Girlfriend had face to face assessment today — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Girlfriend had face to face assessment today

PIPnewbie
PIPnewbie Community member Posts: 298 Pioneering
edited September 2018 in PIP, DLA, and AA
The assessor seemed very stern, abrupt, but moderately friendly.  

Strangely though, when typing away after my girlfriend answered questions, he huffed and puffed a lot, and rubbed his face, like somebody stressed out.  I’ve read all sorts of accounts of assessors but nothing like this.  This put my girlfriend really on edge as she feared he wasn’t liking her answers.

I feel he did rush through questions even though the interview was 1 hour 15 mins (from sitting to getting up to leave).

We didn’t get any repeat questions as I have read accounts of, no silencing me on the very few times I spoke for her, no contradicting her, or trying to put words in her mouth, etc.

But I don’t know, given how it seems everyone is awarded 0 points, and nobody gets awarded through the consultation, I just don’t feel confident she is going to get an award.

My own unbiased (as best can be) observation is that due to it being one of her moderately flared days, she was as stiff as a board and needed to sit on the bench over the road from the assessment after walking 50 yards from the car park, she was moving at a snail pace as well as her arm movements, etc.  She was visibly exhausted and fell asleep in the waiting room for 15 minutes.

I did secretly record it all, which came out perfectly clearly, after hearing all the crazy stories of them lying on reports.

I guess we will find out.

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    Your thoughts that everyone is awarded 0 points and nobody gets awarded through the consultation is not exactly true. It's true to the fact that a HCP doesn't make the decisions, they only make a recommendation to the DWP decision maker by writing a report, so no one is awarded anything after the assessment. The report is then sent to the DWP where a decision maker makes a decision based on the report.

    Plenty of people are awarded PIP first time without any problems at all. The only problem is, is that we rarely hear the good stories because if someone's had an award they're happy with we don't hear their story because they have no questions to ask. Myself and my daughter were both successful first time.

    I think secretly recording the assessment was very risky and you're lucky you didn't get caught, if you had then the assessment would have been stopped, the file returned to DWP and most likely your partner would have been refused PIP. I have no idea if you'll be able to use that at a Tribunal, if the worst happens.

    Approximately 1 week from now your partner can ring DWP and ask for a copy of the assessment report, this will give her some idea what the decision will be as they mostly go with the report. Good luck.


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • PIPnewbie
    PIPnewbie Community member Posts: 298 Pioneering
    Thank you for the advice, Poppy. I thought the calling the DWP for an assessment report was after the decision was made, but glad to know it can be requested before then.

    And I understand the recording was risky, but I feel no regret or remorse for it.  After hearing all the constant horror stories about reports riddled with lies, and general immorality of Atos/Capita, I do not feel any guilt protecting my girlfriend's integrity.

    If we are successful with her claim, I will report it here.
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger

    Plenty of people are awarded PIP first time without any problems at all...…….  Myself and my daughter were both successful first time.

    (a) because you had professional help?
    (b) you understood what you had to do to get an award?

    Many don't get the result they were hoping for.

    You know my story - had 3 assessments - had 3 refusals - 0 points in all three.
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
    We should celebrate people’s successes and learn from our failures 
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    edited September 2018
    We should celebrate people’s successes and learn from our failures 
    I do congratulate those that beat the system. Learn from our mistakes? Not easy when even after 3 failures on my part I was still no wiser as to why or what could have been done better.
    Without understanding what went wrong and how there was nothing to really learn.

    However after being on this site for the past few months I now know what I did wrong on many fronts and what I should have done to improve my chances. A bit late now because of my age (70) I can no longer apply for PIP. The lessons now learned unfortunately are no longer relevant for me.
  • PIPnewbie
    PIPnewbie Community member Posts: 298 Pioneering
    Yadnad said:
    We should celebrate people’s successes and learn from our failures 
    I do congratulate those that beat the system. Learn from our mistakes? Not easy when even after 3 failures on my part I was still no wiser as to why or what could have been done better.
    Without understanding what went wrong and how there was nothing to really learn.

    However after being on this site for the past few months I now know what I did wrong on many fronts and what I should have done to improve my chances. A bit late now because of my age (70) I can no longer apply for PIP. The lessons now learned unfortunately are no longer relevant for me.

    I’m sorry to hear this.

    Did you go to tribunal or ask for mandatory reconsideration?
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    PIPnewbie said:
    Yadnad said:



    I’m sorry to hear this.

    Did you go to tribunal or ask for mandatory reconsideration?
    Yes for all three decisions - they went to MR.
    The first two (2013 &2015) were changed at MR from the 0 points to Enhanced Mobility & Care.

    For the third decision, it went to MR and the DWP said no change.
    By this time I had had enough with being assessed every 2 years and having to fight for every correct decision. I didn't bother asking for a Tribunal hearing for the third decision and just left it with my claim obviously being cancelled.

    At 70 I am far to old to be allowed to make another claim.

    The only alternative for someone of my age is Attendance Allowance (DLA by another name for the Care part only) but to qualify for that you literally have to be so disabled that I would need to require care from another person throughout the day. Fortunately I am not quite at that stage as I still have some independence.
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
    @Yadnad it’s disgusting that pip stops at 70 ( have I got that correct?) as dla was sometimes for life and life doesn’t stop at 70. My dad was 81 when he passed away this year and I’m so glad he didn’t have to go through the dla to pip route. There’s something well wrong here. 
  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    PIP does not stop at 70.  People can't make new claims for PIP over age 65.  However if you receive PIP before 65 you keep it after 65 as long as you meet the criteria.  If you are on DLA after 65 you are invited to claim PIP when your turn comes. Except if you turned 65 before, I think, 10 April 2013, you stay on DLA.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    If you're already receiving PIP by this age then you'll continue to receive it for as long as you qualify. You will still have reviews the same as everyone else but it certainly doesn't just stop unless you've been refused after a review then of course you'd ask for the MR then Tribunal if that fails.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    If you're already receiving PIP by this age then you'll continue to receive it for as long as you qualify. You will still have reviews the same as everyone else but it certainly doesn't just stop unless you've been refused after a review then of course you'd ask for the MR then Tribunal if that fails. 

    Yes I did go for a MR as you say but couldn't face a Tribunal so that is why the PIP claim was closed. They eventually won. It took then 3 attempts to get there so that was some consolation!

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.