Complaints about PIP assessments up 6,000 per cent in three years — Scope | Disability forum
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Complaints about PIP assessments up 6,000 per cent in three years

Gerald
Gerald Member Posts: 214 Pioneering
in PIP, DLA, and AA
Hi all do not know if you have seen this but it says it all as I can see about PIP                                                                                                   

The number of complaints to the government about the PIP assessment process has surged by more than 6,000 per cent in three years, prompting fresh concerns that the system is “flawed” and harming disabled people.

This marks a surge of 570 per cent in two years and 6,463 per cent in three years. The overall number of PIP claims has risen by 67 per cent since 2016.

Thousands of disabled people refused PIP claimants challenge the decision each year with 73% winning their appeals at an independent tribunal.  

Ian Lavery, the Labour MP who obtained the figures through a parliamentary question, said the current benefits system was “driving people into destitution”.

He said that in the year to March 2019, his office helped constituents win back a total of £275,011 in PIP claims and appeals, and that even the local authorities welfare support team were passing cases to his caseworkers.

A DWP spokesperson said: “We want the PIP assessment process to work well for everyone and have made significant improvements, including testing the video recording of assessments. This year complaints represented less than 1 per cent of all PIP assessments.”

Ken Butler DR UK’s Welfare Rights and Policy Adviser said – 

“The downplaying of the huge rise in PIP medical assessment complaints is appalling.  

The poor and inaccurate standards of PIP and ESA assessments have been continually criticised from their introduction. No less than 84% of social security appeals relate to PIP and ESA.

Eve if a complaint is not made directly to Atos or Capita, every challenge to a PIP decision is in effect a complaint against that individual PIP medical assessment.                                                                                                                                                                                        And this is the link for the last bit https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2019/may/complaints-about-pip-assessments-6000-cent-three-years

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  • Threesticks
    Threesticks Member Posts: 128 Pioneering
    Yes, all this Govern-ments chickens are coming home to roost. Thanks for this info and links ;)
    If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
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  • Gerald
    Gerald Member Posts: 214 Pioneering
    Threesticks said:
    Yes, all this Govern-ments chickens are coming home to roost. Thanks for this info and links ;)
    Hi Threesticks your welcome thanks 
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  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Connected
    But in all of that what must also be pointed out in defence is that those that 'win' at a Tribunal only represent less that 0.5% of the overall number of PIP claims made.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    Oh, I'll be the next to make a complaint about the assessor I had in April.
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  • Gerald
    Gerald Member Posts: 214 Pioneering
    Hi WF2k I wish I did that with the ? Hole I had.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    Yeah, I just need to figure out how to word it and what I should mention in the complaint, I mean the fact of the matter is that my award has gone from me being awarded enhanced in 2014 with 18 points in each to probably being awarded standard with only 8 points in each and the first award was based pretty much on my mental health where as this one is based on physical health.. He's claimed there's no evidence when there is, he's claimed I never stated things at the assessment when both myself and my Son did.. he's even claimed I've said things that I haven't.. so yeah. I wonder if he forgot that it was recorded lol.
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  • Threesticks
    Threesticks Member Posts: 128 Pioneering
    It's correct what it says in the report. If you make an MR, that's a complaint. So from what I've read on here,I'd say 6000% is an underestimation.

    If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
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  • axwy62
    axwy62 Member Posts: 140 Pioneering
    The nurse that assessed me couldn't see my wheelchair and, even though I remained in my chair throughout, imagined me walking more than 50 metres in a room less than 5 metres long - I'm sure I'd remember walking round in circles! I have my next assessment this afternoon, and I'm expecting more of the same.
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  • Gerald
    Gerald Member Posts: 214 Pioneering
    HI axwy62 well I have my day with the Tribunal today after it starting back in Feb 2018 to 17th may 2019 and that is after my assessment from DLA to PIP back in 2017 it one hell of pain in the A??. 
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    @axwy62 omg.. that's terrible! How the hell can they not see you sitting in a wheelchair, it's all mind boggling!

    @Gerald it's pretty **** really, there shouldn't be so many tribunals, they should be listening to people at the MR stage.
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  • Gerald
    Gerald Member Posts: 214 Pioneering
    Hi WF2k  I do not think that the DWP do not like going against Atos at the MR stage as that may show how bad a job there doing with the assessments Atos so keep paying them to do the job so bad and hope you give up before you get to the Tribunal .
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  • Threesticks
    Threesticks Member Posts: 128 Pioneering
    Gerald said:
    HI axwy62 well I have my day with the Tribunal today after it starting back in Feb 2018 to 17th may 2019 and that is after my assessment from DLA to PIP back in 2017 it one hell of pain in the A??. 
    Best of luck, remember they are only human, just like the rest of us ;)
    If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
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  • Threesticks
    Threesticks Member Posts: 128 Pioneering
    axwy62 said:
    The nurse that assessed me couldn't see my wheelchair and, even though I remained in my chair throughout, imagined me walking more than 50 metres in a room less than 5 metres long - I'm sure I'd remember walking round in circles! I have my next assessment this afternoon, and I'm expecting more of the same.
    A friend of mine is wheelchair bound and cannot communicate at all, except for grunts and moans, The assessor said he could walk and talk with very little help, that's what his carer told me. My friend was summoned to the Jobcentre for UC . When he arrived, and they saw him, they were apologising to him and his Mum (his carer) for the inconvenience they caused.
    If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
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  • axwy62
    axwy62 Member Posts: 140 Pioneering
    I think some people genuinely believe my wheelchair is a fashion accessory! If you try to complain about these ‘errors’, it’s always that there’s no recording so it’s your word against theirs.
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  • Threesticks
    Threesticks Member Posts: 128 Pioneering
    axwy62 said:
    I think some people genuinely believe my wheelchair is a fashion accessory! If you try to complain about these ‘errors’, it’s always that there’s no recording so it’s your word against theirs.
    They wouldn't want to be video recorded, it wouldn't help their case now would it lol. You can audio record if you jump through their hoops to do so. But, they video record you as soon as you arrive, on their cctv.  
    If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    They really do need to start doing video recordings, I recorded my assessment with permission from Capita, so I do have evidence as to what I said and sort of how I was in my assessment (I was stuttering, forgetting things etc and my Son was having to help me).
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  • axwy62
    axwy62 Member Posts: 140 Pioneering
    Well it’s done, and assuming the assessor is honest, it couldn’t have gone better. What goes in her report is beyond my control for now, but authorised or not, I have recordings just in case.
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  • Gerald
    Gerald Member Posts: 214 Pioneering
    axwy62 said:
    Well it’s done, and assuming the assessor is honest, it couldn’t have gone better. What goes in her report is beyond my control for now, but authorised or not, I have recordings just in case.
    Hi axwy62  I hope you did get a good assessor and get your pip but there are a lot of assessors out there that don't know the word honest if it hit them in face :*:*
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    Yeah, hope it went well.

    I need to try and stop feeling angry.. silly assessor trying to say I don't have mental health problems...  :#
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  • twonker
    twonker Posts: 617 Connected
    axwy62 said:
    Well it’s done, and assuming the assessor is honest, it couldn’t have gone better. What goes in her report is beyond my control for now, but authorised or not, I have recordings just in case.
    How would you want to use that recording if it came to a MR or Tribunal hearing?
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