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Assessors report for pip

Cardo

Hi all I've been reading a lot of info on here and you all seem kind and helpful.. I hope I can get a little help with my situation please 🙏

In total I've had 5 assessments.. for universal credit (I'm in lcwra) esa (support group) first assessment for pip I was awarded daiy living standard rate which I was truly great full for.. however my recent experience with independent assessment services were quite stressful the first one I couldn't hear the girl, as she was working from home and her kids were screaming in the back ground, I was then given another assessment by a nurse weeks later. It lasted an hour but I felt rushed and unable to explain my conditions and day to day life, as she was tutting and sighing eveytime I went to speak, I was constantly apologising, she said she was typing and had to keep stopping.. I was under the impression that they were supposed to make you feel comfortable and at ease and allow you to speak in depth.. this was not what happened she was rude and made me feel embarrassed about my situation. I knew something wasn't right and got a copy of the assessment report and low and behold she scored me zero on everything.. how can this be, I may now owe pip money, I'm so stressed, she had wrote things I'd said but she contradicted everything.. there were however and buts on every subject.. examples aid I use a stool for showering, but she says I don't need one as I can get in and out a car.. that I suggested I can only walk 10 car lengths and rest and walk back, however she says I walk about my house so likely to walk more.. said I walk my dog, my son walks the dog.. I knew she was very unhelpful and just wanted yes no answers, all my other assessments have been quite personal and I've always managed to express my mental health and health problems.. I've no idea what to do, my anxiety is worse than ever now and feel like she's called me a liar. I phoned to complain and ask if recorded as they could check themselves how rude she was.. but no recorded phone calls, should have recorded myself.. I'm so stressed and can't think about anything else 😪 the decision has still not been made at pip, but if they go with her report, I'll be devasted, as I can't work, had my own business and gave it up.. any advice would be grateful 🙏 kindest regards

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calcotti

Cardo said:.., I may now owe pip money,

Even if a decision is made that you are no longer entitled to PIP you will not owe PIP money, the change will be applied from the date of decision. They would only seek to recover previous payments if they had reason to think you were claiming fraudulently.

Remember the report is information. The decision is made by a Decision Maker at DWP. They usually follow the report but may not.

If you are not happy with whatever decision is made you can challenge it.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/problems-with-benefits-and-tax-credits/challenging-benefit-decisions/

When you spoke the other day, if that was to DWP, did you ask them to note your comments and pass your concerns with the assessment report to the DM?

Cardo

Hi calcotti.. thankyou for replying 😊 yeah I phoned pip and they said they would put a note on my account.. they also gave me the number to complain to accessors.. the girl on the phone was lovely and said that I shouldn't have had to feel that way and is sending me a complaints form, I hate complaining, but if it will help someone else then I will, thankyou for letting me know I'll not need to repay money, i was more worried abiut that, I'm going to mandatory reconsideration if i have to, as my condition has got worse not better.. thanks again

Cher_Alumni

@Cardo Hello there and a warm welcome, thanks for joining and telling us about your situation.

I'm sorry to hear your assessment experiences were challenging. Feeling rushed and unable to express your reality fully, or be heard, is hard and you absolutely did the right thing phoning up to pass this on to the DWP.

One thing to note, if the decision goes against you and you feel your condition has worsened then you may need to make a new claim or request your award be superceded due to a change of circumstances. This is because an MR only considers your condition at the time of the decision however (and I can't stress this enough!) please do get professional welfare advice before taking any action from Advice Local.

Take care and please let us know how you get on. All the best.

Cardo

@Cher_Scope thankyou for your reply, I have doctors reports and medication, its been going on for years, but worked through it and its worse than ever. I have an x Ray booked at end of this month, just got appointment through today and then hopefully they can see proof of my problems. It's awful when someone you don't know ad haven't seen makes you out to be a liar. Feels awful. I will keep you posted. 🥰

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @Cardo. It is the very least you deserve. It sounds really difficult that it is worse than ever. Let's hope the x-ray will help by providing answers!

In the meantime, is there anything that might help things to feel more manageable for you? We are all here for you and listening to you if you would like to share more with us

Cardo

Hi sorry for late reply.. I've been going through some similar posts like my own and there are claimants being awarded standard living and mobility, but still are not happy, and they don't have as many ailments as myself and I've got 2 points, there's got to be something wrong somewhere. I'd be happy to just continue getting standard living even though my back pain is worse, however if I get nothing I'll be devastated financially and mentally. I hope the decision makers take all into account.. I've been waiting 6 weeks, I'm going to call that a positive, as if the decion makers just went by the assessor report I'd probably have a quick decion. Everyone is in the same boat, so stressful xxx

poppy123456

Cardo said:

Hi sorry for late reply.. I've been going through some similar posts like my own and there are claimants being awarded standard living and mobility, but still are not happy, and they don't have as many ailments as myself and I've got 2 points, there's got to be something wrong somewhere. I'd be happy to just continue getting standard living even though my back pain is worse, however if I get nothing I'll be devastated financially and mentally. I hope the decision makers take all into account.. I've been waiting 6 weeks, I'm going to call that a positive, as if the decion makers just went by the assessor report I'd probably have a quick decion. Everyone is in the same boat, so stressful xxx

Please don't compare others to yourself. PIP isn't awarded based on any diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors. No one should pass judgement of anyone's health conditions because we don't know anything about anyone else's conditions.

The timescale you've been waiting has nothing to do with what the decision will be. There are backlogs in lots of areas. Once the report is returned it's not unusual for the decision to take anything up to about 12 weeks.

calcotti

Cardo said:. I've been waiting 6 weeks, I'm going to call that a positive, as if the decion makers just went by the assessor report I'd probably have a quick decion.

You can’t infer anything. Once a DM sees your claim they will make a decision. At the moment your claim is sitting waiting to be looked at.

Cardo

@calcotti @poppy123456
Hi thanks for getting back to me, sorry I didn't mean to compare myself to others, I meant i think there are assessors that can misunderstand and sometimes get it wrong, as there's many discrepancies on my report.. my assessor was quite rude, sighing. Huffing and pupping when i talked, she was typing as i spoke. It was sp inpersonal. We are all in the same boat. I would never imply that I was worse than someone else. I was talking about the assessors report. It's just your luck who you get, I'm definitely implying that assessors can be judgemental and contradicting. Apparently if I can get in and out a car I can get in and out a bath, Apparently I didn't sound like I was in pain and was fully alert etc, I was lying in my bed, I felt embarrassed about my condition and wasn't comfortable, however I am waiting on a complaints form. No one should be made to feel like that and keep apologising when your trying to explain your day to day challenges.. sorry for the rant.. I really do appreciate all your advice 🥰