positive or negative experience claiming benefits and why ? - Page 2 — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

positive or negative experience claiming benefits and why ?

24

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 13,367 Disability Gamechanger
    edited November 2019
    I have had positive and negative experiences and put it down to luck. So far I have had more good experiences than bad ones.

    I have claimed ESA (support group), DLA and PIP in the past and have had a decision made without attending a face-to-face assessment. They accepted my conditions and made their decisions based on my forms and on the medical evidence I sent them.

    Most recently I had to attend a face-to-face assessment for my PIP with an assessor who, in line with many others here, very much played down my conditions. As above, they cut me off when I tried to explain the difficulties I faced, saying we’d come back to that later, and never did. I also noticed them typing away frantically when I mentioned something I could do, but not typing much, if anything, when I mentioned something I had trouble with.

    Based on my own experience, which is all I have to go by, I disagree that the assessors are incompetent - I think they were VERY competent and were purposefully excluding information that would have supported my claim. In other words they were doing the job of saving the DWP money very well! The fact this is totally unethical is a different topic of discussion.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi,

    I've posted my story many times on here and i don't know whether you know it but just incase you don't, here it is.

    I first applied for DLA in 2012, about 6 months before PIP came out. I really knew nothing about the benefit system at all at the time. I didn't have a lot of evidence either but was struggling with my health so thought i'd apply. Sadly i was refused and didn't bother to request the MR because at the time my knowledge was almost zero and i didn't realise i could, so i left it as it was and carried on struggling with life.

    Fast forward to when PIP started, i decided to apply but again my knowledge was almost zero. I did have some evidence this time from Consultants, OT assessment reports, aids to help at home that were installed and recommended by an OT. I received the forms and contacted my local CAB who helped me fill them out. Limited information was put on the form but at the time i didn't know any different. I sent the evidence with the form to support my claim and i waited and waited. Backlogs at the time were huge and i waited 11 months for a face to face assessment.

    I attended the assessment and seen a lovely female HCP who was understanding and polite. I answered all the questions as best i could. I honestly didn't expect to be awarded anything at all. I requested a copy of the report and when i added up the points recommended it was Standard for both. The decision maker went with the report and i was awarded for 3 years.

    My condition did get worse about 18 months later but as with most people i was scared of reporting those changes because i didn't want to lose what i already had so i left it as it was. Review came 6 months later and again i got help filling out the forms from CAB. Limited information was put on the form but i did send evidence to support my claim. Face to face assessment needed, which i attended and again it was a female who was really lovely. Understood my conditions and she sat and listened while i answered the very few questions, which was mostly aimed at my mobility. Very short assessment again and she did say she didn't know why i was there. 4 days later i had a phone call from the decision maker asking me when my mobility got worse. I answered and he said thanks, you'll receive my decision within the next 7 days. The following day i rang DWP to find the decision had been made, Standard daily living and Enhanced mobility until November 2020.

    At the same time as the PIP claim i was also waiting for my first work capability assessment for ESA. Attended that assessment not knowing what to expect and really had no idea what it was about. Again the HCP was nice, friendly and polite. The assessment was very short and stopped after only about 15 minutes and she said she had enough of information. Decision came and i was placed into the support group. Next review was 3 years later, got help with the forms, sent evidence to support my claim and this time i had a paper based assessment and was kept in the support group. 2 years later review time, this time i filled in the forms myself, sent evidence to support my claim but needed a face to face assessment this time. HCP was unbelievable, she was one of the nicest i've ever met. So friendly and understanding. Helped my into the assessment room by letting me hold into her arm. Walked me out to meet my daughter and again let me hold onto her arm. Decision came and was kept in the support group.

    Then i started to do some research about 4 year ago because i wanted to gain some knowledge into the benefit system so i searched the internet and read as much as could. The research stretched to most of the benefit system because i wanted to help others that were struggling. That along with my own experiences has got me where i am today, helping others as much i can. Being accused of working for DWP countless times in the past and being up against some very cruel people, with no hearts and no manners, it didn't put me off and my help extended to here. I joined scope and was asked to be a Community Champion, of course i accepted and my support continues here.

    I put in a claim for PIP for my daughter in August 2017. Got help with the forms but this time they were filled out badly and i know i should have filled them out myself but it was a daunting thought. I'm her appointee and filling out a form for someone else especially my daughter was scary and i didn't want to let her down. I didn't receive a copy of the forms that were sent and hardly any information was put down on the forms and i worried constantly because i know she was entitled but thought she'd be refused because of how badly the forms were filled in. I did sent evidence with the forms that proved beyond doubt that she was entitled to Enhanced for both parts because by this time my knowledge had grown considerably.

    She was granted a home assessment without the need for a letter from her GP. I answered all the questions on her behalf during the assessment, while she rocked in the chair looking at the floor. We waited just over 6 weeks for the decision because the report was sent to audit. I received a copy of the assessment report which recommended Enhanced for both parts. Decision came and it went with the report.

    fast forward just one year and it was review time for my daughter. This time i decided to fill the forms out myself. I put as much information as possible and added 2 real life examples of what happened the last time she attempted that activity for each descriptor that applied to her. I was aiming for a paper based assessment. Sent new evidence to support her claim. She did have a paper based assessment and they contacted someone from the learning disabilities team and this person new her very well. Decision came, Enhanced for both parts again.

