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Ds1500 help - Seems like my wife isn't dying quickly enough for the DWP

[Deleted User]

My wife who was diagnosed as terminally ill was on Ds1500 and not expected to live more than six months. Thankfully after radical treatment she is still here 2.5 years later. I received a new for regarding Pip which I duly completed and returned it with details of the Oncologist, Throat Surgeon and Bowel Surgeon plus her GP and Councillor. She is still undergoing treatment. She now has a face to face which I will have difficulty getting her to but will do my best. When contacting the Aos people I have found that none of the people I listed have been approached for statements but statements have been obtained by them from god knows where. I registered my dissatisfaction to the AOS helpline and was informed that "it was not possible due to lack of resources to always obtain statements" none of the current clinical staff have been approached.
My wife has various problems and rarely goes out unless to hospital yet I have to wheel her in to a private health centre for a face to face.

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Comments

Geoark

Hello @Robl and welcome to the community.

DS1500 is usually valid for 3 years. Is this still within the three years? If so the process for claiming PIP is different. see:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-to-claim-if-terminally-ill/

Also if there is genuine difficulty getting to the assessment centre you can request a home visit rather than going to the centre.

Hope this helps.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

It is within the three years and I did re-submit and asked for the shorter version form but they said that as my wife was now likely to live more than 6 months I would have to send in a totally new application. Seems like she isn't dying quickly enough. I wasn't aware there could be a home visit. I have put in a call with the Macmillan Welfare rights.

Many thanks and kind regards

Sam_Alumni

I am so sorry you are going through this, it is good you will speak to Macmillan as their team has all the most up to date information regarding benefits and cancer, best of luck, let us know how you get on!

[Deleted User]

Hi,

I have an update to this torture. My wife during a regular check up was asked by the doctor how she was coping and she mentioned the PIP face to face. He stated that he hadn't been asked for any information and was more than a little concerned. He then spoke to the practice manager to confirm no approach had been made and told my wife that he would prepare a submission with all of the relevant facts and speak to other clinicians and a full submission would be available for me to pick up tomorrow (Tuesday PM). he also intimated that my wife given the diagnosis and ongoing treatment should merit at worst a home visit and in his opinion ongoing pip and mobility. I wish he was doing the face to face as he is a clinician who deals with my wife on a regular basis and always pushes her in even when is appointments are fully booked.

littleruthie123

Hi wow I'm gobsmacked .I've had bc treatment and no how it can effect you .I honestly can't get why there would treat you and your wife like this .you can insison a home visit .like you both haven't got enough too cope with .could they get any lower .all the best x

[Deleted User]

Hi,

Thanks for your comments my wife and I sincerely hope that your BC treatment was 100% effective and that you remain cancer free for the rest of your life(which we hope is a long and happy one). I would have replied earlier but have been backwards and forwards to the doctors and hospital. Very busy at the moment. Take care X

Sam_Alumni

Im so glad your GP is taking this seriously and it sounds like they will be supportive!

[Deleted User]

I managed to get my wife to the face to face with the assessor. My wifes doctor made a submission as the medical practice manager sourced reports and all relevant information for me. They nor any of the other clinicians caring for my wife had been approached by ATOS who had sourced information from two nurses on the original submission three years ago. Due to logistical reasons we have not seen them for over 2 years.I presented the info to the assessor who took the doctors report and never read it (hopefully she did afterwards) but dismissed the other as irrelevant having not looked at that. Why don't ATOS and CAPITA earn their massive revenue by doing a thorough and diligent job ?

Yadnad

RobI said:

I presented the info to the assessor who took the doctors report and never read it (hopefully she did afterwards) but dismissed the other as irrelevant having not looked at that. Why don't ATOS and CAPITA earn their massive revenue by doing a thorough and diligent job ?

Firstly I am thinking of you and the stress you must be going through.
You were lucky that the assessor actually took the report from you. Many cases, including my own, the assessor refuses to accept it and hands it back as it has nothing to do with them! As to whether they will actually read it and base their report on its contents time will tell.

ATOS & CAPITA are in the business to make a profit - end of.
They 'earn their money by carrying out these assessments. The more they do, the more they earn.
So it will be of no surprise to find out that there isn't any real incentive to spend the time to carry out a thorough and diligent job.

It's simply volume of work done V amount earned

[Deleted User]

I have grave doubts about the PIP submission form.
The very first statement Section 1 states
"if we need additional information we may contact the health professionals that support you."
This suggests to the claimant that the DWP Capita/ATOS will gather the necessary information from the relevant professionals that the claimant has listed. Believe me this is not the case. Gather the information yourself as these muppets generally won't do it. It is misleading on the DWP's part (why I ask ?) and is compounded by Capita and ATOS who conduct F2F without the correct picture of claimants issues. Claimants have had to go to F2F with complex and extreme health issues which could have been resolved in a much more compassionate way. Claimants go to F2F in good faith assuming that the background information has been gathered for a fair and just hearing.
Like lambs to the slaughter totally unaware that all of their evidence has not been gathered let alone read. I am disgusted with the whole process.

Yadnad

RobI said:

I have grave doubts about the PIP submission form.
The very first statement Section 1 states
"if we need additional information we may contact the health professionals that support you."
This suggests to the claimant that the DWP Capita/ATOS will gather the necessary information from the relevant professionals that the claimant has listed. Believe me this is not the case. Gather the information yourself as these muppets generally won't do it. It is misleading on the DWP's part (why I ask ?) and is compounded by Capita and ATOS who conduct F2F without the correct picture of claimants issues. Claimants have had to go to F2F with complex and extreme health issues which could have been resolved in a much more compassionate way. Claimants go to F2F in good faith assuming that the background information has been gathered for a fair and just hearing.
Like lambs to the slaughter totally unaware that all of their evidence has not been gathered let alone read. I am disgusted with the whole process.

Actually many face to face assessments are carried out by assessors who for one reason or another would not have seen the PIP2. Consequently they know nothing about the claimant, yet in less than 45mins are able to give an opinion on their functional ability.
It puts the NHS to shame - why can't consultants, GP's and other healthcare professionals give a diagnosis and authorise treatment in the same time period?

[Deleted User]

With respect they don't diagnose and have no remit to do so. They make an assessment on function. However some are mental health, some paramedic, and some nurses. Some people have complex issues both physical and mental and they cannot be expected to be expert at both.

Yadnad

RobI said:

With respect they don't diagnose and have no remit to do so. They make an assessment on function. However some are mental health, some paramedic, and some nurses. Some people have complex issues both physical and mental and they cannot be expected to be expert at both.

No they don't but being able to assess the functional ability in 45 mins for those with multiple conditions, both mental & physical health problems who have variations of the difficulties over time is a miracle in itself. They are trained disability assessors who on that basis should be able to understand the complexities of all mental & physical health problems. Without that knowledge their opinions must be accepted for what they are - in the main a complete load of rubbish.

Sorry but I would prefer someone that spends time fully understanding our problems and not someone that uses a bit of computer software to do the job.
My experiences of these assessments and the blunt way that the DWP deal with people with real problems is beyond me.
Thank goodness for the medical professionals who do take their time to get to the bottom of every problem.

[Deleted User]

If you read my original thead you will see that is exactly my point. Gather all the information from the clinicians claimants list and take time to absorb the information. Gather a true picture not just a snapshot in 45 minutes. If they can do it correctly every time why so many MR's ?