Does anyone have any insight into my situation or any advice?

Robert1111

I have just seen on the news tonight that some of the folk carrying out the pip assessments had very little experience of what they were assessing, it also said that some of the assessors had been told to look for reasons to knock the score down. I feel really let down by DWP! This is exactly what happened to me about 4 or 5 years ago, i was advised to apply for PIP so i did so and an assessor came out to where i was living and she carried out the assessment, i felt comfortable explaining to her about what it is i suffer from, to which i thought she had done so with some sort of understanding and empathy but then i was giving my decision and the report that she had carried out..... after reading it, i felt angry but she hadn't understood one bit as she scored me zero points for everything. I was diagnosed with PTSD when i was 19 years old, and emotional personality disorder, i am also prescribed anti-depressants as at times i suffer badly from depression and anxiety. This was provided as evidence from reports from doctors ect but i am now 42 years old and the assessor's issues was that these reports were from back in the day.... it also said on the news about them taking points off of folk if they were dressed in clean clothes. My assessor also stated this in my report which i found pathetic because i had clothes on that I probably had on for a week.  so fast forward about 18 months later i apply again and it was in the first lockdown , so i was assessed over the phone and nothing had changed at all apart from this time i have scored 11 points for the daily living component and 4 points for the mobility. i was just grateful to have got something ..... i was receiving pip for about 15months and one of the workers who help me came across my award letter and they said that i should contact pip because they felt i had been underscored again but also that pip had messed up with a lot of claims, this was about 6 months ago so i contacted pip and explained to them why i was contacting them so they sent a form out for me asking what had changed with my disability but nothing has changed but i filled the form out with some further evidence, well it was a report from a psychologist detailing my issues and explaining who my issues affects me. I have been waiting to hear back from pip now for a few months but when i speak to them they tell me its with the assessors and i should hear back soon . I have no faith in the assessors at all ! has this happened to anyone else at all? if so any ideas what will happen with my cases at all?

poppy123456

The assessors do not need to have any knowledge of any specific conditions because PIP isn’t awarded based on a diagnosis.
It’s the claimants responsibility to explain exactly how their conditions affect them and to send relevant evidence to support their claim. 42 medical reports is far too much evidence. Sometimes less is often more. 

I always tell myself that if medical evidence doesn’t state exactly how my conditions affect me then is it worth sending.. simple answer is no. 

They don’t find reasons to score down a claimant because they don’t make decisions. The only person that can make decisions is a decision maker from DWP. 

If at the time you disagreed with their decision you could have requested the MR followed by Tribunal. As you are outside of the maximum 13 months to do this you can’t do anything about that now. 
When you contacted PIP about 6 months ago it sounds like you reported a change of circumstances which prompted them to send more forms to fill in and return. 

It’s likely that another assessment will be needed for this and there’s huge backlogs in a lot of areas so you could be waiting several months. Once an appointment becomes available they will contact you. 

chiarieds

I'm sorry for all the distress your PIP claims have caused, however don't believe all you hear on the news. As Poppy says, the assessors are looking at literally 'How your disability affects you,' & it's up to you to describe the problems you face regarding this relating to the activities/descriptors that are looked at with PIP.  Please see: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/Personal-Independence-Payment-Descriptors-and-Scores-April-2021.pdf

Your own testimony as to how your disability affects you matters more than 'further evidence,' which i presume was from a medical professional such as your psychologist. They don't know any problems you may face with bathing, eating, budgeting, etc. which are looked at with PIP.

The assessors have an understanding about disability, & how it may affect an individual.....they cannot possibly understand all disorders, nor can any Dr., but they have relatable skills.

I'm sorry, but, as Poppy says, all you can do is wait for a probable assessment.

Robert1111

Thank you for your replies. sorry i never meant there was 42 reports handed in as evidence . what i was saying was i am 42 years old but a lot of the evidence i supplied was from the age of 19 years old so one of their points was that my evidence was all historical but i have just now had a full assessment from a psychologist , which has backed up all my initial issuess, disabilities ect  . I know not to believe what i hear on the news well not all of it but there was a couple of whistleblowers on it who were nurses and employed as assessors and they stated that they were encouraged by management to look for reason on how to knock points off of folks assessment. My point was that was exactly my experiences . what i was asking was how come on my first assessment i scored zero points for everything but then 18 months later i then was assessed again and then scored  11 points and 4 points. when nothing at all had changed , my evidence that i handed in was exactly the same and how i described my issues was exactly the same description surely thats not right and something has gone completely wrong..... or should i just accept what i have been entitled too or do i have a case on trying to overturn my decisions?? sorry if i am not explaining things properly

poppy123456

It's perfectly possible for 2 different people to see things in a different way. Just the same as 2 different decision makers will come to a completely different decision.

For your first claim if it was 4 or 5 years ago you are well outside the maximum time of 13 months to be able to do anything about that now.

Robert1111

i thought to be honest but what about the second claim?i should of easily scored over 12 for the daily living component and now with this new bit of evidence that i have provided clearly shows that i should of scored more than 12 points

poppy123456

The same advice applies to your current claim. If the decision on that was more than 13 months ago you’re too late to do anything about that now.