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PIP Update
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So my Son called the DWP for me and asked about what was happening with my claim (it was a review) the lady said it can take up to 12 weeks atm but when my Son said it had taken 18 weeks so far she went off and started looking into it all, she came back to him and said that the DM has contacted my medical centre for more info because there is a dispute with the assessors report? She said the Medical Centre's holding it up because they've been asked twice for info and haven't responded, so my Son called the medical centre who said they are aware of it and they are waiting for a GP to sort it out.
This has spiked my anxiety and made me worry
This has spiked my anxiety and made me worry
Replies
If you can remove my anxiety and worry that would be awesome! lol.
I don't know? I just know it's having a really big knock on effect to my mental and physical health.
It turns out that even though the decision maker messed me around for six months and also bothered my GP for information that he's still gone along with the assessors report/recommendation, which means I've been dropped from enhanced in both to standard when nothing has changed since the first assessment apart from being diagnosed with FM, it's pretty disgusting really.
I tried the search feature but it comes up with stuff that isn't helpful and I don't want to post a fresh thread because I'm not keen on a few of the people that respond on this site, they make my anxiety worse which is why I very rarely post on here now (no offence, just being honest).
Thanks in advance
I hope the links @poppy123456 has provided are helpful.
Here is the MR article we have on the Scope website.
Scope community team
I hope you don't mind me adding another link but this is quite a useful guide as well: https://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/how-win-pip-appeal.
Best of luck and please let us know if we can do anything else to support you.
Scope
The problem is now, I'm having to chase the medical centre up again to see what information they've actually sent back and who to, they aren't exactly helpful
Thank you, I've emailed the practice manager about it to see if she can tell me what was requested exactly.
(Yes I do understand they need to do assessments to make sure we are still eligible for benefits, it is just that the way they do it is unnecessarily stressful.)
Also, am I right in thinking, if my new award started on the 14th of October 2019 and your PIP is paid in arrears, don't they owe me at least three weeks money from my original award which I assume ended the same day they started the new award? In the letter she claims I've been paid money and I'll get a letter about it but I never did because it was recalled by the DWP.
Sorry you're feeling low also, if you ever want to chat in private feel free to pm me
Scope community team
Scope
The clerical/admin staff at the medical centre aren't that great if I'm honest
Was it right to point out the descriptors he awarded me points in but shouldn't have? I've been told it's best to be honest about it.
.
Yeah it was a "manager" (not the case manager) that called me and said it wasn't the final decision. He called after someone made a complaint on my behalf.
The fact is that both the assessor and case manager have access to information which explains why I don't take meds or have input, they've both ignored it and used that as part of their reason for me not having problems 50% of the time over 12 months, there were other false claims made in the report and no I'm not just saying that because my money was dropped. He didn't even recognise that I was having a panic attack at the beginning of the assessment for about 10 - 20 minutes of it, he claimed it was leg bouncing, it was shaking.. there is so much stuff that both of them have missed and in turn they have both impacted my health because they are pretty much making me out to be a liar.
Also I don't think it's good just awarding someone because their claim is running out if you don't have the full info to go on, this also causes stress because she's sent me a letter with false reasons on it.
I'm actually tempted to make a complaint about the case manager as well..
Edit: Managed to get a hold of the Welfare Rights officer, he hasn't sent the MR yet. I deleted a bit of this post because I feel like I'm repeating myself out of annoyance and frustration which is what I tend to do when my anxiety flares up.
That's the problem isn't it, they have access to info but don't look at it and then go off based on someone who has had 5 weeks training, who are a lot of the time not specialised in anything, in my case it was a nurse. They can't expect these people to understand certain mental and physical health problems when not even GP's and specialists always understand them.
I'm getting conflicting information from the DWP and my medical centre, I don't know who has asked for what, all I know is that my GP filled in a "factual report" and the assistant practice manager is saying that Capita requested this, but when I spoke to this DWP manager he told me the case manager requested this and even though it was sent back on the 2nd of September, they still haven't received it.
