Should I appeal my PIP MR or are they usually a waste of time?

DuffersMum

KnobblyKnees said:

Seems things are getting a bit heated. Okay so my NI doesn't make any difference to PIP, it just gets me that I lived on a road where two blokes who had never done a stroke of ( official ) work in their lives because of a 'bad backs' yet still managed to father 9 kids between them and lay York stone driveways, fit a new engine in a car, work on the side as painters and decorators, shimmy up and down ladders and 'go t' club' every night for a skinful. Because of professional claimants like them we're all tarred with the same brush. If I'd followed their example I would still have my health, there's no justice.

And there is a definite connection between my PIP assessment and the DWP stopping my ESA. I filled in the EAS form in March and they stopped my payments on the same day the PIP sent the refusal in November. 8 months to decide I was a malingerer, I think not! The PIP assessor pounced on the fact when I blabbed I was on ESA, my housemate was female and even after I showed her evidence of the state of my knees and neck stated I didn't appear to be suffering from any pain and had 'normal movement'. Don't get me started on those ATOS ( Health Assessment Advisory Service ) [Removed by moderator]. On the asthma test he blatantly moved the marker and recorded a higher response and was so dishonest he claimed I did not have Baker's cysts behind the knees etc; etc; It's difficult to censor my language on this matter so I'd better leave it at that but you get the gist.

One thing I've noticed on the DWP reports is they make a big thing about me making eye contact. It was drilled into me as a kid to always make eye contact when I'm telling the truth. I suppose if I didn't look at them they'd say I was being evasive and shifty. You can't win. They also stated I didn't turn up wearing pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers haha. What the hell? Am I supposed to?

Thanks Duffer's Mum, and everyone else. How is Duffer by the way? And the best of British luck to you too. We'll need it! I'm fully expecting the ATOS assessor to state I cartwheeled into the room and tripped a light fandango while wearing tap shoes and carrying a 50 kg sack of coal.

I only popped back to say good luck to you, I won’t be posting anymore on here. Duffer is sadly no longer with us, he was my dog ? Hope you get the award you obviously deserve and need, despite the best efforts of DWP and ATOS x

Chloe_Alumni

Really sorry to hear this @DuffersMum! If there is anything we can do to help then please do let us know.

KnobblyKnees

Username_removed said:

KnobblyKnees said:

Seems things are getting a bit heated. Okay so my NI doesn't make any difference to PIP, it just gets me that I lived on a road where two blokes who had never done a stroke of ( official ) work in their lives because of a 'bad backs' yet still managed to father 9 kids between them and lay York stone driveways, fit a new engine in a car, work on the side as painters and decorators, shimmy up and down ladders and 'go t' club' every night for a skinful. Because of professional claimants like them we're all tarred with the same brush. If I'd followed their example I would still have my health, there's no justice.

And there is a definite connection between my PIP assessment and the DWP stopping my ESA. I filled in the EAS form in March and they stopped my payments on the same day the PIP sent the refusal in November. 8 months to decide I was a malingerer, I think not! The PIP assessor pounced on the fact when I blabbed I was on ESA, my housemate was female and even after I showed her evidence of the state of my knees and neck stated I didn't appear to be suffering from any pain and had 'normal movement'. Don't get me started on those ATOS ( Health Assessment Advisory Service ) [Removed by moderator]. On the asthma test he blatantly moved the marker and recorded a higher response and was so dishonest he claimed I did not have Baker's cysts behind the knees etc; etc; It's difficult to censor my language on this matter so I'd better leave it at that but you get the gist.

One thing I've noticed on the DWP reports is they make a big thing about me making eye contact. It was drilled into me as a kid to always make eye contact when I'm telling the truth. I suppose if I didn't look at them they'd say I was being evasive and shifty. You can't win. They also stated I didn't turn up wearing pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers haha. What the hell? Am I supposed to?

Thanks Duffer's Mum, and everyone else. How is Duffer by the way? And the best of British luck to you too. We'll need it! I'm fully expecting the ATOS assessor to state I cartwheeled into the room and tripped a light fandango while wearing tap shoes and carrying a 50 kg sack of coal.

