when is somebody in power going to listen?

thespiceman

Hello every one thought I would like to add  some points.

Which may be relevant .

I am aware that I have been doing the system of benefits a long time.

I would suggest always find some support in completing any forms.

Either from CAB or accessing on line welfare groups or organisations.

As a community champion.  I can give any one who needs anything around their disability or illness or condition. The relevant organisation or society or association.

Please can I also say if you do access support from any mental health charity. The support worker or outreach worker will put a report in the form. I would suggest ask for this.

As many do not offer the information you need to discuss any attendance or any help with them.

Some  organisations will charge you for attendance. Most charities are cash strapped. Car parking and the cost of petrol if you need picking up and taking there.

Some will ask if you have you own car , to pay for car parking fees and you will need to complete a standing order.

I would keep a copy of the form you have sent.  Including any care plans or anything involving your health and wellbeing that is connected to your illness or condition or disability. That does effect your daily  living.

Libraries can do this for you.

I would keep all benefit forms as well and letters. Benefit entitlement as well. Have a folder . Keep an eye on your bank account . Sometimes have not got your money. Have found out failed to tell me something so stopped my money. Absolutely shocking but true.

Tried to ring on my mobile when I asked to be contacted by landline.

Leaflets, booklets. Retain use a reference guide.

Anything to add to a form.  In my opinion useful. Diaries I note down my medication need to take.

Could be things like plan and do certain aspects of your home and lifestyle.

Want evidence use on line website from your surgery.  Most surgeries you can sign up to a website to get your prescription delivered.

Also other information, you can access your records. 

I do sympathise and have a heart for every one who has and is going through PIP or ESA benefit assessments.

This is emotive situation and I need to discuss. I know that some times the final outcome can be stressful and disappointing.  Can be a lot of anxiety.

One of the sensitive issues I have come across is on this forum.

When I first joined as a community champion.  Found members of our community. Would get there outcome on a Friday .

The member concerned would come on to the forum discussing their situation and then feel the need to express in uncertain terms how they are feeling inside.

Debating and talking about ending ones life about an assessment outcome is never easy for any one to hear on an open forum.

I have in the past and still have to contact the members concerned. We have safe guarding in place. Contact the SCOPE team.

It is a sad poignant experience as you are waiting on the forum... You have sent a compassionate plea and your heart to some one who is in front of a screen.

May be hundreds of miles away. Waiting for them to come back and talk to you. Understand this is distressing to any one.

We as community champions have had training and have the foresight  those this pain.  Going through including organisations and helplines.

I hope that gives any one reassurance if those are going through this pain and struggle.

I wanted to add further please contact the forum.  Please if you need to talk the options over what you need to do.  With any outcome whether negative or positive.

We are here to listen, be supportive offer a lot of time. Have respect for those who are struggling with decisions and any thinking of what to do next.

I have lost a lot my self and including my lifeline. My car.  Here always .

I know dealing with assessors is a not easy one. Understand could fill an exercise book with experiences and attitudes.

They are a major problem. I do know that  it is not helping any one being in the assessment system with out getting stressed or anxious.

I used to do and do try to rehearse my thoughts what do I need to say .

Make a script. 

Give the time you need to get there.

When you arrive give yourself some time for deep breathing and some meditation.

I keep the answers to any question simple, short and not try to ramble.  

I have has certain assessors confuse me and give me a sharp retort.  This is something does happen, so try to stay calm.

I will admit they do get your back up. Hackles rise. Had one assessor why do I need a support worker.

Another being critical of my disability, hands and other things.

I do not do the physical side of any assessment do not have to. Says in the booklet and have never done that. Many times.

Probably lost points now I have but now know it is a fruitless exercise.  I have like some members know many of the medical professionals are not what they seem to be. 

Many reports contain inaccurate words and have made complaints. Another one thing I do.  I did ask several times assessors to read back any thing but they do have this attitude.

Which I never understand . 

Done appeals, tribunals been to hell and back. Use my faith, my courage, my strengths to learn and educate my self.

In the knowledge how to cope with any of this.

There are positive stories around assessments. Unfortunately we do not hear them. I had some positive outcomes and focus on them.

I wish every one well in any assessment. 

