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ASSESSOR QUALIFICATIONS

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  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    edited April 2017
    Thank you, @wildlife - try to take a break and switch off sometimes.
  • johnny100
    johnny100 Community member Posts: 125 Pioneering
    when you had youe assessmrnt did you go with anyone,Yje assessor cannot say that they will not accept proof from another person ,thats a load of whatever.Ihays why I took my wife with myself
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    Yes @johnny100 my husband was with me all the time but because he's my husband ATOS say he's not an independent witness. Thanks @Matilda I will am off to bed.... 
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    wildlife, I would agree with making a complaint against ATOS as well as the address you found you can email their customer service if you prefer.

    As for saying your husband was not an independent witness, in the context of a complaint, you are both witnesses. Everyone who uses the service should be able to complain whether or not they have anyone with them. It would be impossible if every complaint made by someone who had gone with a friend or relative was rejected on that basis. 

    As for the hearing, the tribunal should weigh up the evidence before them - and what you and/or your husband say is as much evidence as the ATOS report.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • johnny100
    johnny100 Community member Posts: 125 Pioneering
    What they are saying (ATOS)is that you could make up between your witness a story,thats just a tactic to try and put you off complaining.Stick with your evidence etc and dont let anyone tell you likewise.As a disable person we have to drive these so called Assessors etc to tell the truth and not to go on assumption,because thats what they are doing
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    A quick update. HCPC have given me an email address for their FOI dpt and I've contacted them and asked for my assessor's qualifications. I received a  reply saying my request will be dealt in no more than 20 days time. Looking forward to the reply as it's not ATOS or DWP I'm asking...
  • Justice
    Justice Community member Posts: 197 Pioneering
    @wildlife all this is turning you into a private detective :-). On a serious note though it is appalling that we all have to go through this. I sent a post about outcome of Husband's ESA assessment, but think in the wrong section? Or maybe I was so stressed I forgot to press post reply!
    To cut a long story short he scored zero points. I laughed down the phone when they told me, it is so ridiculous. Parkinson's for four and a half yrs, deaf since birth, been on ESA in the support group until now. I wonder how they can
    possibly come to the conclusion that if he was eligible for support group then , and has a disease which only gets worse, that miraculously he is now fine??
    Waiting for them to send the report from assessment so we can do the MR thing
    I cannot wait to see it, I suspect it will be a great work of fiction.
    By the way Wildlife you were going to mail me with your story? I am gathering quite a few from various places now, or maybe you are waiting for the outcome so that it has an ending? A Happy one I hope.
    Night night lovely People, keep your chins up xx
  • sundontshine123
    sundontshine123 Community member Posts: 92 Courageous
    @wildlife Did you put M R in then ask for another 1?
    Also was it same assessor who did report re-worked on your M R?
    Disability direct said that it should be someone new to re-work on your M R but im querying this as if DWP waiting to hear back from assessors i put complaint in about this woman and company how can they not be bias towards me.
    Or does anyone know the answer to this question

  • kass
    kass Community member Posts: 65 Connected
    hi  have just looked on the HCPC to see if  could find my assassor what did my assessment for PIP i found her she registered as a physiotherapists.....But in my report it says she a nurse not put her Profession as a Physiotherapists..........
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    @sundontshine123 , You're getting confused between the ATOS assessor and DWP Decision Makers. The ATOS assessor only does the F2F assessment followed by a report that they send to the DWP. After that DWP Decision Makers take over so ATOS have no more to do with your claim unless you complain to ATOS about your assessment. If you do it will HELP with your MR so no-one will be bias towards you.
                  No I didn't ask for a 2nd MR. All I did was complain to ATOS before my 1st MR had been done and I made sure the DWP knew I'd done that. When I got my first MR Decision the Decision Maker had written in her reasons that if there was any change in the ATOS "Medical advice" (as a result of the complaint) or if I supplied more evidence she would be prepared to look at my claim again. I used this offer to my advantage even though ATOS are still examining my assessor's report and haven't changed anything to get them to do another MR. I did send in more evidence with another letter saying that the 1st and 2nd decision makers had not done their job properly by not  using any evidence I've supplied or my 1st MR letter only copied and pasted the assessor's report full of inaccuracies to make their decision. If more people complained to a DM by booking a call back after their MR that they are only using assessor's reports and ignoring Medical Evidence and what claimants are telling them then maybe there would be less people having to appeal.     
               In answer to your question yes it is a different DWP Decision Maker who does the MR.          
  • sundontshine123
    sundontshine123 Community member Posts: 92 Courageous
    thank you for that @wildlife
    I put complaint in about my assessor CAPITA 2 weeks ago.
    I still not heard about my M R phoned DWP friday and they said that a note had been put on system 2 days previous saying waiting to hear back from the assessment provider.
    Just panicked that the same woman doing the re-work as i put official complaint in about her not fit for purpose report.
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    @sundontshine123 Your claim is not with Capita now it's with the DWP so your assessor probably doesn't even know you've complained. What DWP do is contact Capita in your case as routine procedure when they do the MR to get them to check the assessor's report and confirm there are no changes. That's what they'll be waiting for. The complaint and your claim are separate things except you can use one to help the other as I said before. Good Luck..
  • jose2
    jose2 Community member Posts: 127 Pioneering

