Asked personal irrelevant info at assessment.

jaigurudevaom

Hi. So my background is I have a mental health condition and I am also HIV+. The assessor asked me some very personal questions such as things that hapoened to me when I was a kid, plus asked me how myself and my wife got HIV. Surely that isn't relevant? It made me feel like a freak. 

Any ideas what I should do? I feel like putting in a complaint but I'm worried it might affect my claim

Yadnad

Are your mental health difficulties in any way related to what happened to you as a kid or maybe the HIV condition?

Maybe the assessor was trying to build up a picture of your life and how you came to ask for PIP?

Sam_Alumni

Hi @jaigurudevaom
Im sorry the experience was so upsetting for you, PIP is about how an impairment affect you in day to day life rather than the impairment itself so I am unsure as to why they would ask about how you got HIV.

You can find out more about the complaints procedure on the Turn2Us website here. 

The best way to start a complaint is to write to the DWP. You can use the address at the top of any letter you have about your Personal Independence Payment. 

You can also start a complaint by phoning the DWP. Remember to keep a record of when you call, who you speak to and the reference number for your complaint. 

• Telephone: 0345 850 3322 

• Textphone: 0345 601 6677  

You will need to tell the DWP (in your letter or phone call): 

• Your National Insurance number 

• Your full name, address and contact numbers 

• What happened, when it happened and how it affected you 

• What you want to happen to put things right 

Government_needs_reform

@jaigurudevaom I think it's wrong to they ask you about child abuse, Its hard enough going through child abuse as it is and having to keep talking about it.

I too was in the same situation when I was a child and I did write on my PIP2 form that I will not or never be talking about that stuff again, and you can speak to my team regarding any of that as I would certainly never speak to a total stranger about what happened regarding that horrible situation ever again.

It so depressing re-living the past.

Yadnad

Government_needs_reform said:

It so depressing re-living the past.

Tell me about it. I was involved in a traumatic event in 1995 and since then have had every type of mental health medic involved in my care.
I suffer from PTSD & Depression. As you say the worst bit is having to talk to strangers about how I feel and how it affects my life. 
After all of these years you build up your confidence in your ability to avoid these interactions.

Even today I can be easy going or volatile but refuse to discuss the why's and the what for's.

Government_needs_reform

Yadnad said:

Government_needs_reform said:

It so depressing re-living the past.

Tell me about it. I was involved in a traumatic event in 1995 and since then have had every type of mental health medic involved in my care.
I suffer from PTSD & Depression. As you say the worst bit is having to talk to strangers about how I feel and how it affects my life. 
After all of these years you build up your confidence in your ability to avoid these interactions.

Even today I can be easy going or volatile but refuse to discuss the why's and the what for's.

@yadnad I to suffer with what you do and a lot more besides Im in this boat with you and it's very hard as you know.

I also and I get very stressed out with people face to face that's why I state on all my forms I will not go to or have an assessment and it's all backed up with my medical team and they deal with most of it as I can't stand people full stop and will not open up to them only my team and now I don't need to ever talk about it anymore as they already have the full facts of it all about my life.

I'm okay like we are on here posting and talking on here.

But face to face any negatives and I'm like a rocket taking off and I don't care about the consequences of my actions as I just loose my head.

Having suffered a **** childhood and what dreaful stuff that's happened to me has really done me in also added with physical disability's it has made more more vulnerable now too.

So I keep myself to myself and nowbody needs to pay the price for my bad attitude or from my repercussions of being hurt, as I don't won't that to happen to anyone.

cracker

I had the same home experience. Won't go into detail. It most definitely wa the cause of both agoraphobia and anorexia, with I struggle still.

The doctors here just ask "Are you safe?" (meaning are you being abused in your living situation), but no more than that. I find the probing you underwent inappropriate and damaging to you. Do file a complaint.