Please if I be a friend in those who are suffering please contact me.  Happy to be one.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

WhileIBreathIHope

Record Everything
Realise DWP employed Atos and Lima system that is banned in several US states for disability denial. ATOS WERE THE FALL GUYS AND Lima still used under MAXIMUS. 

BOTTOM LINE IT IS NO MISTAKE AND YOUR MP VOTED FOR WELFARE CUTS IN MOST CASES. 

Be prepared for a tribunal and it is a numbers game. 

My friend who's spine is crumbling and multiple operations and supporting evidence - said he lived in house and a flat and various CONTRADICTIONS-2 YEARS TO FIGHT TO FIX IT.

I dread the day as my DLA yet to be reviewed, plan merry hell as I know it is a CON

Roddy

WhileIBreathIHope said:

Record Everything
Realise DWP employed Atos and Lima system that is banned in several US states for disability denial. ATOS WERE THE FALL GUYS AND Lima still used under MAXIMUS. 

BOTTOM LINE IT IS NO MISTAKE AND YOUR MP VOTED FOR WELFARE CUTS IN MOST CASES. 

Be prepared for a tribunal and it is a numbers game. 

My friend who's spine is crumbling and multiple operations and supporting evidence - said he lived in house and a flat and various CONTRADICTIONS-2 YEARS TO FIGHT TO FIX IT.

I dread the day as my DLA yet to be reviewed, plan merry hell as I know it is a CON

Recording everything is a must. It is also very wise to take somebody with you when you're being assessed. Take photocopies of everything that you send the DWP including a copy of your completed form. My own assessment for ESA was dreadful to the extent that as soon as I returned home I wrote a letter of complaint immediately, and demanded to be assessed again. I received an apology (of sorts) from the assessment centre and Her decision was overruled. If you are unable to be assessed with a witness of your own choice, then tell the DWP before you attend and then do your level best to find a person who will go with you. 

Roddy

cristobal said:

 When a person has previously been entitled to PIP for many years and the DWP decision was for 'indefinitely' what on Earth could have happened to make the person less entitled once these assessments were rolled out as they have been and continue to be? 

@roddy - I'd not heard about this before...are there people who have been granted PIP indefinitely who have had their award changed? I didn't actually realise that there is an 'indefinite' review date...

My son was awarded His DLA and then also his PIP for an indefinite period. As soon as Universal Credit appeared, he was assessed again and his benefit was stopped for months on end before it was paid again. However, it is my understanding that these assessments are now ongoing and every three years. My son's condition will never change, and neither will my own, but not according to DWP who will call us both in again and the whole palaver will be repeated... 

poppy123456

There's no indefinite awards of PIP. The longest possible award is 10 years with a light touch review but that's not indefinite.

cristobal

@roddy - thanks ...I thought that you were talking about PIP...don't know about UC so I can't comment...

Sorry that you're being messed about tho' ...

paffuto10

poppy123456 said:

paffuto10 said:

Where have all the replies gone? 
If you look under "recent discussions" it says 105 replies but now there's only 5?

I'm still quite new here,  do they get removed when they reach 100?

This is a huge thread and is 2 pages long, not sure what you're looking at but there's definitely more than just 5 replies. The only people that can remove comments/threads are admin.

It's ok Poppy, I hadn't noticed the left /right arrows at the bottom. 

@thespiceman explained it to me earlier but thanks anyway 

Roddy

poppy123456 said:

There's no indefinite awards of PIP. The longest possible award is 10 years with a light touch review but that's not indefinite.

Well, according to the written confirmation that I have from DWP, what else does 'indefinitely' mean?
I've retained every document relating to my son since 1995 and his first DLA entitlement confirmed it was for indefinitely. That DLA was changed to PIP is not the issue... or at least it shouldn't be.  

Roddy

paffuto10

Isn't it that DLA gives "indefinite" and PIP  gives "ongoing" (which is up to 10 years)? 

cristobal

@roddy - I think you might be getting confused between DLA and PIP- which are two different benefits with different criteria.

As @paffuto10 says DLA  had 'indefinite' awards but this has been replaced by PIP which has 10 year max.

You can no longer claim DLA if you are an adult...

