PIP All Lies...

Dingo9012

I had my PIP face-to-face assessment back in January and I gave the same answers as I did on my forms, but today I've just had my PIP Decision and every answer I gave said I was fine, capable of doing everything, and scored zero on everything.

I suffer from rapid-cycling bi-polar 1, severe agoraphobia, sleep disorders, borderline schizophrenia, I haven't left the house in over 10 years, have gone bankrupt twice in that time because I can't manage my finances, cannot be trusted to be left alone nevermind cook a meal because I'm dazed, confused and barely aware of what's happening around me most days and have set fire to the kitchen so often it's safer not to let me in there, so can someone explain to me where these answers came from please???

whistles

Mine gave me a score of four for care.
Did you do the self assessment test to give you an idea of what you might score. 

Do you have a consultant, cpn etc?
Did they send in their input?

Dingo9012

I did self assessment tests, I read up, looked at videos, read articles, etc...I'm bi-polar and severely agoraphobic and live in a small village in the middle of nowhere so it's hard to get anyone to come out and see me/hard to get help, and when I do make the effort to reach out for help no-one returns my phone calls, my GP is useless, local mental health team haven't gotten back to me despite chasing up five times in the last month and I get so dejected and depressed that I end up giving up, and that's the way it always goes it seems. Can't even get any medication.

sandyp196

I suffer similar symptoms to you. But I have a dofferent condition of borderline personality disorder and ptsd. 
I have been in the position of no support etc. It got so bad I nearly died and my family complained about my lack of support and care. 
Everything moved very quickly after that. I got awarded pip 3 years ago and had EDL and SM.
This week I haD a review for pip. I wouldn't have done it without support and I did in fact cancel one that was arranged for January because I couldn't get support that day. 
Tbh it's not so much the support, but having a witness. I don't trust the assessors at all. 
I do believe they view people who attend alone as easy prey. 
Even a friend or a family member is better than being alone and at their mercy. 
I really think you need to change your gP.  With those conditions you need to have access to medication and a care plan. It's negligent of your doctor. It's worth complaining about it to the surgery.  
Knowing how hard it is for me day to day, I cannot imagine how you are even coping without support and access to medication.
Big hugs.

Dingo9012

I had them come around and was on my own, but I did have a witness; my partner set up her computer with a Skype call to her phone (audio only) and listened in on the whole interview and she is disgusted with the lies in the report that came with the letter yesterday morning, so I do have someone who can back-up my side of the story.
And thanx Sandy, appreciate the support XD

poppy123456

Dingo9012 said:

I had my PIP face-to-face assessment back in January and I gave the same answers as I did on my forms, but today I've just had my PIP Decision and every answer I gave said I was fine, capable of doing everything, and scored zero on everything.

I suffer from rapid-cycling bi-polar 1, severe agoraphobia, sleep disorders, borderline schizophrenia, I haven't left the house in over 10 years, have gone bankrupt twice in that time because I can't manage my finances, cannot be trusted to be left alone nevermind cook a meal because I'm dazed, confused and barely aware of what's happening around me most days and have set fire to the kitchen so often it's safer not to let me in there, so can someone explain to me where these answers came from please???

Did you send in evidence to support your claim? If not then it will be needed for the next stage and if you did then i'd advice sending more for the Mandatory Reconsideration. You have 1 month from the date of the decision to request the MR. You'll need to put it in writing. If you haven't got a copy of the assessment report then i'd advice ringing DWP to ask for this. In the letter you need to point out what you disagree with and where you think you should score those points.

Only 20% of MR's are successful so be prepared to take it to Tribunal. Those that appear at their Tribunal have a 65% chance of a decision in their favour.

lindadenise

I took my daughter and he lied on my assessment too the atos assessor was said i was able to walk up to 200m i thought i can hardly walk. I am annoyed with my assessment absolutely a sham Atos is not fit for purpose. I think the DWP have no idea how people with Disabilities are affected xxxxx

Barbiesnemesis

The only remit of PIP as far as I can make out is to deny people benefits that they are entitled to, all so the government can save money. The PIP assessor lied about my interview too. All she was interested in was downgrading my mobility needs. It started as soon as I entered the room as she had placed the chair at quite a distance from the desk so I had nothing to lean on when I sat down. She said I can stand and sit unaided and did the entire 'mobility assessment' while I was seated! It turns out from the report that I don't need a mobility car because I can get in and out of one - go figure! She didn't ask any questions about my severe and enduring mental health problems in the whole 1 and half hours I was there and felt she knew best by downgrading me to the lowest level for daily living despite the combination of physical and mental health problems that make 'daily living' for me extremely difficult.

mikehughescq

You need to focus now on a mandatory reconsideration. Forget your list of impairments and focus on the specific consequences of each condition on the specific activities you think you score points on. If you have no idea what you ought to score then nor will DWP.

