PIP

thinkingsoul

Hope your all safe and well. so does anyone no if this vaccine works ? also do any of you think F2F will be back before summer. obviously no one knows but making conversation. there talking about a new national lockdown. Do you all think they should or shouldn't? 

66Mustang

Hi, nice to meet you

I certainly hope F2F appointments will come back before next year when my PIP is due for reassessment as I can’t use the phone!

poppy123456

HI,

You asked the same question a few days ago here. https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/75734/pip-help#latest Unfortunately, no one can possibly predict what will happen in the future but for now telephone assessments have replaced face to face ones and most people have them.

Lulu_1949

hi @thinkingsoul. Don’t think F2F will be back till everything gets back to normal. Personally I think there should be a national lockdown and think everyone should wear masks as soon as they leave the house and not take them off till they get back home. Not on and off for going into shops and wafting the masks about on wrists. That is of course my opinion. 

janer1967

Hi there I personally think f2f wont be back anytime soon and they will continue to do phone assessments a lot more even when we are back to normal 

I think we are heading full lockdown in tier 4 it is nearly that anyway and with school return delayed only thing not in lockdown is people going to work 

66Mustang

Out of curiosity more than anything (hopefully!) does anybody know what alternative arrangements are in place of telephone assessments, for those who cannot use the phone, or is this not seen as a concern?

What about deaf or mute people? Are there text facilities?

Thanks if anyone can enlighten me.

janer1967

@66Mustang Hi there are text facilities and also some have just paper based assessments 

Others have an appointee who acts on their behalf as well 

Paper based can be requested but not many get granted 

66Mustang

Thanks @janer1967 good to know

Do you know, if I appoint an appointee, whether they have to take over my finances? Or, can they just be an appointee to deal with DWP on the phone? I think I read somewhere that they need to take over the finances but can’t remember exactly. I manage my own finances online (with a family member having TPM to handle phone based stuff).

Thanks again 

PS sorry for going off topic a bit

poppy123456

66Mustang said:

Thanks @janer1967 good to know

Do you know, if I appoint an appointee, whether they have to take over my finances? Or, can they just be an appointee to deal with DWP on the phone? I think I read somewhere that they need to take over the finances but can’t remember exactly. I manage my own finances online (with a family member having TPM to handle phone based stuff).

Thanks again 

PS sorry for going off topic a bit

An appointee is expected to take full controll of all benefits that you claim, including the money that you receive. If you're not mentally incapabile or severely disabled then having an appointee doesn't really apply to you.

https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

Paper based assessments are still rare and most people have telephone assessments.

janer1967

@poppy123456 thanks for info 

In case mentioned if claimant was totally deaf or mute what would happen? 

Just asking out of interest 

poppy123456

I don't actually know the answer to that. As telephone assessments are still relatively new then i've not come accross that question before.

66Mustang

Thanks @poppy123456

Now you mention it I’m pretty sure you have told me this before but I have a memory like a sieve. 

It seems like people like me, who are well enough to manage our own finances, but can’t use the phone, slip through the system a bit? That said I appreciate I’m likely not in a position that is shared with a lot of people.

66Mustang

@janer1967 @poppy123456 that’s an interesting question yes and one which is similar to my situation albeit I’m not mute or deaf but I can’t use the phone. We will just have to see what happens if I get asked for a telephone assessment I guess!

Thanks everyone

poppy123456

Other members may know the answer and will be able to advise you on this. My daughter can't use the phone but i'm her appointee so it makes no difference to her.

66Mustang

Yes indeed that is what I’m getting at - most people who can’t use the phone have an appointee - but people like me who can’t use the phone but don’t have an appointee seem to slip through the net

Hopefully there is a solution to it all. Even more hopefully I won’t need a solution and all will be back to normal by 2022 when my PIP assessment is due, was just wondering out of curiosity mostly, but would be good to be armed with the information if anyone does have an answer

Thanks again everyone

poppy123456

Being unable to use the phone isn't the reason i'm her appointee though. I'm her appointee because she can't even count the money she has in her purse. She has very little understanding about a lot of things in life and would definitely not be able to manage her own benefits claim.

dmwors

Hi
My pip review was due January. I phoned in September to be told that award would be extended until October 21 and wouldn’t hear anything until June/July 21. Letter came through confirming this and two weeks later received pip review forms to be sent back by end November. Still haven’t heard regarding phone appointment or anything. Hope this helps.

Ross_Alumni

Hi @dmwors

Hope the review goes well, thanks for sharing.

dmwors

Thanks for replying x