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The DWP are tasked to reject 80% of PIP APPEALS .

Threesticks

I had a gut felling something wasn't right at my assessment. I received the lowest payment they could give, although I'm a physical wreck. This is why they did it. The DWP are tasked to reject 80% of Mandatory Reconsiderations. Below is the link to the article, read this outrage for yourselves, you're telling me these assessors aren't in on this, if they didn't know, they are going too. I'm making an appointment to see my MP over this, I suggest you do the same. Outrageous, I'm also contacting the DWP and ask them to explain this. Atos is also on my list of calls.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dwp-benefit-appeals-target-reject-80-per-cent-outrageous-pip-jobseekers-allowance-department-work-a7740101.html?fbclid=IwAR0bO9g0CKx1xBaeOH0WNmQWaD3KZe3j7G2D5Nc33zHFM84N9iPCRgfDO-I

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[Deleted User]

Oh I've just had my report and well.. lol.. lets just say I'm VERY annoyed and have just emailed Capita to ask how I go about complaining about the assessor who has pretty much shoved my mental health to one side. I won't go into it on here though, I can't be doing with certain people responding to my post and trying to contradict or pick fault with what I am saying.

I need to wait for the decision so I can ask for help with the MR which will obviously be turned down. I thought Amber Rudd was meant to be looking into the MR issue btw?

Threesticks

You're right about some on here, I'm alright jack attitude, not realising it's their turn when DWP switch the spotlight on them. And this Govern-ment is all about making their mates richer and the poorest and disabled destitute.

I don't want division, I want us to unify, but we can't do anything if we're divided. I feel for the staff at the DWP / Job Centre. Who know it's wrong what they are doing, but have little to no choice but to obey their Managers. Mortgages and rents have to be paid, I fully understand that. But sometimes you have to stand and be counted.

I contacted Atos this morning over this, nothing to do with us they said. It's the DWP I needed to contact. They are next. What does Scope have to say about all this, not even a, we'll look into this and let our members know what we found out.

[Deleted User]

Yeah I agree but some people when responding to posts do come across as being a bit snarky and sharp, those are the ones I have put on ignore, I can't take people like that because of my anxiety (the anxiety the assessor claims I don't have). I'm going to moan at Capita about the assessor though and hopefully I should be able to get help with a MR, I can't do one myself as my concentration and attentions span are awful and I don't know how to word or explain things.

I think the government probably sets the rules but that's bad if they do because it's the DWP and assessment companies that get the poop for it.

bigglesworth

I went down the same avenue with complaining to both Atos and the DWP, but it goes nowhere.

Atos told me that their HPs only give factual information in the reports and any disagreement is because your own perspective is based on your own unreliable opinion, perception and recollection about yourself. They also stated that because the MR agreed with their report, it can only be correct.

The DWP were really bad with this, the answer changed every time you spoke to someone different. Some would say to contact the assessor with any complains, others would say they only accept complaints if the HP acted inappropriately during the interview. If you phone Atos, the answer machine actually tells you to contact the DWP regarding reports, but if you tell the DWP staff this, they will just tell you "we are not allowed to call them sorry". I was basically told they have no way to deal with complaints if the HP behaved, but still produced an inaccurate report.

Both of them say I should contact ICE if I do not like their answers, but ICE is currently snowed under with a 4+ years backlog of complaints to deal with. They also have no power to do anything but get a written apology and maybe some compensation money.

There needs to be some kind of public enquiry into why so many inaccurate reports are being produced by Atos/Capita/Maximus.

cristobal

@bigglesworth - I found the same ...

When I rang up I was advised to ring DWP, even though I was ringing about one of the service provider's employees. Initially I thought that they might be interested in what I had to say because I felt it would be useful to feed back to the assessor. I didn't want anyone sacked but I did want the errors to be corrected.

They tried to fob me off with 'the assessor can't remember' and 'the assessment report is not intended to be a verbatim record'.

They eventually corrected the errors but still stuck with their original opinion that it was "clinically sound" even though it was practically re-written...