My Son was also told that two requests for information were sent to my GP but my GP only received one.
I'm already very annoyed at the fact I've been messed around for 6 months and that the case manager has awarded me PIP before she had this factual report, plus she's ignored information that she had access to already.
No sadly I don't, I only really have anything to do with my Mum and Son and I can't ask my Mum because she lives miles away. I don't mind the security bits.
It was sent on the 2nd of September, surly the DWP would have received it by now? Yes the assistant practice manager has offered to do just that, she said she can send it via fax or email if needed but I need to find out if the DWP have gotten it yet or not and see if they would like the medical centre to resend the report. Ok that's confusing, this is what the APM said, I'm not sure she got the bit about Capita being the same as the DWP? but anyway.
"With regard to DWP we have only had one request for information which we received via fax on 6th August 2019, Dr completed the forms and we returned them to DWP on 2nd September 2019. It was a request for a GP factual report from Capita, a lady called Angela. Capita is the same as DWP, Capita issue the forms and process the claims on behalf of Department for Work and Pensions. We still have a copy if they have not received the one we sent, we can fax it, post it or e-mail it to them."
Is this kind of thing normal where they make an award anyway without having the full info? The manager said it was because my award was due to end in November?
I was thinking about asking for a copy as well to be honest.
So sorry you are going through this.
Have you tried your MP?
Our MP helped with adult son's case when he was give zero points.
Decision was that he needed NO support yet he's lived in supported housing for five years.
Why do they think he's in supported housing then? The clue is in the name?!!!!!
It was overturned at mandatory reconsideration with the help of MP.
I wish you luck and sincerely hope it gets sorted out
Talk about stress!!
Thank you
Just to update the thread, my Son managed to call the DWP, the lady looked at the system and said the case manager now had the report and that it was up to her if she changed the award or not (obviously). So at least that's with the case manager and being looked at.
Also the Welfare Rights did an MR the other day which has been sent back so IF the case manager does change the award in my favour, am I able to cancel the MR?
Sorry your MP isn't helping. We must have got lucky. Ours is Labour and is trying to get this system changed. He sent us a humdinger of a letter saying how disgusting and stressful the current system is.
Of course, he may be just trying to get our votes but either way he helped our son.
When you say "case manager" is that the DM or someone else?
Well it's not what the DWP are saying Poppy although I do agree with you, which is why I went with the WFO's advice to do the MR, I did manage to get him to change a couple of bits I was concerned about before he sent it. I was just wondering that IF she did change the award if I'm able to cancel the MR, I'm obviously not going to cancel it unless the award goes back to the same as it was before.
Honestly Poppy, I'm very annoyed, frustrated and anxious, the whole process has had a big impact on my health and I'm contemplating making a complaint in regards to how they've handled my claim/review.
Whoops, that certainly would have been better in writing obviously.
If you receive any more calls (whether you answer or someone else) ask them to put it in writing.
Not very helpful right now, sorry
Totally understand about the stress.
I was crying for days last week after I received mine (and that was a good result)!!
Still haven't recovered properly now.
Can you switch off a bit by watching films or something?
I did that A LOT whilst waiting for mine.
And of course, keep coming on here for support. x
paffuto10 I find it very hard to switch off once I'm stressed and anxious, I'm already someone that worries about anything and everything.
I had some men here yesterday replacing and fitting in new extractor fans but they were getting on my nerves because I didn't want them here (I'm not good with people, especially men), so the more anxious and annoyed I got the more I started to rant, then my poor Son had to deal with it and calm me down and yet I have Capita and the DWP say I'm pretty much ok from just a 65 minute assessment? If only I was, I'd be out working. Pardon the rant.
Absolutely come and have a rant on here, many of us do.
I know how very difficult anxiety can be. Have a daughter with borderline personality disorder and son with severe autism.