joyclyn

Best wishes it's diabolical and they are all getting away with it lies no one cares it's all about money saving not people's lives how many they have destroyed it is like thrown on a rubbish heap another one hit the dust a f       fat  low life of an assessor  lied all the way through no I have to fight an appeal whom I am told  don't really care I understand how your feeling feel for you but then I will just b full resentment angry again sorry but it's true every day  

sandyp196

Dingo9012 said:

I had them come around and was on my own, but I did have a witness; my partner set up her computer with a Skype call to her phone (audio only) and listened in on the whole interview and she is disgusted with the lies in the report that came with the letter yesterday morning, so I do have someone who can back-up my side of the story.
And thanx Sandy, appreciate the support XD

U fortunately pip assessor do not care who is listening in or about covert recordings. They can't be used to prove an assessor is a liar, even if they are a liar. In fact you can get in trouble wih your claim for covertly recording it. 
But for your next one you can say you want a recording of the interview. You have to provide the recording equipment in the form of a double cassette and you need to provide 2 copies of the recording. One for the assessor given at end of interview,  and one to keep yourself.
I think you can use cds as well as long as you can double record them.
If someone has to attend an interview alone, I strongly recommend at least getting an official recording.   

Dingo9012

mikehughescq said:

You need to focus now on a mandatory reconsideration. Forget your list of impairments and focus on the specific consequences of each condition on the specific activities you think you score points on. If you have no idea what you ought to score then nor will DWP.

Well I've spoken to the PIP people this morning and requested a full copy of my assessment report and a copy of the scoresheet as well as to start the mandatory reconsideration process, and I've spoken to the local community mental health people about getting a report of my assessment from them from back in January which I can hopefully get sent in...is there anything else that might help?

Also; what's the best way to put all of that into writing? Has anyone seen any templates online, or at least a list of the questions that need detailing because I can't remember what I did yesterday nevermind remember the details of a form I filled out back in December; because I have the sections on the PIP refusal, but it's the specific questions from within each section that I can't remember, or doesn't that matter?

CockneyRebel

Have a look at the B&W self test

http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php

CR

Dingo9012

CockneyRebel said:

Have a look at the B&W self test

http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php

CR

Fantastic, just what I was looking for, thanks

mikehughescq

sandyp196 said:

Dingo9012 said:

I had them come around and was on my own, but I did have a witness; my partner set up her computer with a Skype call to her phone (audio only) and listened in on the whole interview and she is disgusted with the lies in the report that came with the letter yesterday morning, so I do have someone who can back-up my side of the story.
And thanx Sandy, appreciate the support XD

U fortunately pip assessor do not care who is listening in or about covert recordings. They can't be used to prove an assessor is a liar, even if they are a liar. In fact you can get in trouble wih your claim for covertly recording it. 
But for your next one you can say you want a recording of the interview. You have to provide the recording equipment in the form of a double cassette and you need to provide 2 copies of the recording. One for the assessor given at end of interview,  and one to keep yourself.
I think you can use cds as well as long as you can double record them.
If someone has to attend an interview alone, I strongly recommend at least getting an official recording.   

Unfortunately little weight would be given to that evidence because 

a) no recording.
b) your partner is not an independent witness.

In terms of how you set about it now I would look firstly at what your case is. Which points should you score and why? Medical evidence and just picking apart the HCP report assist you little there. The better evidence is your own anecdotal evidence of specific incidents relating to each activity.

Dingo9012

mikehughescq said:

sandyp196 said:

Dingo9012 said:

I had them come around and was on my own, but I did have a witness; my partner set up her computer with a Skype call to her phone (audio only) and listened in on the whole interview and she is disgusted with the lies in the report that came with the letter yesterday morning, so I do have someone who can back-up my side of the story.
And thanx Sandy, appreciate the support XD

U fortunately pip assessor do not care who is listening in or about covert recordings. They can't be used to prove an assessor is a liar, even if they are a liar. In fact you can get in trouble wih your claim for covertly recording it. 
But for your next one you can say you want a recording of the interview. You have to provide the recording equipment in the form of a double cassette and you need to provide 2 copies of the recording. One for the assessor given at end of interview,  and one to keep yourself.
I think you can use cds as well as long as you can double record them.
If someone has to attend an interview alone, I strongly recommend at least getting an official recording.   

Unfortunately little weight would be given to that evidence because 

a) no recording.
b) your partner is not an independent witness.

In terms of how you set about it now I would look firstly at what your case is. Which points should you score and why? Medical evidence and just picking apart the HCP report assist you little there. The better evidence is your own anecdotal evidence of specific incidents relating to each activity.

