Unhappy with my assessor...advice?

vivienne1

Hi

I had my PIP assessment on Wednesday. The only word I can think of for it is "hellish". The woman doing it was awful. I am applying because of PTSD and my mental health. My husband died suddenly and I have issues with it. 

First of all the assessment center was directly across the road from the office where he collapsed. I didn't know the address but when I saw the building I had terrible flashbacks to it all happening. I was in tears and shaking. 

The assessor had no awareness of mental health issues or trauma. I had to explain to her what CBT was and twice I had to correct her as she repeated back what I said. My therapist had helped me complete a diary of how I am affected but she didn't even look at it saying we are pressed for time" in fact she said that twice, cutting me off. All her questions centered on my physical ability to do things. I said to her that physically is not the issue it's mentally doing things. After that any question she asked said to my reply "Ah yes, your mental health". When she asked me about walking a distance I said I physically could but mentally I cant go further than a few steps without panic. "Ah yes your mental health" A siren takes me back to being in the ambulance, them shouting and cutting my husband's clothes off. "Ah yes your mental health"...like she was bored listening to me.

She spoke more about my asthma and varicose vein than she did about my mental health. And I hadn't even mentioned them on the form as my asthma is well controlled and my varicose vein only gets a support stocking. She only knew about the asthma because I listed my inhaler in my medication list.

Then as she escorted me out she said to my back "I hope you get the help you obviously need" but it wasn't said in a supportive manner it sounded quite frankly snide like my mental health made her uncomfortable.

I actually feel traumatised by it and a bit set back by it. My therapist said I should only speak about my trauma in a safe space and that certainly didn't feel safe. . I was a civil servant for 25 years and would never have been allowed to peak to someone the way she did. I felt uncomfortable, humiliated, patronised. Tbh, I dont care if I get the award or not as I feel defeated by the whole process. (I doubt I am as she was barely listening) But I want to make sure she never treats anyone else like that, someone even more vulnerable than me could react really badly to it. I was lucky, I had support when I came out.

Is it possible to make a complaint about your assessor?

poppy123456

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear this. I would advise you to wait a week and request a copy of the assessment report by ringing DWP, once you receive this it will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be because they mostly go with the report.

Any complaints need to be sent to the health assessment providers, details how to do this will be on their website.

mkl14

vivienne1 said:

Hi

I had my PIP assessment on Wednesday. The only word I can think of for it is "hellish". The woman doing it was awful. I am applying because of PTSD and my mental health. My husband died suddenly and I have issues with it. 

First of all the assessment center was directly across the road from the office where he collapsed. I didn't know the address but when I saw the building I had terrible flashbacks to it all happening. I was in tears and shaking. 

The assessor had no awareness of mental health issues or trauma. I had to explain to her what CBT was and twice I had to correct her as she repeated back what I said. My therapist had helped me complete a diary of how I am affected but she didn't even look at it saying we are pressed for time" in fact she said that twice, cutting me off. All her questions centered on my physical ability to do things. I said to her that physically is not the issue it's mentally doing things. After that any question she asked said to my reply "Ah yes, your mental health". When she asked me about walking a distance I said I physically could but mentally I cant go further than a few steps without panic. "Ah yes your mental health" A siren takes me back to being in the ambulance, them shouting and cutting my husband's clothes off. "Ah yes your mental health"...like she was bored listening to me.

She spoke more about my asthma and varicose vein than she did about my mental health. And I hadn't even mentioned them on the form as my asthma is well controlled and my varicose vein only gets a support stocking. She only knew about the asthma because I listed my inhaler in my medication list.

Then as she escorted me out she said to my back "I hope you get the help you obviously need" but it wasn't said in a supportive manner it sounded quite frankly snide like my mental health made her uncomfortable.

I actually feel traumatised by it and a bit set back by it. My therapist said I should only speak about my trauma in a safe space and that certainly didn't feel safe. . I was a civil servant for 25 years and would never have been allowed to peak to someone the way she did. I felt uncomfortable, humiliated, patronised. Tbh, I dont care if I get the award or not as I feel defeated by the whole process. (I doubt I am as she was barely listening) But I want to make sure she never treats anyone else like that, someone even more vulnerable than me could react really badly to it. I was lucky, I had support when I came out.

Is it possible to make a complaint about your assessor?

Hi, i know this post is from a couple years ago but i genuinely had the same experience with my assesor. Her name was (Removed, personal details) she didnt even want to give me her name. She was african-carribean origin and was very rude. Im sorry you went through that but i think it was the same lady. did you end up making a complaint and what was decided? x

poppy123456

mkl14 said:

vivienne1 said:

Hi

I had my PIP assessment on Wednesday. The only word I can think of for it is "hellish". The woman doing it was awful. I am applying because of PTSD and my mental health. My husband died suddenly and I have issues with it. 

First of all the assessment center was directly across the road from the office where he collapsed. I didn't know the address but when I saw the building I had terrible flashbacks to it all happening. I was in tears and shaking. 

The assessor had no awareness of mental health issues or trauma. I had to explain to her what CBT was and twice I had to correct her as she repeated back what I said. My therapist had helped me complete a diary of how I am affected but she didn't even look at it saying we are pressed for time" in fact she said that twice, cutting me off. All her questions centered on my physical ability to do things. I said to her that physically is not the issue it's mentally doing things. After that any question she asked said to my reply "Ah yes, your mental health". When she asked me about walking a distance I said I physically could but mentally I cant go further than a few steps without panic. "Ah yes your mental health" A siren takes me back to being in the ambulance, them shouting and cutting my husband's clothes off. "Ah yes your mental health"...like she was bored listening to me.

She spoke more about my asthma and varicose vein than she did about my mental health. And I hadn't even mentioned them on the form as my asthma is well controlled and my varicose vein only gets a support stocking. She only knew about the asthma because I listed my inhaler in my medication list.

Then as she escorted me out she said to my back "I hope you get the help you obviously need" but it wasn't said in a supportive manner it sounded quite frankly snide like my mental health made her uncomfortable.

I actually feel traumatised by it and a bit set back by it. My therapist said I should only speak about my trauma in a safe space and that certainly didn't feel safe. . I was a civil servant for 25 years and would never have been allowed to peak to someone the way she did. I felt uncomfortable, humiliated, patronised. Tbh, I dont care if I get the award or not as I feel defeated by the whole process. (I doubt I am as she was barely listening) But I want to make sure she never treats anyone else like that, someone even more vulnerable than me could react really badly to it. I was lucky, I had support when I came out.

Is it possible to make a complaint about your assessor?

did you end up making a complaint and what was decided? x

No harm in making a complaint to the health assessment providers as advised on your other thread here. https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/89898/pip-assesment-capita-with-mamohube-mamo#latest

Lots of people complain but there's rarely anything done about it.