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PIP reassessment/ review issues

cynthia57
cynthia57 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
edited January 2019 in PIP, DLA, and AA
Just joined to let people know our experience on my husbands first application of PIP in 2015  he was awarded 30 points the following year 0 by the same assessor who saw me and also awarded me 0 despite my being on DLA for 16 years with a disability since I was 11. 

The assessor actually told outright lies on both our claims. And she mentioned visiting our home for my husbands application I thought this was a conflict of interest and surely she should not be allowed use one visit for an applicant to provide information on another applicant?

Then DWP realised that someone cannot go from 30 to 0 in one shirt year so they sent the application back to Capita and told them to reassess it and they gave my husband 10 points and he was awarded it for 2 years.

however they sent us a pack a year early and told him to fill it in we rang to ask why it was so early as we wondered if it was due to that High Court case where they were told to reassess everyone but although we rang 3 times couldn’t get any sense off them.

they took from May to September to have him assessed again and we got the letter yesterday on 5th January to say they had cut him off on 28th December so we got no warning that the money was just going to be stopped and four months early as he wasn’t due to be assessed until April 2019 

im his carer  so my allowance has been stopped too just like that we lost approximately £120 a week with no warning how is this allowed? And the month after Christmas too so of course if we had had some warning we would have tightened our belts etc

he was awarded just 4 points despite having had 2 operations within 6 months and I notice that if you can drive they are now using that against you as they used it against both myself and my husband despite him having  his licence taken off him last year for 6 months due to illness 

i took my appeal to Tribunal by telephone and won even on the driving point but my husband now feels so beaten down and degraded by them that he is not going to appeal.

 the assessor said he can walk more than 200 metres despite not having assessed him physically or even asking him and because he was dressed “appropriately” whatever that means they used that against him too????

we had hospital and doctors letters but it didn’t matter and Iv seen here someone say they don’t check your medical records and that’s true because when my husband had cancer they didn’t write  to his doctors and they don’t tell you that they didn’t write so do collect everything you can don’t under any circumstances assume they have sought out your medical history 

my advice is to go to a benefits advice centre and have them fill the forms out for you because I applied for 7 years in a row and was rejected but when I went to a welfare advice centre and had them fill out my forms I was successful

 I’m now on a lifetime award but still expect them to review that and have decided if they do I’m not going to appeal either after years of being violated and degraded they have wore us down and usually where I am a fighter Iv no fight left in me after several appeals with them year in and year out 

I don’t understand either why they have a motoring element (my husband qualified for the mobility element the first year) but they are now saying if you can drive you don’t qualify for PIP??

 They said that to drive shows he has the power to grip the steering wheel and also to drive you must have mental cognition and that shows you are not mentally impaired???? 

I had my pyschologist write to them to say that driving is a learned behaviour that you do out of habit and that this is how people can manage to drink or drug drive because it’s a learnt practice therefore it doesn’t affect the mental state of mind and I won that argument but now they have used it again to take it off my husband 

anyway I just wanted to warn people to be very careful if you are given a date for review that they do not stick to that date to expect it to be taken off you with no notice or warning we are now left with out over £400 a month it’s disgraceful 

Comments

  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @cynthia57

    “Good Afternoon”

    “Welcome”

    It’s great to meet you today!!!!!!!!

    I am very very sorry ? in reading your post to date!!!!!!!!

    Please please let me know if there’s anything that I can help you with?????

    We have got some great info & advice.

    There is also a number of members that have been/going through similar situations as you!!!!!!!

    We have also got some “Benefit Advisors” that we can call on!!!!!

    Please please let me know if I can help/support you in anyway?????
  • markyboy
    markyboy Community member Posts: 367 Pioneering
    I am afraid the DWP will review your award 12 months prior to your end date so when they send you an award and say you are entitled to this amount until this date its not true they can supersede it at any time they want
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @cynthia57, and a warm welcome to the community!

    Thank you for sharing this with us, and I'm truly sorry to hear about your and your husband's experiences. It must have been a really frustrating time for you both and I'm so sorry to hear about the impact its had. I'm sure our other community members will be interested to hear about your experiences.

    I know it's by no means a solution, but just in case you haven't seen it, here's a list of extra money and help a PIP award entitles you to. You may also be interested in our finances and extra costs discussions.

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