Daughter was up all night because a gas engineer was coming to fix the boiler in her new flat.
I've had to rebook him.
She's only just been given the flat (council). She's been living here at home recuperating for a year because she had a really bad episode last year with anxiety and depression.
She's much better now in general but even an engineer coming is too much for her. Her dad is going to the new flat with her for next appointment. He couldn't go this time unfortunately and I'm usually laid up in bed.
I do hope your PIP is sorted soon. x
I typed out a bit of a rant but deleted it as I don't feel comfy ranting about what happened in the assessment because people sometimes pick fault with what you're saying and try and correct you which just adds to my anxiety.
Thanks for being so understanding.
Someone once said to me and hubby "your son doesn't look autistic"!
Hubby replied "oh, what does having autism look like then?
@justdon what? I can't believe someone expected that.. people are so narrow minded sometimes.
I do try and speak out if I can and if I feel the need, I feel it helps others to speak out as well.
I'm very sorry you were treated like that and failed by the system.
Justdon, If you're interested, this is a blog I wrote a while ago with the help of a friend of mine. It obviously doesn't go into full detail of things that happened to me because I don't want to trigger people mental health, plus I can't remember some of it.
https://raiseawarenessblogblog.wordpress.com/
I pretty much sit here with anxiety, depression and pain among other issues on a daily basis, the whole thing with the DWP and Capita haven't helped matters, they've succeeded in making me feel worse if anything.
Hi and thanks for asking. Still muddling through at this end
Although, I am just going through a bout of either colitis or IBS (don't know which yet until I have further tests). So can only eat about 4 crackers a day until it passes.!!
Could murder a chicken and chips!!
@WF2k
You're so right about lack of support for mental ill health.
Daughter is having to pay for private therapy for her Borderline disorder and I am on a ten month waiting list for PTSD treatment.
So annoying when TV programmes depict it as being able to get help immediately!!
And as you say, dealing with PIP and it's complications as well is just far too much!! x
when I first started getting help with my mental help (which took how many years of taking different meds), it was much faster and you were given more sessions, like for counselling I had around 26 sessions.
I can't remember how many sessions I had for my first lot of CBT but I know when I tried CBT again I was only given 6 sessions which I didn't complete because the therapist was a bit ugh.
I was also considering going private until they dropped my PIP, there's a nice lady on Scope I was going to do the counselling with.
Are you waiting for result of MR now?
Sorry, I've lost track of where you're up to. (fuddled brain today)
And have you managed to find anything at all (apart from coming on here) to take your mind off things while you're waiting?
Thanks @Chobbly that tune is pretty awesome, I'm sat here listening to it while typing this lol. Yeah anxiety is a nightmare to deal with, it's like having a little devil on you shoulder telling you how to think!
Thank you for sharing this with us. I am so sorry that you feel like this, it cannot be nice to be passed around. I know we don't provide crisis support, but I hope the online community can continue to be there for you.
I imagine this can be very frustrating! I hope the chicken and chips will be waiting for you! If there is anything we can do then please do let us know.
Sorry every time I start talking about it I get annoyed and waffle!
No need to apologise for feeling annoyed and as for waffling, I'm such a waffler you could put jam on me!!
I think for me it's the fact I feel like me, my Son, a shrink, my previous GP and the previous assessor are being called liars, I mean it's really stupid because the previous assessor totally got my agoraphobia/anxiety and had less info and yet this recent one had my old psychiatrist report and other information plus access to the previous assessors report which I'm told the DM would compare to the newer one (DWP told me that) and yet I don't struggle with my problems 50% of the time over 12 months, really? and how would someone know this by doing a 60 minute assessment where he was looking at his laptop for at least 90% of the time, didn't even recognise that I was having a panic attack and was struggling to the point my Son was having to try and help, oh no he didn't notice any of that.. and then the fact the date of the assessment and the completion date on the report are 6 days apart ring alarm bells for me.
