I desperately need your opinion on my recent pip assesement

sandyp196 · March 2018

Hello I'm new here and this is my first post.
Yesterday I had a home assesment for pip renewal. It didn't go well. The assessor turned up nearly an hour early at 8.05am. The knocking woke me up and I let her in before I realised how early she was.
I looked at my phone to see where my OT was and saw the time. I told the assesor she would have to leave and come back as I wasn't willing to go ahead without my OT. She told me the appt time is not set in stone and can fluctuate. I said I didn't care and I wouldn't go ahead without my OT who wasn't due for an hour.
The assesor didn't seem happy but said she would do as I wanted and she left.
I was quite upset and stresseD as the this wasn't a good start.
She came back at the appointment time and my OT had arrived. In the meantime I had got my appointment letter and checked where it said the appt time may'fluctuate'. The letter said no such thing.
So by the time she came back I was upset and angry and waving the letter around and accusing her of trying to force me into an assessment without my OT present.
She denied this but I was so upset that my dog got stresseD and had managed to open the kitchen door where I'd put her. She bounded into the the room and I went to grab her before she jumped over everyone, but the assessor tried to pet her despite the fact my dog was clearly growling. The upshot is my dog bit the assessor!
There was no broken skin and my dog is small and th assessor said she was fine and she carried on wih the assessment.
But now today I'm stressing myself out wondering how I have any chance of getting the pip renewed when I chucked the assessor out of my home and my dog bit her.
My OT says not to worry about it but I can't help it. I have a 4 - 6 week wait and I will worry about this the entire time.

smokeyjoey · March 2018

Firstly I don't think there is much you can do about the assessment itself, but I would be inclined to ring atos/capita to see how the assessor is after the dog incident, but that's just me. It wouldn't hurt to make them aware you are concerned about her

dee4848 · March 2018

@sandyp196 Also I would complain to them that your assessor came an hour early and that you didn' have time for somebody to sit with your dog or preare your dogs proper dog arrangements , ie closing the door properly so the dog was safely secure because of coming early got you in to a panic state

wildlife · March 2018

@sandyp196 Try to see past your feelings or use them in a positive way to take action. Dogs pick up on the type of person they are with and that's what he/she did. You need to make a complaint to ATOS/Capita whoever assessed you about the time your assessor turned up and make sure that DWP know as well. Explain how you felt and how the assessor didn't leave at once and what they said to presure you into going ahead when you weren't even awake. It was probably planned to catch you out. You won't have to wait to know the most likely outcome as you can ring the DWP for two reasons within the next day or so. To tell them what happened so it's on your record and to ask for a copy of the PA4 assessment report to be sent to you. It will be what your decision is as DWP go with what the assessor recommends most of the time. They may ask you to write in about the assessor and ring back about a copy of the report so just go with that. Ask for the name of who you speak to and record the time and date and what was said. This will be the start of your complaint. However you will need to write or ask someone to help to write to your assessment company to tell them what happened and that you want to make a "formal" complaint. You could also let your MP know. Your assessor may complain about the dog but you will be putting your side across by doing this. Hope that helps.

whistles · March 2018

Nothing usual to add apart from how unfair is this just turning up so early.
I am not awake just like that and you can argue that her doing so contributed to the dog getting out.

CockneyRebel · March 2018

Hi sandy and welcome

I hope your dog is ok

CR

duckett123 · March 2018

they will tell lies anyway if it goes against you so be prepaird for fight

dee4848 · March 2018

And I certainly would of got a photo of where your dog had bitten her ..just in ase she bit herself when she left 《 you never do know )

sandyp196 · March 2018

Thank you everyone. I feel a little better today. My occupational therapist has insisted I don't worry about this and said we will fight it all the way if my pip isn't renewed. My OT was also a witness to my dogs behaviour and was closer to the assessor and said no damage was done and the assessor should have been clearer about that.
My dog is the cutest, sweetest little dog. I was so shocked she did that. She is a yapper and tries to be a guard dog but anyone I let in my home she is friendly to. The fact I let them in usually assures her they are not a threat.
Not this time though!

sleepy1 · March 2018

Hi Sandy, can I borrow your dog for my next assessment.

She was stupid to pat a growling dog so it was her own fault she got bit and just deserts for lying and stressing you out. It will be interesting to see what she puts in the report about time of arrival/leaving and if she mentions the dog incident. At least you have your OT as a witness.

