Concerned after PIP assessment

worried111

Did PIP assessment 2 weeks ago, was told I'd get a decision in 10 days......what's gone wrong???? I'm really worried 

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

I'm one of the community champions here on scope and i'm here to help and advise others.

I'm not sure who told you that you'll have a decision in 10 days but that's very optimistic. There's no timescales for any decision but expect something like 2-8 weeks, possibly longer. Backlogs are just part of the reason a decision can be delayed.

If you live in the UK then ring DWP to request a copy of the assessment report to be sent to you. This will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be because they mostly go with the report.

worried111

Thank you....I've been so worried. That's reassuring. Of the people on this forum how long have they been waiting from f2f assessment to decision on average?

poppy123456

You're welcome. There's really no timescales, as i advised, it can be anything between 2-8 weeks sometimes longer.

worried111

Thanks 

janer1967

Hello and welcome to the community, I am a community champion here at scope. Its nice to see new members. You have already had your query answered but if there is anything else you want help with then please let us know .Also keep us up yo date with your PIP

chiarieds

Hi @worried111 - Welcome to the community & thank you for joining. I'm pleased Poppy has been able to reassure you, & do let us know how you get on with your PIP assessment report

blue32

The wait is tough but hopefully isn't too long

susan48

Hi sent forms back end of September and got my decision 1st February! It’s awful to leave vulnerable people this long 

worried111

Wow!! Was that a new claim or DLA switch? 

Lou67

Hi just looking for a bit of support, my f2f was due today got a txt earlier saying had to cancel till tomorrow, can’t believe it as not slept for ages waiting on today ☹️

poppy123456

Lou67 said:

Hi just looking for a bit of support, my f2f was due today got a txt earlier saying had to cancel till tomorrow, can’t believe it as not slept for ages waiting on today ☹️

HI and welcome,

I'm sorry to hear that your assessment was canceled. Unfortunately, these things happen and sometimes assessments are canceled at the last minute, it's happened to me in the past too. Hopefully the one tomorrow will go ahead as planned, good luck.

Lou67

Thanks Poppy 

Lou67

Sorry to be a pest, does anyone no if I need to take a list of my medication. Thanks 

Lou67

So sorry I mean do I need to take list of medication to my pip f2f thanks again 😊

poppy123456

Lou67 said:

Sorry to be a pest, does anyone no if I need to take a list of my medication. Thanks 

If you didn't send evidence of this when you sent the form then yes, you can take it with you. Evidence should have been sent with the form when you returned it. Hopefully they will accept it on the day because they don't always.

Lou67

Oh I did send it just wasn’t sure if still had to take it thanks so much for your help. 

Jay1969

@worried111

Hi

I think the 10 day decision meant the assessor will send the report to DWP within 10 days.
After DWP receive this it can take anything from 8-14 weeks depending on the PIP application.
Generally new applications take 4-8 weeks and Change of Circumstances for PIP take longer.
Hope that helps..

Lou67

Morning I had my pip f2f on the 10th got a text yesterday saying dwp had received my assessment back, how long should I wait to ask for a copy and what no do I call. Thanks 

poppy123456

As the report has now been returned to DWP you can ring anytime. The number to ring is the enquiry line on 0800 121 4433.

Lou67

Thanks I appreciate the help.

Lou67

Morning I hope everyone is well, does anyone know if the Coronavirus is going to hold up results of past f2f.

poppy123456

The backlogs will very likely become longer, it will just depend on whether decision makers are working or not. All you can do is wait.

Lou67

Yeah that’s what I thought as always thanks for your help. 

Adrian_Scope

I hope you're not kept waiting too long @Lou67. Have you received a copy of your assessor report?

Lou67

No Iv been trying to get through to them to ask them to send it but can’t get through will keep trying, that way at least I would have an idea. 

Lou67

Hi I just got through to pip after trying to get through for days, I asked for copy of my assessment and was told we no longer send these out till after you receive decision. I told them I have been advised you can receive them before but got quite a snappy reply.she sd this stopped last September???

poppy123456

If you live in the UK they will send the report out before a decision's been made. Sometimes though it does depend on who you speak to. Some will refuse to send it, others will happily send it out. The rules definitely haven't changed.

Lou67

Yeah I stay in the UK, just my luck got a grump on the phone lol thanks for taking the time to answer Poppy.

Lou67

Hi just to let yous no I got word back last week after pip review, I got 6 points for daily living but believe I should have got at least 10, I got 10 points for mobility so got low rate, I phoned and put in mandatory reconsideration right away, today I received copy of ex rays and records from doctor sent this away recorded delivery, does anyone no if mandatory reconsiderations ever get overturned, if not it’s a long road ahead to appeal ☹️

mikehughescq

16% success rate. Essentially... random.

chiarieds

Surely not random....rather a low success rate. If people better understood how to do a MR explaining in detail their functional problems linking these to the actual descriptors that apply to them, & ignoring the 'inaccuracies' in their assessment, things might be different.

Or, perhaps, if you're cantankerous like me, disagreeing with the Decision Maker who said my pain medication was effective, whilst the HCP had correctly reported that it just dampens my pain.