    @jose2,  Not been able to get back to this site from 31st March until 5th April, BT mucking up my settings, so been ringing them constantly,

    Since last on site ,update of all!,  saw my Dr 7th April about no support of and for me c/o this PIP and what had the surgery sent to PIP before assessment 8th March,she was  completely in the dark about that!, by this time I was weeping with anger and frustration! ,said ask receptionist she'll know what info they wanted on you. asked the girl ,looked on her computer and said to me ,"They never asked for info here at all on you " ,I asked her 4 times are you sure, so I know if they didn't contact DR ,they certainly never contacted hospital either from all consultants I've been seeing either, "ATOS are so CORRUPT,DEVIOUS, words cannot relay my anger .

    Before I saw Dr 7th ,rang DWP on 5th April ,chap hung up on me !!!!!!- I'm going to report him too! and found out how to do that! on 7th, on same day was on phone with a wonderful lady from MacMillan support, helping me calculating figures what I was getting now, and if because I was PIP awarded me Standard Rates both components, so from 20th March when I rang and sent corroborating letter him, to 7th April -not counting weekends for  DM  9 days to decide outcome of my reconsideration , I thought it took them a month or so ,I if I'm wrong can someone let me know?- as I received letter back from M D Maker, and that he agreed with HP decision on 8th March and it stays as her findings of Standard for both!, MacMillan told me to ring Motability Scheme- I was told by this girl there , as me  getting a letter from DM today 7th April , we may not receive any notice about your Higher rate been refused until a month later (PIP/ATOS - "RATS") so from receiving letter your in limbo as to whether you ask for a tribunal as you've only got a month to apply from date in receipt of DM letter  or whether to stick with Standard rate see if you can get more help c/o more benefits which can top up amounts from other sources to buy your Motability Scheme car yourself !!!!. as MacMillan suggested ( as I wanted to keep the car I already have and also it has a hoist fitted and is very low millage and in excellent condition ) and was reassured by girl there that I would have first refusal to buy car , so in all my car actually would not be taken back as they say PIP 17th April as they in the letter , it would be more likely be around 1st May 2017, and I would have first refusal anyway. No one tells you this ! . MAC told me that if  I got my carers allowance increased (as I don't get any at this time or ever had ) I most would have more monies anyway at end of each month to pay for tax and insurance and help with monthly car payments to buy my car. So tomorrow to ring around just to make sure my other benefits will not be affected if I claim for this,-no-one tells you this either . I've been like a manic detective with all this since 20th March., had 3 meals since 20th March ,the distress of all this on me has had a  terrible effect on me ,felt very ill before but now its so bad, I can't even describe it !  

    That Wayne Gibson -Senior Vice President of ATOS ,Theresa May and her Nasty Party are doing the most awful things to the Disabled Vulnerable Victims in this country having to endure this PIP assessment process. Looked on YOUTUBE ,at what's happening with Disabled c/o of this process, heart breaking, and how corrupt PIP assessor's are taught how to get the disabled off their benefits that are their due right to be having, Parkinson's , MS, wheelchair bound patients and the like.

