ESA/PIP/DWP Harrassment — Scope | Disability forum
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ESA/PIP/DWP Harrassment

Annabelle26
Annabelle26 Scope Member Posts: 105 Pioneering
My name seems to have suddenly come to the top of the ESA & PIP piles for harassment.  I have been claiming DLA for years with no problems A few weeks ago I got a letter asking me to apply for PIP.  I had my F2F Assessment a couple of weeks ago.  It was rubbish.  The person was ok but did not introduce herself or tell me what qualifications she had.  The session lasted 1/2 a hour.  During that time she just read questions off a laptop screen & typed in answers.  When I tried to explain my problems she just interrupted with the next question.  She told me she needed to do a physical & mental assessment.  The physical consisted of me putting my hands across my chest, touching my knees & standing on alternate legs.  She also asked if my walking stick was was own as it was coloured. The mental assessment never happened.  She suddenly said she had got everything she needed, told me I would get a decision in 4-6 weeks & thanked me for coming.
I have been in the ESA Support Group since losing my job through voluntary redundancy in 2011.  I have a mixture of physical/mental issues.  In July I received a letter asking me to go for a Health Assessment.  I could not go on the date so it was changed to one at the beginning of August.  On the day the Assessment Centre cancelled it because there was problems with the Doctor & said they would send me a new appointment.  On 31st August I received a letter asking me why I did not attend an Assessment on 28th August.   I sent the form back saying I had no notification of this appointment.  A couple of weeks later I checked my bank account to see if my benefit payment had arrived.  There was nothing.  I rang JobCentre plus to see where it was & was told my claim had been cancelled as they did not believe I had not received the appointment letter.  I got the confirmation letter a couple of days later in which the dates were completely wrong.  I did the Mandatory Review & waited.  I had heard nothing by 9th October so I rang JobCentrePlus to see what was happening.  The person I spoke to was nice & checked & found that they had received my letter but had done nothing about it.  They contacted a Manager who rang me back a couple of hours later & said my appeal had been allowed & my claim reinstated & backdated & all the money was in my account in a couple of days.  I thought that was the end of it.  However at the end of October I received a letter asking me to go for an Assessment at 9 am 7th November.  I had to change it as it was too early as I had to go on the bus.  They re-arranged it for 21st November at 11:30am.  The end of last week I rang up the JobCentrePlus to ask did I still need to go as I had been to a PIP Assessment.  They said yes.  I asked could they not use the information from the PIP Assessment but apparently they cannot because it is a different section.  I also asked why do I need to go for the Assessment as my problems are the same as they were before but they said I needed to go & if I did not turn up I would get my benefit stopped.  If anything the harassment by the DWP has made my problems worse as I have had major anxiety attacks & depression which has made me feel really bad.  I have managed to pull myself together slowly & am feeling a bit more of my normal self.  However until the DWP have finished harassing me I am still having problems sleeping, eating etc & really worrying about what they are going to do to me.  I am already just about making ends meet & if any benefit is cut I am not sure what I am going to do  I have been in contact with some nice helpful people at the DWP & there are some real jobsworth people.  I just wish the DWP would let me get back to the life I had before they started harassing me.

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello Annabelle and welcome

    Have you asked for a copy of the PIP assessment report ?
    This will give you an indication of the points you scored .

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • Annabelle26
    Annabelle26 Scope Member Posts: 105 Pioneering
    I am waiting for the decision in writing.
  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Annabelle26

    Welcome to our website & online community.

    You have really been on a bad journey to date !!!!!!

    Please Please let me know if there is anything that I can offer you ?????

    I can offer you "Help & Support & Info" if required ???

    "Stay Strong & Don't Give In"


  • Annabelle26
    Annabelle26 Scope Member Posts: 105 Pioneering
  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Annabelle26

    That's no problem at all.

    Please please let me know if I can help you in anyway?

    "Keep your Chin Up"
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    I am waiting for the decision in writing.

    It would be a good idea to ask for the assessment report  now. If you need to ask for a mandatory reconsideration you will need it and if you don't then it is good to keep for your files

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    edited November 2017
    So sorry to hear about your experience @Annabelle26, it must have felt horrible to not have been believed. Do keep us updated if you do go to mandatory reconsideration, and we'll do our best to support you.
  • Annabelle26
    Annabelle26 Scope Member Posts: 105 Pioneering
    Thank you everyone for all your Support.  I already feel better just telling my problems to someone.  I have now rung up & asked for a copy of my PIP F2F Assessment & should have it by next week.  I have also followed some links which took me to more information about PIP & ESA about the scoring process etc.  They were quite informative & I wish I knew about them before.  I am thinking positive thoughts about the matter.  Thanks again everyone. :):)<3
  • Annabelle26
    Annabelle26 Scope Member Posts: 105 Pioneering
    Thank you for your advice.  Apart from the details of Doctors/Consultants I sent no evidence just a narrative of my various issues both physical & mental.  I had to go through an MR with my ESA a few weeks ago.  My ESA was stopped because I did not attend a Health Assessment because  I did not know about it.  The Decision Maker did not think that was a good enough reason. When I got written confirmation of the decision I sent in an appeal letter which the decision maker did not deal with within the timeframe. The information in the decision letter was wrong which I pointed out. When I rang up to check progress & it was found nothing had been done it was referred to a Manager & she rang back within a couple of hours saying my appeal had been allowed & my claim had been reinstated & backdated to when it was stopped.  I just wish it was all over as it is making me physically & mentally ill.
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    I'm sorry to hear that things haven't been fully sorted yet @Annabelle26, I can understand why this is making you feel rubbish. Please look after yourself and let us know if there's anything we can assist you with from here onwards. 
  • janice_in_wonderland
    janice_in_wonderland Community member Posts: 265 Pioneering
    Hi @Annabelle26
    has there been any progress with your case? 
  • Annabelle26
    Annabelle26 Scope Member Posts: 105 Pioneering
    I have submitted a MR regarding my PIP.  All the stress bought on a virus attack which means I could not go to a Health Assessment for my ESA.  I rang up on the day but still received a non-attendance form.  i sent it back straight away with lots of  information about my symptoms.  This time i was believed & my ESA has not been stopped.

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