What are the reasons for which you have been denied PIP?

Ross_Scope

What are the reasons for which you have been denied PIP?

Our Campaigns team would like to hear from you to support our We Won't Be Forgotten campaign. 

Please comment below with your stories from the last year – trying to keep your answer as short and snappy as possible. Answers will be shared anonymously on Scope’s social media channels to help promote our campaign. This is to support our current action to email your MP our Welfare Guide, and make sure MPs commit to our key changes to improve the welfare system.

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If you’d like to share more details about your experiences of the welfare system, and potentially become a storyteller, please take action.

Thank you  

OverlyAnxious

Has a driving licence

Didn't look anxious

Arrived for assessment alone

Ross_Scope

Thanks for sharing @OverlyAnxious. 

captainrick

I had full flat for life as Addison’s disease is a life long condition especially when you do not have a pituitary gland in your brain, did my PIP assessment and they downgraded me careers allowance as I missed the mobility by 2 points. Even though I use a wheel chair have full time use of 2 specially made crutches and have spine surgery every 12 months. They said that because I could drive to the assessment (in a fully automatic) car, I did not qualify. I am not allowed to use buses or trains as I am 45 and my dr’s have aged my spine around 80 years old. Oh and by the way an ambulance driver did my assessment 

poppy123456

captainrick said:

I had full flat for life as Addison’s disease is a life long condition especially when you do not have a pituitary gland in your brain, did my PIP assessment and they downgraded me careers allowance as I missed the mobility by 2 points. Even though I use a wheel chair have full time use of 2 specially made crutches and have spine surgery every 12 months. They said that because I could drive to the assessment (in a fully automatic) car, I did not qualify. I am not allowed to use buses or trains as I am 45 and my dr’s have aged my spine around 80 years old. Oh and by the way an ambulance driver did my assessment 

HI and welcome,

Carers allowance isn't part of PIP, it's a completely different benefit. Someone can claim carers allowance for looking after you and you must be claiming the daily living part of PIP, not the mobility part.

Welliboots93

Goes to university so must be able to get dressed 

Didn't sound anxious 

Was able to remember what is wrong with me 

Doesnt have any diagnosis of learning difficulties (I was applying based on my mobility and anxiety) 

Doesnt always takes meds so pain mustn't be bad (I need prompting to take my meds and I made that clear haha) 

Ross_Scope

Thanks again to those who have shared so far  

66Mustang

A bit off topic but I was told “you claimed to have difficulty moving around but were found to have adequate upper and lower limb function”.

I never claimed to have difficulty moving around..?

(I still got my PIP on the correct mental health grounds that I was applying on though after MR.)

I think this is kind of relevant as it shows someone somewhere perhaps didn’t read or listen to something properly.

PS came across this looking for reptile pictures but none in here

lizjessie

The PIP assessors seam to put down the same comments for everyone .. whatever their disability, we don't all fit into the little boxes they base the questions on!

Ross_Scope

Thanks for your responses @66Mustang and @lizjessie  

countrycreature

66Mustang said:

A bit off topic but I was told “you claimed to have difficulty moving around but were found to have adequate upper and lower limb function”.

my decision letter stated the exact same (though i do ahve mobility issues)

Ross_Scope

Thanks for your contribution @countrycreature  

countrycreature

OverlyAnxious said:

Has a driving licence

Didn't look anxious

Arrived for assessment alone

did you appeal? how did you get round the driving part. It's a bit confusing. I have been rejected with being able to drive also given as one of the reasons but i dont understand how that can be an issue when plenty people in reciept of pip drive .... ?

Heathermcb

I had eye contact
I could walk into the room with a walking stick...(I was slowly hobbling in!)
I could get up and sit down...(with the help of my walking stick and the arm of the chair)

Based on the above,I could walk over 200mtrs repeatedly
I could talk in sentences
I could focus on the questions being asked of me!What was I supposed to do focus on what was out the window?
There was a lot more they wrote which was untrue as well.