    My story proves that there are good HCPs out there and not everyone's experience is bad. It's just a shame that those who are awarded successfully don't come onto a forum and start telling their stories but this isn't going to happen.

    There's no certain way to fill out the forms, there's no special wording that you should use, just tell it how it is. Take your time and do a little each day, then put the form away until the next day. Do this until the form is complete. It's definitely not easy filling out those forms but it's doable because the only person that knows how your conditions affect you is yourself. There's no time to sit there explaining your conditions to someone from an advice centre because they have very limited time. Some won't agree but we all have our own opinions and this is mine.
    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.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    No problem @justdon however, you said this. " I think the problem is sometimes ,you can come across as being quite blunt and at times it does seem as if you are almost defensive of the DWP"  ?

    That is most certainly not my intentions, which is why i spend so much of my time trying to help others here. Also reading text speak can often be misread and it's not always easy to "read" someones tone and that tone can easily be mistaken and that's definitely the case here. I have no idea why anyone would think i'm in defense of DWP when i claim benefits myself lol. I wouldn't be here if i wanted to defend them.

    The moral of the story here is never judge a person by it's cover and judging me is what some members do and have done and that makes me sad especially because i try my hardest to help so many people here.
    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.
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    edited November 2019
    Hi, thank you Poppy for telling your story, as I'd only previously read about the latter part. I think your caring nature comes across by the countless people you answer who are often asking the same questions, yet you show great patience in answering them especially as regards benefits. I doubt if there would be enough hours in the day to express anything other than the knowledge or facts that you do get across so well. I am saddened to read that some have been more than impolite in the past, & that must be hurtful, yet still you have carried on.
    You raise some points I am in complete agreement with: just fill in any form doing a little each day & it's probably better trying to write a little down over a period of time than just repeating your difficulties to someone from an agency.
    I also found writing an 8 day diary down helpful, as mentioned above that can be helpful in deciding what to write in your forms. In my case I sent it off with my PIP form as I didn't have much medical evidence.
    Edit: Takes me so long to type hadn't seen Poppy's 2nd post here. We're all in this together, trying to help one another.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    @justdon i'm sorry you've felt that way but it's most certainly wasn't my intentions. As you know i've helped you a lot too in the past.

    When i mention text speech, what i meant was someone's tone of voice. When you're reading a message on a forum it's often very difficult to read a persons tone and it can sometimes come across as being offensive but that's not the case for me. My intentions here are purely to help others and nothing more.

    When i first claimed benefits i never went on forums and for me i think it was better that way because i didn't read the bad stories so i never knew any different.
    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.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    chiarieds said:
    Hi, thank you Poppy for telling your story, as I'd only previously read about the latter part. I think your caring nature comes across by the countless people you answer who are often asking the same questions, yet you show great patience in answering them especially as regards benefits. I doubt if there would be enough hours in the day to express anything other than the knowledge or facts that you do get across so well. I am saddened to read that some have been more than impolite in the past, & that must be hurtful, yet still you have carried on.
    You raise some points I am in complete agreement with: just fill in any form doing a little each day & it's probably better trying to write a little down over a period of time than just repeating your difficulties to someone from an agency.
    I also found writing an 8 day diary down helpful, as mentioned above that can be helpful in deciding what to write in your forms. In my case I sent it off with my PIP form as I didn't have much medical evidence.
    Edit: Takes me so long to type hadn't seen Poppy's 2nd post here. We're all in this together, trying to help one another.
    Hi @chiarieds thank you for that! and you're welcome.

    Sadly we or even i can't please everyone, despite the amount of time i spend here. There will always be someone that doesn't like someone else on a forum.

    Thankfully there's a lot of people that do appreciate my advice here and i have to admit i've made a lot of friends in my time here and that's something i'm grateful for.

    The diary is good advice, although i didn't do that for any of my claims but it certainly does help some people.
    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.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,330 Disability Gamechanger
    @justdon when have i ever accused you of being a child? lol
    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.
  • WhileIBreathIHope
    WhileIBreathIHope Posts: 216 Pioneering
    Mine were all set up by gate keeper social workers and key workers. 

    The knife of austerity was used to cut the lot. 

    I had an ATOS assessment and believe that knowing the keyworker would be harder to ignore facts and tell lies- written confirmation of cancelled appointment letter.

    Next I got you didn't attend a cancelled appointment and everything cut. 

    Months of nothing and rent arrears MP found it almost impossible to get an explanation and account un sanctioned. 

    MP changed and a sodd off letter from DWP as Autism cured- housebound with zero income..
    My experience KEY workers, Social workers and even local job centre staff locked out. 
    I got treated like human filth and in the same manner the Nazi's made targeting disabled.

    DWP and those who condone their conduct deserve to be held accountable 
  • Victoria32
    Victoria32 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    I was falsely led to relax in my face to face assessment. Made to talk and made to feel comfortable. As a result the assessor felt I wasn't eligible for PIP. 

    This has made me not able to trust anyone. 

    Has anyone on here appealed for PIP and what should I expect? 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    I don't post on here too much because I get fed up of feeling like people are making assumptions and they come across as being a tad rude and abrupt and I don't deal with that too well. I'd rather speak in pm to someone I've made friends with on here rather than on the forums.

    @justdon I didn't think you were doing that and I'm sure if Poppy did she would tell you herself.

    @Chobbly I'll try and explain another time, my anxiety is kicking my bum ATM.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 231 Pioneering
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 587 Listener
    Np at all @justdon X thank you x

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.