Also something else I'm trying to get my head around, why make a decision before you have all the info.. I'm wondering if I ought to complain about the decision maker as well and no it's not about having my award dropped, it's about pretty much having my mental health problems shoved to one side and not taken seriously.
I wish I could show you guys both of my reports so you can see why I'm so annoyed.
I do wish that Scope would fix the block feature, I've reported it how many times. I don't want to keep seeing blocked people's posts in the you've commented section. What's the point of having block if you can still see what people are posting..
If you do offer extra information then they have to take account of this...guidance is below. It doesn't mention when you can give the assessor this evidence - like you I gave my assessor it at the end of the interview. She didn't include it in her report!
"If a claimant brings further relevant evidence to a face-to-face consultation which is not already on PIPCS, the HP should always consider its relevance when completing their assessment report. Under normal circumstances the HP would make copies of the original evidence and hand the originals back to the claimant. In circumstances where it is not possible to copy the further evidence, perhaps during home consultations or where the claimant does not wish to part with the evidence, then it is permissible for the HP to make notes from the original further evidence documentation. The copy of the evidence or HP notes from the evidence should be sent to the CM with the completed report."
(I believe PIPCS is the computer system that DWP use, HP = assessor and CM = Case manager)
Hope this helps ...
I recorded my assessment so I have an accurate record of what went on. I gave the assessor my additional info and she scanned through it - took about 10-15 seconds from when I gave it to her to when she passed it back. 10-15 seconds to read/ make notes on approximately a page and a half of A4 typed. It wasn't included in her report.
I also wasn't asked for consent before I was examined, neither was the procedure explained, and when I stopped because I was in pain I was asked "Are you sure it's definitely pain?" (Paraphrasing here - I don't remember accurately without checking)
The answer to your question about why procedure wasn't followed is that no-one is interested. The overwhelming majority of assessments are done correctly - those that aren't, if you complain, are just ignored.
The key is just to try not to let it bother you - although in my case I found this very difficult. and I got very stressed/angry until I concluded that it wasn't worth it. The consent thing didn't really bother me - if I hadn't consented I wouldn't have done it. Doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done properly though...
I don't have any stats - sorry. They would be very difficult to interpret anyway because, without looking at an individual case, no-one know whether a claim is valid or not. I'd guess that most people who get PIP think the system is great; those who don't think it's rubbish. But again I don't know.
Speaking generally people tend to concentrate on the negative stuff. No-one wants to hear that thousands of trains run on time; everyone will let you know about the one that doesn't. People don't say how polite traffic wardens are when they've got a ticket. Or that they didn't have to queue in the supermarket.
It's the same here I think. My assessor wasn't very good but you can't generalise and say "all assessors are xx" - it's very important, in my opinion to treat people as individuals...
Have good day..
I've had both positive and negative experiences with PIP.
Where the system seems to fall down, in my opinion, is that it doesn't seem to allow for the fact that some people find it very difficult to claim because of their illness - which is why they're claiming in the first place e.g. find it difficult to fill forms in, go to interviews etc.
As you say, we each have our own opinion..
Have a good day ...
Totally.
If you offered the assessor additional evidence then the assessor should have noted it, and you should have been told to send the it to DWP (who scan it I understand?)
If this didn't happen - as in my case, and yours - then the assessor, in my opinion,hasn't followed the correct procedure...
How are you feeling this week? And have you heard anything from your mandatory reconsideration?
Hope you're coping.
Wishing you well x
Feeling poopy still and trying to figure out what's going on with my dog, she's being weird with her food, it could be her anxiety playing up because of the stupid fireworks
Not heard a thing about the MR or anything else yet, I do know the DM got the GP's factual report though but don't know if she's looked at it yet. I don't think the MR would have been looked at yet, I think it was only sent about 2 weeks ago, I mean it took my GP's report 7 weeks to get to them and to be put on their system lol.
I hope you are doing ok?