My husbands assessment

dude

hi everyone, 

My husband had his assessment a few weeks back and now waiting on decision.  We asked for the report and received it back and feel like it went well.   She did twist a few things but most was written well.  She put about his serve RA and stated she could see that he was in pain and in all probability would be restricted to moving no more then 20meters which he can't.  We are in desperate need of help and our world collapsed when he was diagnosed a few years back and he had worked all his life and he is only in his 30s.   I just hope the person now looking at his assessment reads it and doesn't decide against the assessor.  I will keep updated but points wise from the assessment we should qualify for enhanced on both but only time will tell. 

CockneyRebel

It is unusual for the DM to go against the HCP report and recomendation. I hope you get your decision soon, money doesn't make up for the problems that your husband has but can ease the pressure of daily living

CR

dude

Thanks for the reply cockney rebel, this site as been excellent to find out more information.  We are desperate for help so we are on edge now everyday waiting for that final decision.  First time round he didn't even get an assessment  as the evidence was enough for enhanced living and standard mobility but the mobility is very important to us as he has got pretty bad in the last year and a bit.  

Sam_Alumni

Hi @dude Good luck!! Do let us know how it goes and if you have any other questions, please let us know

dude

Thank you @Sam_Scope Just 1 question Please if you can help, as my husband qualifies for enhanced pip why does he only get work related ESA (£73) I care for him 24/7 which he obviously needs but when I asked if there is any help I could get besides the CA and they told me I couldn't???? And that the claim was for the both of us.  We are both over 30.  My name is never on any ESA letters. 

Thank you

CockneyRebel

Have you put your derails into an on line benefits calculator ?

CR

steve51

Hi @dude

A very big welcome to you to our website & community.

Have you come accross our online benefit caculator ??

This is on our home page & it willl let you know what benefits are potently avalible.

Please please let me know if I can help you further with this  ???

dude

Been told we have to wait for a ESA assessment now.  Could be waiting a long time as it's already been months to get an appointment.  Thanks anyway, will keep the site posted with updates. 

wildlife

 @dude I think it would help at this stage to explain how the system works as no-one else has said this. The Decision Makers have NO medical qualifications nor any medical knowledge whatsoever. They rely entirely on the advice given by the assessor. As the assessor has recommended higher rate in both components the only way that would change is if more evidence was supplied which changed your husbands needs and which you have obviously not needed to do. Even if that was the case and say it did put doubt in the mind of the Decision Maker they would still have to send the case back to be reviewed by another assessor for any change in the chosen descriptors to be made. As this doesn't apply in your husband's case I think this will reassure you that the Decision is unlikely to be any different to the advice given by the 1st assessor. 

dude

Thank you @wildlife for that comment, still waiting but should hear something soon hopefully. 

wildlife

@dude you're welcome. The first decision is usually quite quick as it's mostly done by copying from the assessor's report apart from the amount of content and reasoning which is much shorter. Good Luck let us know how it goes..

dude

I will let you know @wildlife, I think it was 4 weeks yesterday but judging by what the lady said anything between 4 and 8 weeks. 

gazza47

We waited nearly 5 weeks for a decision, in the end we rang them and when the DWP advisor heard how long we'd been waiting she said she'd put it down as urgent.... 24 hours later they rang us back and told us their decision over the phone and it was great news... I would ring them if I were you, don't sit there biting your nails you need to push them..... Good luck and I hope it goes well

dude

Thank you @gazza47, we are definitely going crazy here waiting lol don't know if it's because of the area why it's taking so long.

gazza47

You have to keep pushing or you'll get nowhere...... When we rang the advisor was really nice and said we should've had a decision by now, and when she went to investigate she found our case papers on a stack of other papers just forgotten about, so she pushed it through for us... Luckily she just happened to be in charge of that department so that helped.... But my point is you must keep pushing, cos it's a safe bet that your case papers are just lying around like ours were..... Hope you get it sorted anyway, keep us updated

dude

we have just called them and the lady said we should have a answer by the end of the week so we are going to give them a call Friday and fingers crossed they have an answer for us.  We let you know, thanks again for your help @gazza47

gazza47

You're welcome anytime, but I told you didn't I?.... Good luck

Pippa_Alumni

Best of luck @dude, we'll be thinking of you! 

dude

Thank you very much everyone been a massive help and certainly put our minds at ease 

dude

Had a letter today dated 4th so it's take a week to get to him lol they have all the information to make the decision and we don't need to call them and they will be in contact.  What's the point, may as well just send the decision letter.  Does anyone know how long it takes from that letter?  Thanks  

gazza47

give it a week and if you don't hear anything ring them anyway. that's what we did..... they're happy to let it drag on that's why they say no need to contact them....  you're very close to a decision though, hopefully it shouldn't be too much longer now

steve51

Hi @dude

Fingers & Toes Crossed ????????????

dude

Thank you @steve51

steve51

Hi @dude

"No Probs Anytime" 

Thanks.

dude

Hi everyone, still waiting on the letter.  That's been 6 weeks now

gazza47

Ring em then.... Should've heard something by now.... Let us know what they say

dude

They sent a letter on the 4th October saying they had all the information they needed.  Can anyone advise how long it takes from that letter???

dude

Just called and They said there back logged with cases.  But they have been saying for 2 weeks it's with a case worker @gazza47

gazza47

When we rang after 6 weeks they sorted it straight away, but I guess it depends on the area you live in.... Hope it gets sorted soon, I know how hard and stressful it is waiting for these buggers to get their fingers out..... It really shouldn't be too much longer now though so fingers crossed you get what you want

dude

Thanks @gazza47,was it 6 weeks from the f2f? 

gazza47

Thereabouts yeah

dude

Still waiting, coming into the 7th week

gazza47

Have you rang them yet?

dude

Yes nearly everyday, they just keep saying that there is a back log.

dude

They said wait a few weeks and call back.

gazza47

The backlog must either be so immense that they can't deal with your claim yet..... Or, they're lying

Pippa_Alumni

I'm so sorry this situation is taking so long to resolve @dude, the waiting time must be really unsettling for you too. I wonder if @BenefitsTrainingCo can offer any further advice on this?

Barrylad1957

@dude
Sorry to hear that you've been kept waiting - the wait is awful, I know - and you may have heard back from them by now, but, as others have already said on here, you must keep on at them if you havent. I live in an area where the waiting lists are, apparently, extraordinarily long, but I was done and dusted really quickly, and actually received my "We now have enough info.." letter and my decision letter on the very same day. I hope its all gone your way and you get all the help you and your husband are entitled to, so, if you havent had your decision yet, good luck, and if you have, nice one 

dude

Thank you @Barrylad1957 just worried if I call a lot they will be thinking I'm crazy lol

gazza47

We called a lot, and in the end they found our claim on a pile of paperwork just forgotten about..... So don't be sucked in by this back log nonsense, that's just to get you off the phone...... Ask for the person in charge that's what we did and that's who found our claim and sorted it

dude

Hi @PippaScope, I'm just away now to ask them.  Thank you for the information

gazza47

Good luck

dude

Just been told as it's A ongoing claim and my husbands situation has got worse and we are trying to move him from Standerd Mobility to higher, they said this takes longer then new claims and people moving from DLA to pip   hopefully soon

gazza47

Ahh right I see, yep unfortunately DLA to pip does take longer.... No idea why but it just does..... Ours was a new claim you see

dude

No mine is just a change in circumstances, not DLA to pip.  Just wait it out I think.  Just driving us crazy. 

gazza47

Sorry I misread it.... Fingers crossed for you both anyway