Define "Anecdotal Evidence" please...because if it's just me writing down the many and varied ways in which I've screwed things up then that could take a while...

mikehughescq

When you tell people examples of how your impairments impact you - the stories if you like - it’s just that. Every assertion of points needs anecdotal evidence to back up the assertion of entitlement. 

Dingo9012

Gotcha...have the form, have examples, going to start writing them down and get them to the MR guy when he asks and probably tribunal afterwards with the way things are at the minute...thanks again

deb74

good luck with the  MR i asked to look at my pip again as i got 18 points for disability living and was only awarded standard when i should have been given advanced. when i asked them to review it they refused to change it. i haven't got a review till 2021 and my award doesn't finish till 2022. i might been in a wheelchair by then.

Dingo9012

@deb74 - according to their own criteria 18 points is way above the mark for enhanced, can't you appeal and go to tribunal with the hopes of getting what you're entitled too?

Salluk

My brother has paranoid schizophrenia self harms and has ocds, is blind in one eye and has been warned he could loose vision in his other eye after a stroke, he also has osteoarthritis. After he was told he would be moved from DLA to pip and after his assessment was told his fit for work he has refused to go to any further appointments, he says its a interrogation where he has to prove his illness, and by proving this he means by take his own life. He said who on earth would want to employ a paranoid schizophrenic who's nearly blind.  I'm a nurse and have looked after my brother for many years but this process he is going through is cruel. He now refuses to see his Dr about anything, he refuses to take his medication why because he tells us the pip said his well enough to work so he doesn't need it. His health since the interview has declined, he has tried to kill himself by overdose and nearly done it, but was found in time,  all I hear him talk about is how things will be better when his gone. My job has taken a knock from his decline and now have had to reduce my hours to make sure he doesn't do harm to himself. I don't know what more I can do but the process is soul destroying for all concerned. 

deb74

i was awarded pip 18 months ago. i was convinced i would not get it so i was suprised i qualified. i only found out a couple of weeks ago that i should have been on a higher rates and i have already put in a MR which the CAB helped with. originally i was given 20 points and when they looked at it again they changed it to 18 points. the way i look at it is i am one of the lucky ones i know a lot of people are being refused pip. i have got an appointment with my doctor in a few weeks to monitor my condition as it seems to be getting a lot worse and then i will see what happens.  

sleepy1

@deb74, maybe you should start training for the 2020 olympics!  
I was told by a DM "Just because your in a wheelchair thats no excuse, look at all the disabled people who win medals"........In my late 50's racked up with pain and chronic fatigue can barely get out of bed most days, yeah why not get involved in some sort of sport that's a good idea!

Think they must have a brain storming meeting each week to see who can come up with the best soul destroying answers to say to clients.  Wonder if the winner gets a trophy/medal?

deb74

hi sleepy1 i think you are right. they obviously have no idea. this will make you laugh! i went for an esa assessmet in november. last april i had to have an operation on my right shoulder and had to stop working so i went on esa. when i went for my assessment i could hardly lift my right arm up but i was told i was well enought to go back to work as i had the used of one arm

sleepy1

@deb74, Lol.......You could stack shelves or pick up litter with your good arm on a good day?  Or secure a place on the GB (Scotland) curling team ; )

deb74

hi sleepy. that comment really made me laugh!!! thanks for cheering me up i am having a bad day today.

sleepy1

@Salluk, Good to know you are doing your best to look after your brother the whole process of trying to get help is so draining and the people that need the most help are the ones that are least likely to get any without some support from family.
The government seem quite content to redirect the money they originally  allocated to helping people in need to now spend most of that expenditure paying private companies that employ some people with very little medical knowledge to stop them receiving it. Tribunal services will also be taking a big chunk out of the kitty no doubt!!

They don't care what stress it causes to you, your brother or any of us, logic does not appear to be something that prevails with the powers that be.......Power happy people trying to score points?

Salluk

@sleepy1 My brother did have a ESA assessment after failing the pip, I managed to get him to agree to a local appointment, he was put into support group, here is the strange thing, the ESA assessor didn't understand why he wasn't awarded pip as in her own words, it's very apparent your brother suffers greatly because of his illnesses. She said as I had presented the same evidence to them (ESA) as to the pip it made no sense that he was refused pip. I was amazed that someone in this field finally saw and understood what we are going through. The down side she said one department can't direct another department what to do. Left scratching my head on this totally confused, my brother because of his paranoia now thinks its a personal attack on him from the pip and has refused any doings with them, and for a peaceful home I agreed with him that we do not seek an appeal. Yes his lost money but he says rather live in poverty than be called a lier. 

Pippa_Scope

Hi @Salluk, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother's experience and I can only image the impact this has had on you as a family. Given your situation, I wonder whether you may find it beneficial to give the Scope helpline a call, to see if they can advise any further? If you'd like to speak to somebody, the contact number is 0800 800 3333 (free). Please do keep in touch and let us know how you're doing.