New, frustrated, scared & angry - PIP — Scope | Disability forum
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New, frustrated, scared & angry - PIP

pagodaswan
pagodaswan Community member Posts: 2 Listener
Hello :)

I apologise for the long post...especially as it is my first here...but I am just so confused and upset by the PIP assessment process and how the firm doing assessments is treating me

A little background first.

In 2017 my DLA low care for life was stopped as part of the transition pruning to PIP.  I requested mandatory reconsideration and that failed.  So I appealed.....3 years later and 3 phone tribunals and two upper tribunals later its back with upper tribunal.  The last phone tribunal was so bad that I left my own room and my advocate/support worker told them to call back which they did and they turned me down, squashing all previous points acrued.  So as I say, that is back at upper tribunal and awaiting a date.

In the meantime I decided to make a new claim after taking advice.  Submitted the new claim in October 2019 clearly stating the need for a home assessment and that they must arrange through my advocate/support worker so that she will be here with me.

First appointment came though......to me, not my advocate/support worker......she was unable to attend so she rang them reminded them to go through her for a date, they cancelled and told her they would rearrange through her.

Second appointment came through.....again to me and not my advocate/support worker....again my advocate/support worker unable to attend, reminded AGAIN to make appointments through her, they cancelled

Third appointment arrived, through advocate/support worker......advocate/support worker arrived as planned.....assessment company cancelled - no-one available to attend - after we had waited 3 hours

Fourth appointment arrived through advocate/support worker.....advocate/support worker arrived as they called her - no-one available to attend

Formal written complaint lodged....apologies and compensation agreed for their mistakes

Fifth appointment arrived through advocate/support worker.....assessment completed......this was on Feb 19 this year

Today I get a "we have rearranged your PIP assessment to March 19" letter

My advocate/support worker is on leave so I rang PIP assessments..."what is going on, I completed the assessment last week"

"We want more information so you must agree to an assessment"

I mentioned that there had already been a catalogue of errors, apologies sent, compensation agreed (although still not received) and that an assessment was doen last week and the woman who did it took a GP letter and my Mental Health Practioner letter stating my conditions and treatments and limitations etc and that the constant and stressful situation that the assessment firm keep throwing at me are becoming life threatening......seriously life threatening

"Well you must have an assessment or your claim for PIP will be voided....your choice" and she hung up on me

I have left a message at my advocate/support worker's office but she is not back til Monday next week.....

What do I do?

I am at the end of my rope with these people...they have more than enough evidence so why are they torturing/punishing me?

Comments

  • skullcap
    skullcap Posts: 169 Courageous
    edited February 2020
    This situation is not entirely new. Many have had a face to face assessment only to find that the assessor failed to record things and/or the report has been lost and consequently the claimant will have to go for another face to face assessment. 
    Not much you can do about this that is if you want a PIP award.
    I would also add that many claimants go to these assessments on their own. The claimant is the person that needs to answer the questions. Have you considered just taking a friend with you to sit with you? I had my assessment to transfer from DLA to PIP when I was 66, 5 years ago. I wanted the assessment to be between the assessor and myself so I went on my own.
  • pagodaswan
    pagodaswan Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    The company doing the assessments have messed around with 4 appointments before I finally got it done last week and the letter I got today says "we have rearranged your assessment to a new date"

    And when I questioned them on the phone the woman was really horrid to me and I felt like I had done something bad....she slammed the phone down on me!

    I get terribly anxious and confused on the phone and she made me really panic and upset but she didn't explain what was happening or why, she just got really cross with me so now I am really really scared

    My advocate/support worker is away on leave til next week and this whole situation has turned my life upside down....I thought I could finally relax after having the assessment last week but they have stirred it all up again...its not my fault that the assessment person got things wrong, so why don't they accept the evidence letters and stuff and make a decision from that, why make someone feel so inadequate that they want to end their life cos that how I feel after the way that she talked to me today
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @pagodaswan, really sorry to hear this, I appreciate your frustration at this time. Have you been able to contact your support worker?
    Scope

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