Unbelievable how they get away with writing these lies.

woodbine

I have to admit that when my change from DLA to PIP was done the assessment was both fair and reasonable and I ended up getting £40 per week more, thats not to say that when my review is done it will be all plain sailing it might it might not.
However it should be noted that we read a lot on the internet about bad decisions and less about good ones and yet there are far more good than bad overall.
PIP isn't perfect but too many people fail to realise that it is different than DLA.
Just thought I'd throw a bit of balance into the mix.

bishop1967

I have kidney failure and attend hospital 3 times a week 4 hours a time  for dialysis I struggle to do day to day activity. They rejected my PIP and told me am fine on the days I don’t do dialysis 🤷‍♂️

PatchG

Assessment by phone, assessor wrote different answers to the ones I gave, she also knew nothing about cluster headaches, decided as I don't have them for 4 to 5 months of the year that it over rides the minimum 7 months that I have them daily, plus hemicrania on top every single day.
Basically she lied, when I asked for it to be looked at again they took away the small amount of money I had been awarded, out of pure spite imo, for challenging them. 
And now I have cancer which will take me out they are probably high fiving each other for the extra stress and poverty they have caused me. They are pure evil. Thats why so many are put through this hell. 

mikehughescq

Worth reiterating that the job of the HCP is not to repeat what you say but to make an independent assessment of all the evidence having heard what you say. Not the same thing and certainly not evidence of lying.

woodbine

@PatchG have you re-applied for pip under special rules? I really doubt that anyone at the DWP has been high fiving anyone.
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/benefits-entitlements/living-with-terminal-illness/personal-independence-payment

PatchG

mikehughescq said:

Worth reiterating that the job of the HCP is not to repeat what you say but to make an independent assessment of all the evidence having heard what you say. Not the same thing and certainly not evidence of lying.

She lied. Blatant outright lies. She didn't assess what I said, she omitted some altogether and put things I never said myself, yes, she made some things up. I have the recording...

PatchG

woodbine said:

@PatchG have you re-applied for pip under special rules? I really doubt that anyone at the DWP has been high fiving anyone.
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/benefits-entitlements/living-with-terminal-illness/personal-independence-payment

Hi, not at this point. The tribunal by phone was yesterday, cab said to get that out of the way before dealing with anything else.
I don't know time scale as I instructed oncologist to not tell me, I can't cope with knowing it. It's hard enough trying not to count down passing days, so I will get nothing basically 😢

mikehughescq

PatchG said:

mikehughescq said:

Worth reiterating that the job of the HCP is not to repeat what you say but to make an independent assessment of all the evidence having heard what you say. Not the same thing and certainly not evidence of lying.

She lied. Blatant outright lies. She didn't assess what I said, she omitted some altogether and put things I never said myself, yes, she made some things up. I have the recording...

I’m not saying the HCP didn’t lie. I’m saying that it’s not their job to write down everything you say. It’s their job to form an opinion and that will include writing down things did not say precisely because it’s their opinion. Having a recording will not help you because the people doing the MR and indeed an appeal tribunal will not have the means to listen to it. They’re not going to take your word on a written transcription because you could edit that as you wished. It’s useful for remembering what took place but no more than that. 

Accusing them of lying will not help as it’s not something you can prove legally, You can prove they omitted, misrecorded or misinterpreted but you can’t get inside their heads and demonstrate their motivation.

It’s been says many times on here that focus of your challenge needs to be the strength of your evidence rather than the weakness of theirs. Proving a HCP wrong will not get you PIP if your evidence is not itself sufficiently strong. 

Kettles

mikehughescq said:

PatchG said:

mikehughescq said:

Worth reiterating that the job of the HCP is not to repeat what you say but to make an independent assessment of all the evidence having heard what you say. Not the same thing and certainly not evidence of lying.

She lied. Blatant outright lies. She didn't assess what I said, she omitted some altogether and put things I never said myself, yes, she made some things up. I have the recording...

I’m not saying the HCP didn’t lie. I’m saying that it’s not their job to write down everything you say. It’s their job to form an opinion and that will include writing down things did not say precisely because it’s their opinion. Having a recording will not help you because the people doing the MR and indeed an appeal tribunal will not have the means to listen to it. They’re not going to take your word on a written transcription because you could edit that as you wished. It’s useful for remembering what took place but no more than that. 

