone somewhere said it's harder to go from DLA to pip and I agree. DWP will have copies of what was written last time, the criteria was different, questions have changed etc.  Also anyone with an end date can prepare before that. My forms just plopped randomly two weeks before  Christmas. Having been indefinite I had attempted as much as possible to manage, that money enabled. So when questioned my answers were no or sometimes.

But one of the points the assessor brought up was because I hadn't been able to do a descriptor all my life, its fair to say that's going to require supervision if I did. 
DM zero points.

Catastrophe

https://www.talaw.org.uk/legal-help-with-benefit-appeals-and-reviews/