Got my PA4 today not good, no points when i got 12 last time.

Scott63
Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor
edited September 24 in PIP, DLA, ADP & AA

Well I asked the assessor if I could record the assessment which she agreed to, she told me her recording equipment was not working, I was due to start the assessment at 2.00pm, at 1.45pm the DWP called to say they are running late by one hour 15 minutes, this sent me into meltdown as I have ADHD, and autism, as well as anxiety and depression, I also have mild cognitive impairment, as well as CKD stage 3, IBS, and diverticulitis, and a 74mm diastasis recti, a few thing before I even get to the descriptors, I told her I had been up since 3.00am with worry and stress, I also told her I had had a meltdown, because of the delay, This was never mentioned on her report,

first off on her report it says I coped well with the assessment, in her words I was normal manner, not anxious agitated or tense, when you can actually hear it in my voice, and I even stumble over my words, At 4.20 on the recording she asked me did I have help filling out the form, I told her my son helped me when he comes home from work, I told her this twice, she wrote on the PA4 that my wife helped which is not true, at 10.40 I told her I walk to the doctors in the rain in my coat, she wrote that I walk to the gym in my coat, which is also not true, I do go to the gym for my mental health and to try and strengthen my body because I have the large 74mm diastasis recti, I go on my pushbike, I never go to the gym when it is raining I use dumbbells at home, at 21.34 I told her I do not surf the internet on my phone, she wrote he uses mobile phone to call, text and surf the internet, which is not true, I have all this on a recording, it totally goes against what she wrote, never mind what she wrote on the descriptors which is wrong, sorry for the ramble.

She also said there was no evidence of cognitive impairment when I have a letter of diagnoses confirming this, which I had sent in with all my other letters.

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Comments

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 9,741 Online Community Team

    Sorry to hear you had such a rough time with your assessment report @Scott63, that sounds really disappointing.

    If you feel you weren't treated correctly by the assessor, you could think about making a complaint:

    Complaints procedure - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK

    It may be worth waiting until you receive confirmation of your PIP result. Then if it goes with your report findings, the next step would be asking for a mandatory reconsideration where you can explain to them why you feel their assessments of your conditions were not correct. You can reference the recording as evidence of this too.

    There's some information about appeals here in case you need it:

    Appealing a benefits decision | Disability charity Scope UK

    Have you had any help with your claim from benefits advisers before? Sometimes that can be helpful.

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor
    edited September 25

    Hi Rosie

    If the assessor is not reporting what I am telling her, and just writing down what she feels is right, how can the decision maker base their decision on flawed material, how can anything else she writes down be taken as factual? ie the descriptors if she cant tell the truth to simple answers.

    I have a recording of the full assessment, and it tells a different story of what was said.

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 9,741 Online Community Team

    That's really frustrating @Scott63. It probably is worth raising a complaint with them, especially as you have plenty of evidence showing what was written in the report doesn't match the recording. Hopefully you can challenge things and have it all looked at again.

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    Hi Rosie

    Do I have to wait for the decision makers letter, or should I get in touch now, and explain things.

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 9,741 Online Community Team

    Hi @Scott63 If you're planning to complain about what happened in the assessment, you wouldn't necessarily need to wait for the result letter to do that ☺️

  • flour
    flour Community Member Posts: 158 Empowering
    edited September 26

    @Scott63

    To follow on your question to Rosie - the assessor can write what they think and the DWP can choose to prefer the report over other evidence. This sadly a key part of the design of the system which means when a poor quality report is produced then usually a poor quality decision will follow.

    It means you need to lodge a Mandatory Reconsideration if you disagree with the decision and lodge and appeal if you disagree with the Mandatory Reconsideration.

    The success rate at appeal is far higher so it often a good coping strategy to simply wait until you get to the appeal stage.

    A key piece of advice I would share with you is - when you lodge the appeal, under the question, 'why are you appealing/reasons for appeal' write something very basic like 'I disagree with the DWPs decision and I would like it revised by an independent tribunal as I believe I should have been awarded PIP at the enhanced/standards levels for daily living/mobility.'

    In around 3 - 6 months time you will get an appeal bundle. When you get it you can read through all the paperwork and then write a letter to the tribunal using the DWPs own evidence and your evidence stating exactly which points you quality for and why.

    I hope this helps with your benefit claim

    Seperayley to the matter of the report itself - others are right you can complain here. Later you can also complain to the professional body e.g. the nursing and midwifery council.

