Why did pip assessor focus on things what wasn’t in how my disability affects me answers??

teekay · September 2023

I have jus had my pip assessment report back and decision letter back , all the dwp states is about my mental health with depression and anxiety almost everything he put is my mental health medication is working is in no therapy for mental health has not secondary health input due to mental health?? On my application that the CAB ever so simply filled out for me it was in regards to my adhd fibromyalgia, joint pain and being breathless. He put very short answers on my forms but they was in regards to these issues.

When I listened to the assessment back I actually realised a lot of her questions on the planning and following a journey was mainly focused on mental health, anxiety. How is your anxiety when you are out? Do you have anxiety when you are home? Anxiety this and that basically but all my answers was about how sensory issues trigger me. But on my form it’s about adhd and how that affects me. I didn’t realise it was going on at the time she didn’t ask me one about my adhd or even my symptoms only thing was is what can trigger it. She said I answered all questions confidently and not need prompting! When I listened back when I was asked a question for example how does anxiety feel when your out I was actually telling about the environment and what’s going on at the time not any symptoms, she also said I didn’t need things simplified the first 5 minutes she did what took her 3 minutes the first time took her 20 seconds the next time explaining about the audio call process. what really sent me was she said I was teary and also laughed at appropriate times.. this actually made me so mad I was so emotional and at times broke down sobbing a number of times and from start to finish I didn’t even giggle not once never mind laugh I was so upset by this I became hyper fixated for almost a week dissected the whole 2 hour call writing down every time time stamp I stuttered, mixed words up, went of topic repeated things for me the lot the fact she knew this was a recorded a call I did not expect the amount of lies she told she put words in my mouth answered questions I didn’t even put different information in different parts of the report.said I had good memory and named dates any time I was asked when this was I’d always say few weeks ago, few months it was this year couldn’t give dates, she also knew I had read things from forms infront of me because I told her she didn’t even say that on the report. Has this happened to anyone else please?? I sent evidence of regarding the budgeting question my friend wrote a statement saying he doe them sent DROS and other letters of arreas iv got in due to impulsive spending with my adhd . Dwp said I have no dignosed cognitive or learning disability and own a bank account and go shopping so I should be able to manage money.. I need to do a MR but don’t know we’re I’m going to start, any advise would be hugely great full thank you

Jimm_Alumni · October 2023

Hi @teekay, first of all welcome to our community. I'm really sorry you had an assessment like this. I've been through a similar experience a few years ago. Some assessors will word questions in a "yes or no" manner, even though there is a lot of nuance that would be missed with such an answer.

I want you to know that there's multiple chances to appeal, so this is far from over. You are right in that you have to get an MR going right away. You can call or write a letter, a letter is much better however. First of all you don't have to go through the anxiety of a phone call and you know exactly what will go into the MR. Over the phone you can't be sure exactly what the call handler is putting down in the MR.

For help in writing an MR I recommend reading through the Citizen's Advice advice page. It gives you all the points you need to know on how to submit an MR and what to put in it. It then tells you about the next steps so you're fully informed and can even read ahead. Now, if the MR still comes back with a bad answer that is okay, MRs do not have a high success rate. What does have a high success rate (around 70%) is a tribunal appeal, which is the step after the MR.

It's a long and tough journey, but you can do it

We're always here if you need to ask more questions or advice!

I'm also going to move this over to our PIP category, people who are knowledgeable about PIP will see it more easily!

teekay · October 2023

Thank you so much for your response it really helpful I’m currently trying to find someone other the CAB to help me as they originally done my forms because I struggle understanding letters and things like that due to my adhd he didn’t give me a copy of my claim form just one for himself and I completely forgot I took pictures of it untill I seen them a few days ago in my photo gallery so I didn’t have them on hand at my assessment but he had only spoke about fibromyalgia and minimal about adhd, he listed things I had been dignosed with, but on the activity’s he only spoke very little and short about one of my conditions i do struggle with, he wrote very minimal and used his own words and didn’t let me have much of a say but on the odd one did mention adhd I didn’t even state at a point in the appointment that he was not letting me talk as he kept putting his finger up when I did and would write and turn the page, I did come out of there with my son really emotional but I thought he knows what he’s doing I shouldn’t question it he didn’t let me explain about the of the activitys, and how I found them difficult really, I diode know though that the only things wrote in the sections were down to them two he even told me not to send any evidence off said he’s not seen anything like it especially the diary but I did anyway as the man from pip told me too when I rang to check. I was answering my assessment questions everything adhd and fibromyalgia because thats what the man from cab wrote about on the day and was quiet confused why so much the HP focused on was mental health anxiety this mental health that. I thought him putting diagnosed down was just listing them but I thought what was wrote in activity sections was about how a specific condition that was wrote about is the one that effects you… I’m so sorry for the long winded message and if it doesn’t make sense I feel completely confused and overwhelmed and don’t know who could help as I feel I was let down by the cab because iv not learnt the more detailed information the better which is not what he done for me I felt rushed and not listened to..

Why did pip assessor focus on things what wasn’t in how my disability affects me answers??

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