Accusing them of lying will not help as it’s not something you can prove legally, You can prove they omitted, misrecorded or misinterpreted but you can’t get inside their heads and demonstrate their motivation.

It’s been says many times on here that focus of your challenge needs to be the strength of your evidence rather than the weakness of theirs. Proving a HCP wrong will not get you PIP if your evidence is not itself sufficiently strong. 

I have to agree with the poster above. My husband was convinced the HCP was lying, but on the bundle that came for the tribunal, and when I examined the file in full, there were some misrepresentations, such as Mr Kettles would be able to get in and out of the bath unaided. Now we don't have a bath, only a wet room, he was convinced the HCP was lying. But, it was her opinion based on what was presented to her. On reflection, it is true. 

Kettles

What i found helpful was to read the DWP guidance for assessors. Our face to face assessment was very chatty. The HCP chatted about an experience she had. This was used to assess my husband's cognitive ability. He is chatty and therefore, her opinion was that his cognitive function was intact. There were some inconsistencies within the report which were challenged with evidence that we took to appeal. The tribunal panel were very helpful as it was adjourned for a month. It gave us more time to redraft our evidence. We did win at tribunal stage. 

bishop1967

mikehughescq said:

PatchG said:

mikehughescq said:

Worth reiterating that the job of the HCP is not to repeat what you say but to make an independent assessment of all the evidence having heard what you say. Not the same thing and certainly not evidence of lying.

She lied. Blatant outright lies. She didn't assess what I said, she omitted some altogether and put things I never said myself, yes, she made some things up. I have the recording...

I’m not saying the HCP didn’t lie. I’m saying that it’s not their job to write down everything you say. It’s their job to form an opinion and that will include writing down things did not say precisely because it’s their opinion. Having a recording will not help you because the people doing the MR and indeed an appeal tribunal will not have the means to listen to it. They’re not going to take your word on a written transcription because you could edit that as you wished. It’s useful for remembering what took place but no more than that. 

Accusing them of lying will not help as it’s not something you can prove legally, You can prove they omitted, misrecorded or misinterpreted but you can’t get inside their heads and demonstrate their motivation.

It’s been says many times on here that focus of your challenge needs to be the strength of your evidence rather than the weakness of theirs. Proving a HCP wrong will not get you PIP if your evidence is not itself sufficiently strong. 

mikehughescq said:

PatchG said:

mikehughescq said:

Worth reiterating that the job of the HCP is not to repeat what you say but to make an independent assessment of all the evidence having heard what you say. Not the same thing and certainly not evidence of lying.

She lied. Blatant outright lies. She didn't assess what I said, she omitted some altogether and put things I never said myself, yes, she made some things up. I have the recording...

I’m not saying the HCP didn’t lie. I’m saying that it’s not their job to write down everything you say. It’s their job to form an opinion and that will include writing down things did not say precisely because it’s their opinion. Having a recording will not help you because the people doing the MR and indeed an appeal tribunal will not have the means to listen to it. They’re not going to take your word on a written transcription because you could edit that as you wished. It’s useful for remembering what took place but no more than that. 

Accusing them of lying will not help as it’s not something you can prove legally, You can prove they omitted, misrecorded or misinterpreted but you can’t get inside their heads and demonstrate their motivation.

It’s been says many times on here that focus of your challenge needs to be the strength of your evidence rather than the weakness of theirs. Proving a HCP wrong will not get you PIP if your evidence is not itself sufficiently strong. 

bishop1967

If you have a recording then use it or tell them in writing you have it recorded trust me it works 

happyfella

Last year my doctor told me to apply for PIP, I did'nt want the stress of it all, but i ended up applying. I went for the interview and was shocked with some of the things that she said. When i received the report it was like i was reading a report about someone else. I put in a automatic reconsideration request and got turned down. I then showed it my doctor and I made a complaint and my doctor complained.

The report as mentioned was like i was reading about someone else. There was things on there that did not relate to me, and there were loads of lies on there. The report even contradicted it self in a lot of places and did not make sense. An investigation was launched, and then another investigation was launched. I received both letters about the investigation, with both of them saying sorry.