Even if all had gone smoothly, like most of us you would still be stressed and worried about the decision, hope all goes well hugs Rosie

maid08 · March 2018

gd tthats a disgrace but trying to catch you out ?my dog is fully trained atack dog on comand its in kitchen although it will not act unless on demand but every dog has a feeling just like we do about peaple and anyway her fault so do not worry about it just try and chill till u see repport

sandyp196 · March 2018

Hello, me again. I had a text from dwp saying they had recieved the report from my pip review. This was 5 days after the review (and includes a weekend). I'm not sure if this kind of speed is a good or bad thing.
Any opinions?

whistles · March 2018

sandyp196 said:

Hello, me again. I had a text from dwp saying they had recieved the report from my pip review. This was 5 days after the review (and includes a weekend). I'm not sure if this kind of speed is a good or bad thing.
Any opinions?

I think it just depends on how efficient they are.
I got my assessment two weeks after I sent the forms. I didn't think that gave them long enough to read.

lillybelle · March 2018

Have you got your dog insured?
This assessor is well within her rights to complain and try for compensation.
My dog is a golden retriever, so quite big. A very soft temperament so has never bitten, in fact never growled either.
However because she is so big she does like to make friends and gets excited and can easily knock you off your feet.
my son took her out whilst I had the assessment and neither she or the 16 yr old cat that I have was never mentioned.
i read that having pets will also go against you as it is said that you are capable of cleaning up after them, walking them etc.
Ours is a family dog and other members of my family walk her etc.
she enjoys snuggling down on the sofa with me and eating my toast.
I personally wouldn’t ring to see how the assessor was but I would definately contact insurance company.
small dogs are usually the worst for their nastiness, although I’m not in anyway saying yours is.

CockneyRebel · March 2018

That is not unusual for them to receive the report any time 3-8 days.
Have you asked for a copy of the report ?

CR

whistles · March 2018

They shouldn't really make an assumption that if you have a pet you are capable of functioning.
They don't know who else helps you. The pet probably doesn't need its food cooking, it doesn't need to use the bathroom.
A pet actually enables rather than disables- thinking of communication getting someone out of the house.
I don't have pets, I borrow pets. They are not actually mine.

lillybelle · March 2018

I agree they definately should not
however like everything else assessors and the DWP do make assumptions and they are quick to jump at it

Matilda · March 2018

Unfortunately assessors and DWP might assume that a person's disabilities are less if they are able to look after a pet. My assessor asked if I had any pets and wrote in her report that I did not. They'll try to find numerous ways of denying people points.

whistles · March 2018

They have it set up to take points. If you can do something that's not in the descriptors, it's against you.
But if you can't do something that's not in them, it's outside the scope of the support.
Interesting.

I could be a weird person ( non diagnosed

) that feels I don't fit the pip care at this time. So I don't have it.
In a strange way its a positive that things are not that bad yet? Not the right words, but I know what's coming round the corner and I am not looking.

CockneyRebel · March 2018

Many people with long term conditions have ways of managing and coping to get through the day. It becomes second nature to mask our disabilities to lead the best life we can. Unless we put our coping mechanisms aside when we are assessed, the HCP cannot see the real us and the difficulties we have so often they make wrong assumptions based on what they see on the day.

CR

sandyp196 · March 2018

I didn't ring to see how the assessor was. I don't ring people and I tbh i don't really care either. She shouldn't have tried to touch my dog when she could see the dog was stressed. My OT said the dog didn't touch her skin anyway. Just snapped at her.
My dog and cat are my family. Sometimes iv been so unwell all I can do is empty sachets of food for them. But the main thing is they are fed.
If I lose points for having them then so be it. I think it's disgraceful how the dwp potentially use pets against people.

louise91 · March 2018

sandyp196 said:

I didn't ring to see how the assessor was. I don't ring people and I tbh i don't really care either. She shouldn't have tried to touch my dog when she could see the dog was stressed. My OT said the dog didn't touch her skin anyway. Just snapped at her.
My dog and cat are my family. Sometimes iv been so unwell all I can do is empty sachets of food for them. But the main thing is they are fed.
If I lose points for having them then so be it. I think it's disgraceful how the dwp potentially use pets against people.

Citizens advice have told me they are renowned for using people's pets against them. In my mums report they said she bent down to feed her dog twice a day when the only mention of the dog during the assessment was that he hadn't stopped barking (think its a yappy small dog thing lol). I wouldn't worry too much, whats done is done, if she had of been concerned about the dog biting her she could have ended the assessment there and then. Let us know how you get on, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

sleepy1 · March 2018

Hi all, there was a great program on tv the other day about cats and dogs where they had carried out lots of research about their behavior and how they interact with people. Think it was called Cats verses Dogs, very interesting.

Anyhow getting back to dwp stance, what do they expect people to do who have had pets for years and through no fault of there own are struck down with illness/disability. Just get rid of them, kick them out on the street or have them put to sleep? What about people who have young children to look after would they expect the same??

@sandyp196 hopefully it wont come to it but if you have to do an MR or tribunal because the assessor used your dog as a means of deducting points from you I would think you have a very good case. Woof Woof Rosie

I desperately need your opinion on my recent pip assesement

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