I also took issue with the 'as you don't see a pain management or physiotherapy specialist' cut & pasted reply that I could walk further than stated without being in pain. The fact I am a physio had been mentioned 3x in my claim form. I also told the HCP this straightaway as a matter of courtesy, which she also mentioned in her report. My MR's first sentence just stated my disorder & that I'm a qualified physio. The rest described the everyday difficulties I face. I also made reference to my GP's letter, as he was able to describe my mobility issues, partially dropped wrist & partially dislocated collarbone (the latter 2 of some decades long-standing).

I 'think' you have to pick your arguments, which is on an individual response, & detail why.

mikehughescq

chiarieds said:

Surely not random....rather a low success rate. If people better understood how to do a MR explaining in detail their functional problems linking these to the actual descriptors that apply to them, & ignoring the 'inaccuracies' in their assessment, things might be different. 

I wish that were true. However, it is effectively random. 

I can complete a claim pack and predict the outcome. 95%+ of the time I will be correct. I can do the same when lodging an appeal. It’s impossible to do that with MR. You can do everything right and... pfft. Nothing. 

As it’s a specific stage people naturally invest a huge amount of energy in it but it’s largely misplaced. The outcomes are effectively random. 

Lou67

Morning thanks for your answers, It looks like it’s going to be the long rd to appeal then.

Lou67

Hi sorry another question, does anyone know if I can apply for the free bus pass with low rate mobility, I used to get it when I was receiving pip for daily living thanks.

chiarieds

Hi @Lou67 - There's some info online with links to getting free bus passes. Hope this helps.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-bus-passes-for-older-and-disabled-people-protected-for-the-future

Lou67

Hi  chiarieds thanks for the link I will have a look.

MangyWolf

I've had a free bus pass most my adult life since I get vertigo attacks. Initially it was thought to be due to my inner ear / hearing loss, but I've now found it happens when I move my head too much.

Regarding the MR, I wrote out a full description of how my condition affects me for each category, but the decision was basically 'The health assessor has nothing to gain by lying, therefore 0 points'. Yes apart from the bonus we all know they get paid when they stop someones benefits, also funny how as soon as I put in my MR and a complaint with Atos, she quit right away before giving, and didnt give any reply.

Lou67

Thanks Iv been intouch with SPT about buspass they will get it sorted once cards are getting printed again. I don’t know wat these assessors get out of blatantly lying about ppl but they seem to die it a lot. Thanks again for your answers.

Lou67

Sorry seem to do it a lot 

MangyWolf

Everytime a health assessor gives a report that leads to someone's benefits being stopped, they get paid a bonus. Maybe even a bonus if you don't already have them, and still don't get any. Atos / Capita / Maximus etc explicitly train their staff on over 70 different ways they can give 0 points - e.g. 'Attended health assessment using public transport and spoke to me clearly / confidently / cheerfully etc' 0 points right away in both of the social categories.

If you don't go to the health assessment, 0 points. If you manage to turn up, 0 points.

Mine actually said that I was 'well groomed and looked well',  therefore nothing wrong with mental health, when I haven't had my haircut for over 15 years and it is grown to its maximum length, and I had a full beard that hadn't been touched for over 6 months.

Actually here's my bus pass photo, look at how well groomed and well looking I am:

https://i.imgur.com/kTKNc1x.png

I had already sent that as one of my evidences.

Lou67

Oh total joke mine sd I travelled on public transport and was fine, I had arrived by taxi and my daughter-in-law was with me,she also sd I can make budget decisions on my own when I told her my daughter deals with all of that, also no evidence of overwhelming psychological distress even though I cried a lot throughout and sd most of the time felt life wasn’t worth living, I just don’t understand how these people are trained to state this. Sorry for the rant. 

MangyWolf

I had a full panic attack before I had gotten to the assessment place and had to wait outside because I was overheated in the middle of winter. She wrote I was waiting outside when she came to get me and no idea why, but she didn't even ask me about that and I didn't get to talk about it.

As soon as I had turned up I had to go straight into the restroom and it took me 10-15 to exit, during which someone even knocked on the door to ask if I was ok. After I signed in I needed 3 cups of water and had to wait outside and had even taken my coat off and was still burning up with a rapid heartbeat in the first week of February. Any time I am in public or on public transport I feel like I am going to pass out and die.

I mentioned all this in my appeal, waiting for the decision letter still. 

Lou67

That is shocking I’m sorry to hear that, hope you get a good outcome with your appeal.

mikehughescq

MangyWolf said:

Everytime a health assessor gives a report that leads to someone's benefits being stopped, they get paid a bonus. Maybe even a bonus if you don't already have them, and still don't get any. Atos / Capita / Maximus etc explicitly train their staff on over 70 different ways they can give 0 points - e.g. 'Attended health assessment using public transport and spoke to me clearly / confidently / cheerfully etc' 0 points right away in both of the social categories.

This is a myth and has long been demonstrated to be a myth. Please don’t repeat things which aren’t true. 

MangyWolf

I wasn't aware if it was a myth sorry.