Personally I can live with there being errors - they're almost inevitable - but I found their hostility and reluctance to listen harder to deal with....

twonker

Threesticks said:

I had a gut felling something wasn't right at my assessment. I received the lowest payment they could give, although I'm a physical wreck. This is why they did it. The DWP are tasked to reject 80% of Mandatory Reconsiderations. Below is the link to the article, read this outrage for yourselves, you're telling me these assessors aren't in on this, if they didn't know, they are going too. I'm making an appointment to see my MP over this, I suggest you do the same. Outrageous, I'm also contacting the DWP and ask them to explain this. Atos is also on my list of calls.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dwp-benefit-appeals-target-reject-80-per-cent-outrageous-pip-jobseekers-allowance-department-work-a7740101.html?fbclid=IwAR0bO9g0CKx1xBaeOH0WNmQWaD3KZe3j7G2D5Nc33zHFM84N9iPCRgfDO-I

That' old news I am afraid. Yes we all know that very few have the decision changed. Then if you put an appeal in the DWP have the audacity to tell the Tribunal to dismiss the appeal as it has absolutely no chance of getting anywhere.

button1973

Yes DWP are awful my Son who has Adhd and Mild Autism has his assessment for pip changing over from dla in October 2018 and got 0 for everything. I of course appealed for MR and this was also scored at 0. I then went onto going for tribunal appeal i sent all evidence i could and even had calls from dwp saying the tribunal hadnt sent all the evidence for the deadline (as dwp have a deadline to to respond to tribunal). I was told over the phone by dwp that they could ask tribunal for extention as tribunal hadnt sent enough evidence to them to look at but was told they wouldn't as this was a waste of time( but to me was an excuse to ask tribunal to refuse an appeal as lack of evidence which they of course did). I also rang capita to complain about the assessment and was told they don't deal with complaints and wouldnt give me a contact to do this although dwp had said this is what i must do as they take the assessment report to be true even through it wasn't. I jusr carried on sending any info and evidence to the tribunal who then returned copies back to say received. Finally 2 weeks ago i had a text abd email then a letter to say an hearing was bookex for Friday 14th of February at 3pm (been waiting for over a year). The clerk was very professional explained that 3 people would be on the panel, A judge, A Doctor, A disability specialist and have no connection to dwp. She also said dwp are invited but very rarely attend which they hadn't today. She then said thst these 3 professional people had been very good at making a decision on the same day (as some wont and will require further information). The Clerk then asked that we not speak until the end but would get a say if wanting to add to the discussion and this is also recorded as this is the law. We (Me my Son and Husband) were then called into the room and my Son was asked questions by all 3 professionals i didnt unfortunately interrupt on one occasion and was asked by the Judge to stop or i would be removed. At the end of the discussion Me and my Husband gave our input( i also apologized for my interruption and the Judge was very calm and accepted it happened and genuinely a lovely person). We were then told by the Judge that we could wait while they make a decision or they could post this to us we said we would wait in the waiting room. After about what felt like half an hour but was probably only 5 minutes we were called back in and a letter was on the table in front of me. The Judge then said you have won the appeal standard for daily and lower for mobility this is until 2022 and dwp will have to backdate the claim from January 2019 i just burst into tears just relieved that we had won and it was over. The Judge seemed to understand my Son had issues and said see how you get on until 2022 obviously meaning my Son hopefully will be more able to do things that he's not able to do now which i thought was very professional. Im just glad its over but people shouldn't be having to go through this stress due to the dwp hoping they can scare people into not appealing by flatly refusing MR. Something needs to be done as i saw 2 cases before ours come out winning.

DuffersMum

They have tried to scare and intimidate me so I withdraw my appeal, I won’t go into what they have said or done but it hasn’t worked and I’m pressing ahead with it..it’s not enough the assessor lied and wrote a load of rubbish on my report, now they try to intimidate me. Their behaviour could quite easily tip anybody who suffers with mental health issues etc over the edge, thankfully I don’t have those problems and will not withdraw my appeal.

cristobal

"They have tried to scare and intimidate me so I withdraw my appeal..." "Yes DWP are awful"

Just to add a bit of balance I've always had a positive experience with DWP.

I had major issues with the assessment company who were rude, evasive and dishonest but the DWP were completely different - always helpful, and polite.

In my case the assessor subsequently had to make some corrections to their initial assessment. The DWP were insistent that I was due some more money (which wasn't what I was moaning about), carried out a MR and I got an increase...

Just goes to show that there is, most likely, good and bad in every organisation...

Good luck @DuffersMum

Redeemed

At my PIP medical last year the asessor was very friendly, yet swore consistently through the procedure (F word) and said two telling things:
1) you should definitely appeal
2) I'm not going to put everything down or you will lose your license - there was nothing in my history to threaten my license

The report she has submitted is a pack of lies, she has understated my symptoms or plain just negated them full stop.
She also did our friend's medical and told her "we don't give you money and a car to sit on your **** and watch telly".
Interestingly at MR stage I was awarded 7 points for care on the least amount of evidence and contrary to everything this woman said. I am now preparing a final tribunal submission pointing out the stronger evidence and it's relevance to their descriptors.
This avowed independence of the assessors is complete horse ****.