One letter I received back said the assessor claimed she could not remember me and could not access the notes on my case. The investigation said they did not feel she was telling the truth when she claimed she could not find the notes. The second investigation said something similar. One investigation was an indepedent investigation. They told me that they had failed me and did not provide me with the service that they expect all assessors to provide.

I got no points because of the report, but i did not have the energy to appeal after i received the investigation reports. I did not want to go through that again. However, my doctor told me in September that i need to reaply. I kept on saying no but he then arranged for someone to fill the forms in for me. The forms were sent in and my doctor also sent in a letter.

I have gone from receiving no points to now the other day receiving a letter saying i had been awarded maximum on both, which will help a lot as my wife some years ago went from full time to part time to help look after me.

What i learnt from my experience was, that you should never be too trusting. That is where i went wrong. If you are going to go for an interview then you should take someone with you, and you should also record the interview.

The person who filled the forms in said they are trying to fight what is happening with PIP assessors. They were dealing with hundreds of appeals in the same area with the majority on the same assessor. They said this was not just a local problem it was a national problem and said they do not understand why so many assessors lie.

They said to me that not all assessors are the same, but said like in anything you have some bad apples, and went on they did not understand why some assessors lie as they don't gain anything from lying. What they have said they would like to happen is for assessor to be checked by sending in investigators to test the assors at random

Ross_Scope

I'm glad you got a positive outcome in the end @happyfella but blimey it seems as though you went through quite the ordeal to get there.

happyfella

Ross_Scope said:

I'm glad you got a positive outcome in the end @happyfella but blimey it seems as though you went through quite the ordeal to get there.

It was very stressful. I did not want to apply for it in the first place, but my GP told me to apply for it, and then my doctors that i need on a regular basis kept on bringing it up at each appointment and i kept on saying no for well over two years. Then as mentioned  said ok, i will apply and i wished i didnt because it was so stressful. This time around it was less stressful because my doctor arranged for the forms to be done for me, and i had a telephone consultation. If i was to have a face to face consultation, i would be taking a person with me and a tape recorder or video it. I would advise anyone going for a face to face to do that. My problem was, i was too trusting. And as mentioned, i do not understand what some assessors get out of lying on reports. It turned out, the person who did my report was a paramedic, i found that out through the investigation. I took a lot of convincing for me to reaply. At first they wanted me to go to appeal and said i would win hands down, but said due to covid it would be a long delay and would be quicker for me to reaply. I have an amazing team around me, so i am very grateful to them.

The assessor i had over the phone was very nice. And she also appologized to me for the experience i previously went through and told me not every assessor was like that, but said as everything in life there are some bad apples. she told me on the phone that i should have received an award the first time around. She told me on the phone that this time you will receive an award because they had all the supporting evidence from my GP and other doctors.

I do think though that for people who need help you do have to jump through hoops. For example, I could really do with a blue badge, because i have problems walking and it causes me pain. But, because i scored only four points on the question that automatically gives you a blue badge, but on the other question under mobility i got ten points, i have to go down a long road for a blue badge. My council want so many different forms sorting out and letters and evidence that it has put me off from applying.

It is the same with council tax help. To receive a small amount of council benefit they want to come to the house, and then there are lots of other things they want, and for around £16 a month its not really worth it for me to go through the stress of it all. My main priority is to try and find out how much it would cost to have a toilet put under my stairs. to have a toilet downstairs would make a huge difference to my life. Not sure how long it would take for that to happen. I spoke to some people and said that the council i am under, i will have as much chance of getting funding as winning the lottery, so i need to save up a few years just to make my life more easier

PatchG

@happyfella
Blue Badge can be done online now, much easier, no stress for that at least 🌻

Tumilty

handled the 5 min telephone assessment well whereas in reality i was panicking lots. How can they tell in 5 mins over the phone 

berry123

I had the same experience applied in 2016 and got turned down I never appealed due to my mother inlaw being terminally I'll but have reapplied again fingers crossed just waiting assessment appintment

Ross_Scope

All the best for the application @berry123  

berry123

I have severe asthma and I only scored 6 points when I had 2 of my sister presents but I didn't appeal due to family member being I'll I have reapplied again my asthma nurse and gp said why am not getting pip