PIP - zero points - how many of us?

whistles

Everyone is different.
I am entitled to the free bus pass but would rather pay my way. Actually truth is, I'm trying to blend in with society. 

whistles

charlene said:

So much for taking note of good and bad  days. My form took me 3 to 4 weeks to complete, filled it out on only good days.

I found fillng in the form so depressing it gave me bad days. It made my life look non existent.

charlene

This is going to sound awful but a neighbour whilst talking asked me the names of my grandchildren and I couldn't answer, my mind went totally blank.  Took me about 2 weeks to remember.  Also one day looking through my diary, another thing I have to try to keep uptodate or things don't get done, like the other day forgot an appointment, only knew about it when the lady rang to ask if I was attending and because of the snow I said no.  But I digress, looking through my diary I noticed that a Sarah had an upcoming birthday.  I sat there and sat there thinking who is Sarah, I don't know a Sarah, later and I mean weeks later,  I suddenly thought you complete idiot of course you know a Sarah.  She was my sons partner and were together 14 years! 

Salamka101

@wilko

Sorry to have to labour the point but again you refer to a 'free' car. That is a popular misunderstanding that enables this Government to get away with PiP.
Motability cars are NOT free, they are leased. You, me or any Tom, Dick or Harry could go out and lease a car for the same amount, or less than Motability charge.
The confusion only arises because the Motability rates have always been geared to the amount of our disability allowance and is paid on our behalf by the DWP. If we don't choose to have the Car we get the allowance paid to us instead. So it might be convenient to opt for a Motability vehicle, if allowed, but it is by no means FREE.
A major difference you might also consider is that Motability is a charity, the profit they make is used to help severely disabled people with their mobility issues. I would prefer that to the private sector profiting from a Lease.
So please don't refer to 'free' cars again.

Salamka101

whistles

I gave up Christmas last year because i just can't process it. Things have got worse.
The forms actually arrived over Christmas so this got included as it was happening at the time.
Strangely enough I do have a carer, but this is only in relation to my mobility. Yes you can employ someone to take you shopping, but I'm not receiving the help I need when I get there to actually shop. 

P.s how do you send people a message? I can only see wall comments. 

CockneyRebel

Hi whistles
to send a message,
Click on the second icon under your name on the top right
this opens your inbox
Next click on new message which will open a dialogue box
Start typing the name of who you want to message and a list will appear
select the person you want to message and type away

CR

wildlife

So what does it mean when a person's user name is in a purple box with a cross next to it CR? 

wilko

@wildlife, thank you for reprimanding me and giveing me, us a full account of your f2f, no wonder you are annoyed and upset. Your acessor if you could call her one was unbelievable you couldn't make it up, a complaint should have gone in to DWP and the acessment company, I bet you did, even because of the stress you did nothing it's a clear indication that some and a lot of acessors are not qualified to do the job of an acessor other than be a keyboard operator.

CockneyRebel

Sorry wildlife havent come across that, I don't get time to message.
Maybe other can shed some light

CR

whistles

wildlife said:

@charlene I was asked what jobs I did when I left school. I'm 67. I remembered some but had to be prompted by MOH about a period in the WRAF when I met him and got married. Lol. Anyhow apart from the funny side I was  getting noticeably distressed as I didn't understand what this had to do with what I need help with now. My assessor decided that as I could remember most of my jobs I had no memory problems and because one of the jobs in my 20's involved handling money I had no problems dealing with money now, or last year when I had my assessment. It's a well known fact that short term memory goes first. I can't remember what I did 2 minutes ago but can remember years ago. 