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor
    edited September 27

    Hi flour

    Just to add a bit more info, my son who helped me with the online pip2 forms has been going over the recording, he is very good at things like this as he works for Healthwatch Torbay which

    acts as the independent consumer champion for health and adult social care services in Torbay

    He has found lots of lets call them mistakes, here is just a few more examples she said there is no

    evidence of cognitive impairment, when in fact I cannot remember the name of one of the medicines i use at 33.30 mark, 45.00 I cant remember what the brain specialist is called, I tried a number of times , and the assessor actually piped up and told me herself, a neurologist, not remembering what the online pharmacy i use for home delivers is called at 36.25, my wife pipped up and prompted me, saying I answered the security questions no problem, when you can clearly hear my wife prompt me at 1.75, saying my speech was normal when you can clearly hear me stumbling over my words, she cut me off from my opening statement explaining my wife is sat with me, who is my registered carer, talking over my wife on a number of occasions and not letting her speak even though that's what she was there for, the list goes on, asking me a question and not letting me finish with my answer on a few occasions, like my constipation is so bad at times my legs go numb, and I have to pull myself off the toilet using the sink, and then have to hold onto the sink until the feelings in my legs return, I didn't get to tell her this as she cut me off and moved onto something else, there is more, but im not going to write it all on here.

    Thank you for your help and advise flour, I really do appreciate it.

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    Just an up date, my wife phoned the DWP this morning explaining about the PA4 and all the discrepancies, they agreed to put a hold on the decision as it had not been made yet, after reading some of them out with time stamps, the man on the phone actually told us to make a complaint with Serco about the assessor, I have to send a letter to the DWP explaining my grievances, my wife has also just come off the phone with the citizens advice, the lady told us to come down to the drop in this Thursday with all the PA4 and the recording.

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 6,170 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    Thank you for the update @Scott63, are you going to complain? How are you and your wife feeling now?

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    Hi Mary

    To be honest Mary I am livid, the PA4 is a complete fabrication, I know people will think I am exaggerating, but its totally painting a picture of what was said, not just a slip here or there, everything, I really do not believe its an honest mistake by the assessor, I know we have to be careful what we say, but it is what it is, I even chipped in with the phone call this morning and told the man at the DWP, even if I had gotten my pip award I was still taking this further, I cant help it, call me naive but I a expect people to be honest with me especially someone working for a government body, I am taking this all the way.

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 6,170 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists
    edited September 28

    It is very understandable why you feel this angry @Scott63. It sounds like this has been a massive source of ongoing stress for you and your wife so it makes sense that you want to stand your ground and take this complaint all the way.

    How are you feeling about starting the complaint process?

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    This is day 5 of nothing but stress, not sleeping, not eating properly, having a really bad stomach, more than likely a diverticula's flare up like the advanced nurse practitioner said, plus I think I had a bout of internal shingles again which is absolute torture, we have are almost done with sorting out the letter explaining the inaccurate information, If they uphold my complaint then what, I don't want to go through a new assessment with a different assessor, I don't know weather to go all the way to a tribunal, as I have some really damming evidence.

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 6,170 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    That sounds really tough and uncomfortable @Scott63, does anything help with the flare up and reduce some of the pain?

    It's good you're nearly finished sorting out the letter, hopefully you won't have to wait too long to find out what the outcome is.

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    Hi Mary

    I just take paracetamol and deal with it, I have had it bad in the past, I have had shingles on my head that has left a scaring on the back of my eye apparently, the doctor never picked up on this, even though my face was on fire, you could not touch it with a hair, huge scabs on my head, it was the optician who noticed I had had them, and yes letter is all sorted and ready to send tomorrow, also been in touch with Serco, the lady there was very nice and helpful.

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 6,170 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    That sounds painful, hopefully the flare up will start to ease soon @Scott63. Glad the lady you spoke to was helpful and nice, were you able to send the letter off okay today?

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    Hi Mary

    Yes it is starting to fade away, my skin is getting less sensitive by the day, my wife has just gone to the post office to send it recorded delivery, hopefully it gets there before the weekend.

  • Scott63
    Scott63 Community Member Posts: 24 Contributor

    Just an update, Letter was sent to DWP, yesterday morning by recorded delivery, they received it arrived at 06.06am,

    Then at 8.13am I got a text saying Your pip review is complete, you should receive your decision letter in 2 weeks once you receive your letter contact us if you have any questions, do not call before you get the letter.

    So it arrived with their mail along with god knows how many other letters, was opened, scanned, someone sat down and read through 8 pages, I know its a lot, then mulled it over, then came to a decision then the text was sent all in 2 hours, something just does not seem right.

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Community Member Posts: 9,154 Championing

    DWP mail goes to a PO Box, eventually being scanned into the DWP system.

    I think it is likely your decision wasn't put on hold and the decision was made with the assessment report, and without your letter.

  • Anhedonia2
    Anhedonia2 Community Member Posts: 447 Empowering

    I requested a PIP application form yesterday and all this stuff makes me so overwhelmed, what is a PA4? Do I need one? How will I know what points I get and what do they mean?

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Community Member Posts: 9,154 Championing
    edited October 2

    The PA4 is a copy of the assessment report. This can be requested before the decision is made. It's down to your personal preference, some people like to know asap, others prefer to wait for the decision letter.

    The PA4 will have all descriptors and points awarded (if any) listed.

    This tool can be useful once you have the information from your assessment https://benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test

    This is a list of where you can score points, and for what https://benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

    Your decision letter won't have the report text, but will also list the descriptors and points awarded (if any).

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