     Keeps coming on the news about  how A+E aren't able to cope with people going there, due to the increase and it's at breaking point !,"they blame the elderly-were living too long,. its nothing to do with that as I can see it ,its because of this PIP process-this government wants to destroy the  of the NHS which was set in place from 1948 ,and us to have as America, paying for private  health care as they do !!! as told my Dr I will use and go to A+E whenever I want now, and I'll use every available health care set up that's going, she looked shocked at me,   as I'm usually a very calm happy amenable person even though I have some awful health and pain issues that I deal with as best I can 24-7.

              

  • bendigedig
    bendigedig Community member Posts: 254 Pioneering
    @jose2
    this can not continue.

  • jose2
    jose2 Community member Posts: 127 Pioneering

    @jose2

    Got a badge will carry it with pride ! ,made my day ! ,and as that comedian says "come come," listen" and let me tell you more"!,

    Not today though, I'm so tired of what's happened since 8th March , what I have found about this system and so much more ,which is so corrupt and disgusting what they are doing to The Disabled.


  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Hi jose2 - have you spoken to your MP about the problems you've had due to PIP only being at the standard rate? 

    Back in December 16 the minister for disabled people said they were looking at plans to allow people to keep their cars until they had appealed. We haven't heard anything more on this, but it really needs to happen. The more MPs we can get on board to press for this, the better. However, it sounds as if you may be able to buy your car from other sources, which will obviously be great if you can.

    It also sounds from the above that you have got a mandatory reconsideration decision agreeing with the original PIP decision. It's worth considering appealing this, and it sounds as if Macmillan might be able to help you. 

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • jose2
    jose2 Community member Posts: 127 Pioneering
    Thank you wildlife- have found other means of buying car c/o just getting standard rates but asked a question on new discussion ,if I take this appeal to now Tribunal,will I lose the standard rate already got or will they suspend it or will it cease,if I take to tribunal will jepordise me getting a car-as I wont have money to carry on with it,Only have 2 more weeks to apply to tribunal.
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    Hi jose2, I know what a difficult decision this is as I'll probably be where you are after the next "brown envelope" arrives. No-one can tell you what to do but have a think about how much evidence you have already given the DWP as all that will be sent to the Tribunal Judge along with any more you can get. You can also get friends, family or anyone who knows how your disability affects you to write on your behalf. I think it's rare that anyone loses benefit at Appeal and as @Matilda keeps saying if they're going to  reduce anything they adjourn to give you the chance to withdraw your appeal and keep what you've already been awarded. Thar's the worse case scenario. The most likely result is they'll keep it the same or increase it. 
  • jose2
    jose2 Community member Posts: 127 Pioneering

    Thank your for quick reply wildlife,just seen a friend /neighbour ,told me this morning would help me with form filling for tribunal,just seen him again,came especially to see me  ,and says I only needed another 2 points for full rates/components ,and he's been looking on computer too as I  and finding out more things ,new rules etc! says they can't take your standard rate as it is now,they've told you can have it! its in letter from DM.I got full report back on all ticks in boxes from assessor, too yesterday morning, so have that as proof for tribunal where I can dispute where she didn't put ticks and what amount should have been worth,I may have well have not been in that room as far as she was concerned the way she filled in the descriptor's of me on her computer, and she did tell me more-or-less not to interrupt her as it would distract her from typing! she wouldn't let me show her more evidence of how illnesses effect me on a day -to -day basis,So really as your saying they'll either keep it the same or increase it, so really nothing to lose ,so have decided to let friend help me now, what the heck! it's like a game of black jack all this isn't it? ,awful for disabled vunerable people to go through all of this

    You on this site have been most wonderful ll!!!! I have learnt so much from you all and as you say I will get in touch with my MP about all this too,need to find out who in my area is MP ,unsure if it's Crea or Cooper Pontefract /Wakefield area.They change so much these last couple of years ,can't keep up!

    Will keep you up-dated thank you again.

  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    I'm so pleased you've got someone to help you. I don't want to spoil how you feel right now but your neighbour is incorrect to say the tribunal can't take away what you've already got. They have the power to overule the DM's but as I said it doesn't happen very often. There's someone on this forum it happened to but the judge gave him the choice of continuing the appeal or withdrawing his appeal and keeping what he'd already got so it's not something you need to worry about. 

Brightness

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