nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

This scandal needs to be heard

gillywingwing

I have had enhanced rate pip since 2014. Had home assessment by a paramedic on 14th February, decision on 27th Feb, standard rate on both elements.
I have Osteoarthritis, Meniere's Disease, severe IBS, ischemic heart disease, and depression.
The assessor lied several times on my assessment, said she saw me walk 10 metres unaided, with normal gait, when she actually saw me walk 4 metres to the bathroom, with the aid of my stick, as without it I can't get up from the loo.
I told her I was bowel incontinent, she said I was becoming incontinent, I told her that I get a 5 to 10 second warning, she said I get A 5 to 10 minute warning.
I have requested a mandatory reconsideration, but had to do this on my own as no help is available here in Derby, because of government cuts!
I emailed my M.P. who's response was to go to the local advice organisation for help.
I did this two weeks ago, and was promised a letter in a week, still haven't got.
I copied the assessors report and highlighted all the things wrong with it, and sent a copy in to DWP, along with photographs of the hallway the assessor saw me walk down, and a letter disputing the categories the DWP put me in.
Also emailed capita with complaint over a week ago, no reply yet!

Something needs to be done about these assessor's telling lies about vulnerable people.
Please if you disagree with any assessors report, email the company they work for and your MP.
After all the government pays these organisations to act on their behalf.
This scandal needs to be heard!!!!!!!!!

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Matilda

Hi @gillywingwing

Assessors are always telling lies and appeal tribunals are aware of this. 65% of appeals are successful. I suggest that you re-post in the 'Ask a benefits advisor' category where benefits experts can advise you what to do next.

bendigedig

@gillywingwing

I am not surprised by what you have said.

I support you in your cause.

The UK populace needs to stRt treating this system tne waythey treated th poll tax. This system should not be tollerated.

a coordinated aproach needs to be developed so that we can fight this inringement of our human rights.

Be careful who you ask for help. Some people are wolves in sheeps clothing. Our society is policed by establishment yes men. Your ATOS interviewer is a perfect example of how particular people are given positions of responsibility that they have no business being anywhere near.

Why has everybody accepted this ATOS thing as somthing that is normal? Its not Normal!

There was no need for it in the past and there is no need for it in our futures.

If the government is concerned about "Wasting money". It sholud look first to itself and cut back on the wasteful culture that exists in parliament, the civil service, the MOD etc, etc.

We are one of the wealthiest ountries in the world..... Why should our government be wanting to rob our disabled and vulnerable people? It is a reflection of the sort of people we are allowing to govern us! This must stop.

There needs to be an ATOS name and shame website. This would quickly put the cat amongst the pidgeons. Whilst we are at it why Stop at ATOS? Why not create a site that rates public services like this that identifies "crimes" such as the one that you have personally recounted?

Summary justice is a bad thing to encourage in a society but it is better than no justice at all!

kenny

Hi gillywingwing I too am from derby, I too was misrepresented by capita saying what I could and could not do! I have discovered that it doesn't matter how many illnesses or conditions that you have it is based solely on what you can do for yourself, if you can stand and walk a little way you probably won't get the mobility enhanced payment and again if you can do certain things like dress or undress yourself the same seems to apply. I provided indisputable evidence that what she put down on her assessment was incorrect and I won my reconsideration

wildlife

Hi Everyone, I have news that in my case ATOS are yet again denying any wrong doing as regards the assessment. They've written to DWP and their letter is being forwarded to me but was read out during a brilliant 45 min. conversation with a Decision Maker this morning. I managed to convince her that my assessment contained many lies. When recounting the incident with the plastic bottle label she said I removed. My husband went on the phone to tell her the truth, that he removed the screw top for me. I asked her why they are not using the medical evidence and comparing it side by side with these reports. She tried to say they did but again I convinced her by reading my physio report which contradicts the assessor's results in a big way. I got an agreement that if I send in more evidence they will look at it again and that's after the Mandatory Reconsideration. They know I'm continuing with the complaint about ATOS this time to an independent complaints examiner ICE and that my MP is now involved. So just to say you can book a call back from a Decision Maker to ask how they made their decision and why they are ignoring medical evidence. Good Luck everyone, the fight goes on...

estellosaurus

I was relatively lucky when I recently had to switch from DLA to PIP, I went from high rate mobility and middle rate care, to the mid rate equivalent of PIP. I've lost around £30 a week, which when you need that money to get to work is rather a significant loss, and I honestly wouldn't care if my disability had improved to the supposed reflection of my new rate. Interestingly, there was also a lie on my report - namely that I walked into the room with crutches, which I didn't.