As i said I don't know about other benefits but I imagine they all have different criteria...

dolfrog

Roddy

cristobal said:

@roddy - I think you might be getting confused between DLA and PIP- which are two different benefits with different criteria.

As @paffuto10 says DLA  had 'indefinite' awards but this has been replaced by PIP which has 10 year max.

You can no longer claim DLA if you are an adult...

As i said I don't know about other benefits but I imagine they all have different criteria...

I know @cristobal, but that part of my point. PIP simply replaced DLA but it's more or less the same thing with the same criterion, and it's only difference is what it's now called. It shouldn't penalise or go back on previous DLA decisions, but it does.

Roddy

paffuto10

@Roddy

Here's a good trick...

My assessor had placed the two client chairs in such a position that to reach the desk (to pass something to assessor or for her to pass me something) you have to stretch just slightly. 

I can't stretch so asked hubby to pass stuff. 
But I wonder how many people pushed themselves to stretch, then lost points because of it? 

cristobal

@roddy - I haven't claimed DLA as i said so I'm possibly not best placed to comment - and I won't after this - but I have always understood that DLA & PIP are different not just a 're-branding'...

Looking on this forum this seems to be what causes a lot of difficulty - because there is an assumption that if you previously qualified for DLA then you automatically qualified for PIP and you don't.

I'm done on this now - but I'm sorry if I've misunderstood what you are saying...

Good luck ...

C

dolfrog

cristobal said:

@roddy - I haven't claimed DLA as i said so I'm possibly not best placed to comment - and I won't after this - but I have always understood that DLA & PIP are different not just a 're-branding'...

Looking on this forum this seems to be what causes a lot of difficulty - because there is an assumption that if you previously qualified for DLA then you automatically qualified for PIP and you don't.

I'm done on this now - but I'm sorry if I've misunderstood what you are saying...

Good luck ...

C

PIP was introduced by this government purely to rebrand  and replace DLA so the they could reduce the amount of benefit being paid so that they can reduce their taxes. Pure disability discrimination 

worried33

My understanding of ongoing pip awards is there is no automatic end date of payments hence "ongoing" (same as ESA in that respect), but a light touch review will be triggered around the 10 year point, the ongoing nature of the award suggests the DWP are not expecting many if any at all of ongoing awards to have a termination on review.  So it seems they are prepared to let those awards overshoot the 10 year point in the case of a delayed review. 

Roddy

dolfrog said:

cristobal said:

@roddy - I haven't claimed DLA as i said so I'm possibly not best placed to comment - and I won't after this - but I have always understood that DLA & PIP are different not just a 're-branding'...

Looking on this forum this seems to be what causes a lot of difficulty - because there is an assumption that if you previously qualified for DLA then you automatically qualified for PIP and you don't.

I'm done on this now - but I'm sorry if I've misunderstood what you are saying...

Good luck ...

C

PIP was introduced by this government purely to rebrand DLA so the they could reduce the amount of benefit being paid so that they can reduce their taxes. Pure disability discrimination 

Exactly, @dolfrog... It's the same-old Tories all over. Ruling with an iron fist and to hell with the electorate. They never listen. They just plough through with their blinkers on, and leaving havoc behind them. 100,000+ could complain or march but it still wouldn't alter their pig-headed attitudes. It was the same with the Poll Tax. Public pressure is meaningless. Anybody and everybody that doesn't work or look for a job, is bone idle in their eyes, and yet what kind of work do THEY do? Naff all. They're all totally unfit for purpose, and they should hang their heads in shame for what they're doing, and have done to the disabled... I'm going to invite them all to dance on my gravel... ...I'm being buried at sea! LOL  

Roddy

worried33 said:

My understanding of ongoing pip awards is there is no automatic end date of payments hence "ongoing" (same as ESA in that respect), but a light touch review will be triggered around the 10 year point, the ongoing nature of the award suggests the DWP are not expecting many if any at all of ongoing awards to have a termination on review.  So it seems they are prepared to let those awards overshoot the 10 year point in the case of a delayed review. 

Hi @worried33 Who knows what they'll introduce in 10 years time? It's anybody's guess, as they change the rules at the drop of a hat to suit their own requirements. Put it this way, could you have imagined this ridiculous fiasco would be in place, 10 years ago? I hardly know what they're doing next week, let alone in 10 years time.