I got asked this as well. They asked where I went to school and if I had help.
I guess they are checking your memory if you have said you suffer with loss.
My short term is shot to pieces, but i do know where my school was.

wildlife

  @wilko Is that an apology? If so I accept and we'll forget it ever happened. Yes my assessor was appalling. She said I held a water bottle between my knees and peeled off the plastic label round the middle using my right and left hand. The poor lady was concentrating so much on convincing the Decision Maker i had no problem using both my hands, she completely forgot how you open a bottle of water. The bottle was actually opened in the waiting room and again during the assessment by my hubby who was with me all through the assessment. Surprise surprise he unscrewed the top. I do remember briefly holding the bottle between my knees to free both my hands to do the exercises, that must have given her the idea for this blatant lie. My full story is on this forum. Yes I complained and it was rejected by ATOS. It's now with ICE (Independent Complaints Examiner). It will be August this year from February last year before they get to investigate it due to a huge backlog of similar complaints. So anyone who thinks the cases of wrong awards due to assessors not doing their job properly are few and far between should think again.     

wilko

@ wildlife, thank you for the accepting my apology,  forgiveness and reconciliation is good for the body and soul. We all read ,hear stories on this and other furums some are hard to believe because we are told them these things by friends who we know and trust? Only to find out days weeks later that they are lies half truths. 

wildlife

This is the extract from my report. Pretty much all the observations were untrue.  

Matilda

My assessment report stated that I walked 16m to assessment room using a stick and with a normal gait.  I have a limp and creep along.  From 16m indoors assessor extrapolated that I could walk 20 - 50m outdoors using pavements and kerbs!  At tribunal they agreed I could walk 0-20m.

Assessor wrote that she watched me take my bag off over my head, put it down on the floor and pick it up again later.  At no time, not even during the exercises, did I remove my bag.

In addition, the report contained a number of half-truths.

whistles

Wow. Thanks for sharing.

Um. What's your general appearance got to do with it. Does it not occur to them that you might have assistance in selecting selecting clothes, someone might do your make up for you? 

I didn't have a physical examination I had a memory test. 

Matilda

Assessors will use any excuse to deny points.

One point.  Not all claimants emphasise the aids they use.  Use of aids should get you some points, especially if you can't complete the activities reliably even using aids.

Government_needs_reform

zacthezebra said:

I was successful on my third attempt to claim DLA and was awarded mid rate care high rate mobility indefinite award.
I applied for PIP 2016 and was awarded 16 points mobility and 20 points care awarded for 5 years. Since the rules on mental health for mobility awards have changed I should get 24 points mobility.

Unfortunately we all know PIP is a lottery I was lucky I had an honest HCP but he did get some things wrong but overall the assessment was fairly accurate it lasted nearly fours hours. I had also applied for ESA and the DWP used my PIP assessment for my ESA I was placed in the support group.

My first attempt to claim DLA I did not even have an assessment I was turned down straight away. My second attempt at claiming I had an assessment with a doctor with such poor English I could not understand most of what he said.He lied to such an extent I thought the report was on someone else.
The third attempt I had an ex GP he was really understanding and the report was very accurate hence my success.

@zacthezebra Well done in getting a decent HCP, I did as well but mine diden't lie or bend the truth either and that was Capita.

Im interested in the comment you've also made where your PIP was used to make a decision for your ESA SG? I wonder how that become to be.

....".............

I believe as I also was on DLA indefinitely H Mobility L care?
Then changed to PIP for me has proved better for me and covers my needs, in respects regarding my majority of days where as DLA H care was based on day and night care. So yes in my situation PIP is better.

I also truly believe GP's carry less wheight under PIP as they don't really know the full extent of your functional ability where as psychiatrists, occupational therapists etc will.

whistles

@Governments_A_Joke I was on indefinite Middle care and they have stopped it.
Perhaps you have hit the nail on the head, the descriptors apply to daytime help.

Government_needs_reform

whistles said:

@Governments_A_Joke I was on indefinite Middle care and they have stopped it.
Perhaps you have hit the nail on the head, the descriptors apply to daytime help.

@whistles

Interesting? Now I'm on PIP Enhanced for both On-Going, But remember PIP is purley functional. So any evidence you supply is based on your functional difficulty's.

Matilda

PIP descriptors make no distinction between day and night living or mobility whereas DLA did.  To get highest DLA care you had to have night-time needs.