I find it very frightening that these assessors are apparently out and out lying on these forms and we are only hearing about a few - I wonder how many people are actually being affected by incorrect information documented by the assessors on the reports and why they are being allowed to get away with it.

Matilda

I understand that there is to be an MPs' enquiry into cases of assessors lying on PIP reports.

anniemacmoo

I too lost my DLA transfer to PIP after an assessment in which the assessor clearly lied. I am now in the process of waiting for my mandatory reconsideration. The assessor had put down "does not take medication for neuropathic pain" - I had quite clearly stated that I take Amitriptyline for the pain which is prescribed by my GP. I also gave the assessor a medical report from my GP which stated my impaired mobility but she handed it back saying "I will leave that because I can't understand his writing". She also just briefly glimpsed an X-ray report showing severe lower lumbar spinal arthritis which has been recently diagnosed along with my other ongoing disabilities. It was also stated I was observed walking 50 metres unaided with a normal gait - another lie as I had to walk from the desk to the window which was about four feet away and she saw I was walking stiffly, limping and in pain.

I have put all these things down in my mandatory reconsideration letter along with a medical report and X-rays etc. I also sent it recorded delivery as I have heard the DWP can deny having received letters which makes some people go over the time limit and are denied reconsideration.

I would like to know why assessors lie about things - are they on some sort of bonus for how many people are taken off benefit, it makes you wonder.

wildlife

Hi Matilda, Is that a separate investigation or the one Paul Gray is doing in April? You're not from Salisbury by any chance as your assessor was a Paramedic. (You don't need to answer that.) Some of the assessors lies about the way or how far someone walks into their assessment room or their MSO results are difficult to prove as lies though the people they affect know they are, but the lie about me opening a water bottle between my knees by taking the label off round the middle is a lie so obvious that I will use it and already have to prove assessor's do lie. It went down like a lead balloon during this mornings chat with a DM. I must say she was not what I was expecting. She was actually very nice and sympathetic and accepted most of what I was telling her. I'm sure they know that the reports aren't fit for purpose but it's the only system they have to work to till things are changed. I've managed to get a 2nd reconsideration and have listed reasons why it wasn't done properly before like that both decision makers have not used or compared the medical evidence with the assessor's report. I keep getting scared when I think of people losing what they've already got but people who have no PIP or are waiting to go to Tribunal have nothing to loose by speaking to a decision maker and accusing them of not using the medical evidence when it differs from the assessor's report. I suppose you can complain to DWP complaints about the way the claim has been handled but not about the decision itself so this is part way to doing that. Hope anyone reading this gets what they deserve in the end.

Matilda

Hi @wildlife.

I don't know if there is more than investigation.

I'm not from Salisbury but I think Atos use a lot of paramedics (cheaper than nurses!) whereas doctors should assess us. When I first applied for DLA I was examined by a doctor.

So many people have referred to assessors' lies. All of these people can't be lying themselves!

wildlife

Do you know the name of your assessor? Is he/she registered with HCPC? I've written to them to ask for my assessor's registration to be investigated as I suspect she lied to them as well. What decision makers don't realize is that by taking the word of these less than qualified money grabbing employees of a private company they are calling us liars and we have got to fight against that if nothing else. The reason they think they can get away with it is becoming clear in that ATOS their employer, rather than investigate, are backing them so they've got nothing to fear. So that, plus targets that they are pressured to meet, cause this to happen. Well mine told one lie too many and to the wrong person.

Matilda

I've found it stressful enough to go through the PIP process without complaining to Atos about my assessor as well. The next stage is the tribunal hearing. Tribunals know that assessors are incompetent and tell lies. I've pointed out the assessor's incompetence and lies, and the DWP's incompetence, in my appeal papers.

wildlife

HCPC are the professional governing body Paramedics have to register with to get the job of an assessor so my assessor may have used forged documents and lied to ATOS so a different situation to yours. That's the way DWP can guarantee to the claimants that the assessors are HCP's. I know what you mean though about it being stressful enough just going through the claim process. I wish you all the best for the Tribunal...

Matilda

Thank you, wildlife. I wish you luck with your complaint to Atos.

Component react.suggestedcontent had an error.

The value must be greater than or equal to 1.

Sign in or register for free

Get more out of your online community by signing in or registering