Generally speaking there’s nothing to be gained from comparing yourself to others. You no more know the ins and outs of their health than they do yours. They presumably fathered children some years ago so that wouldn’t be relevant to their health more recently. There have been many investigations into the much propagated press myth of the lifelong workless household and eventually it triggered academic research which showed definitively that, despite assertions from the media and ministers, it has simply never existed. Respectfully therefore I’d suggest your assertion as to what work they have done would make them unique in the history of social security. I’m also not sure how you’d assess how much they drink or how having a social life is prohibited under social security legislation. You may also want to familiarise yourself with the many social security benefits which can be legitimately paid to people in work especially since in work poverty is now greater than out of work poverty for the 1st time in recorded history. 

To address your other points, there was indeed a connection between ESA and PIP but that was severed some time ago and I’m afraid anything which happens nowadays on that front is largely unfortunate coincidence. 

Wholly agree with you re: eye contact. It’s an immensely stupid measure of nothing in particular. 

Thanks for your thoughts but I'll have to disagree with you there. I lived on a 'Shameless' ( minus the drugs ) type estate for 20 years and I knew these blokes very well and they'd boast of how they got jobs at the pit just to get an NCB house then 'unfortunately' developed such chronic back pain they never worked again ( officially ) for over 20 years. One fathered six kids for the benefits despite his disability and chronic back pain and the oldest children were already following dad's example. Middle class academics are not very streetwise, I have lived among the workless and working class most of my life and I am working class but unable to any longer. Professional claimants do exist and this is how the DWP view all of us.

It's true, only fools and horses work.

poppy123456

Personally, i think it's wrong to judge other people. Regardless of how well a person claims they know someone, no one will ever know their exact circumstances. I would never judge anyone and i wouldn't want anyone to judge me either. Very few people claim benefits fraudulently. Invisible conditions do exist and a lot of people put a smile on their face when they go out through their door but when they return life returns to normal... i've been there, done that and wore the t-shirt.

KnobblyKnees

My, my someone's got a lot of time on their hands. I said they told me they got jobs to get their houses not that they did any official work. Their 'bad backs' were a running joke on the street and they reveled in their infamy it was a badge of honour for them that they were clever enough to exploit the system to it's fullest.  As for feeling impotent it didn't stop them having 9 kids between them for the perks or sending them up to my house when the little angels were big enough to shout abuse and throw stones and smash my windows because they found out I was 'different', ran a successful business and owned my own house. I can't be bothered to read all your tome but it's not being judgemental to observe you are extremely naive. My 'judgements' were based on their own testimony not anecdotal gossip.

I'm with Duffer's Mum on this, I'm not posting on here anymore, you can fester in your own juices mate.

Have a nice day

Adrian_Scope

Hi @KnobblyKnees, @Username_removed has taken the time to address your post politely, with facts and his own experience. Please be mindful of the tone of your posts and be sure to keep our community guidelines in mind.

Particularly: 

Keep it friendly

We want the community to be a safe and supportive place. Please make sure your messages respect other users’ views and suggestions, even if you do not agree with them.

Take care to present your views tactfully and remember that humour may be misinterpreted.

KnobblyKnees

No I disagree Adrian_Scope he's taken an awful lot of time to voice his own skewed opinion without knowing any of the actual facts. As for not comparing ourselves with others, we wouldn't have equality laws if we didn't compare ourselves with others now would we?

If your advisers honestly believe that 8 months after filling my ESA50 the DWP suddenly decided after my PIP assessment to stop my ESA benefits was a coincidence ( the letter actually arrived in the same post as the PIP refusal ), then I am flabbergasted. This site is not for the likes of me I'm afraid.

Thanks for the odd bit of useful advice though.

I feel the best thing to do then is blacklist me and close my account please.

Roger and out COYS!

cristobal

@KnobblyKnees - sorry to hear that you're going; good luck with your claim.

If I might just offer one final piece of advice (as you head for the door!) it's really important to remember that PIP is about how your condition affects you.

It's individual to you and not anyone else...

poppy123456

@KnobblyKnees if you want to request for your account to be deleted then please email the scope team  at community@scope.org.uk and they will be to do this for you.