PIP assessment was lies

@pinkladysammy Me too. My assessor lied big time and so far she has got away with it. However I am preparing to produce a fitness to practice complaint to her governing body HCPC which I have so far not done. I have been in touch with them regarding her qualifications but not specifically about her standard of work. She falsified my Physical test results making some of them up that I wasn't asked to do and lied about me opening a bottle of water by peeling off the plastic label round the middle whilst holding it between my knees. She stated I had no cognitive impairment and I have not become a contortionist and I have so far in my life never seen anyone able to get a drink of water by taking the label off. It's high time someone took an assessor to court and brought this out in the open..

Hi @pinkladysammy:

I am sorry that you have gone through a difficult time.

Please let us know if there is any way we can help.

I had my f2f and the lady said I went to tescos twice a week lol only go once a month, and miraculously my health has improved, was on the high rate for care and mobility for life which was awarded me over 15 yrs ago and now have been put on high rate for care and lowest rate for mobility, they will now take my mobility car away from me and I will end up a prisoner in my own home what a great way to finish life at the age of 67 nearly, I have been told I have to appeal but so scared

@melbrook, From my experience if you say you go to a supermarket as big as Tescos even once a month they will say you can plan and follow a journey alone on the majority of days. Doesn't matter how familiar the journey or how often you do it it's whether you CAN do it. Which descriptor did you get for the standard rate Mobility? Just a suggestion for the future to help you get the higher rate would it be possible to switch to online shopping which works out about £1 per order for delivery midweek. You wouldn't be going to tescos at all then. Good luck for your Mandatory Reconsideration..  

I only had low rate care and mobility for how I'm affected within Asperger's and I had previously submitted confirmation of the diagnosis from a psychologist and a psychiatrist after a 3 hour interview in 2004 where I was assessed to have poor social skills. At the first stage interview the Atos assessor said "this interview is only to assess how your  are affected by your stroke (as detected by having an investigative MRI scan on my brain in 2017) and has nothing to do with Asperger's Syndrome. (there was an advisory memo that calling in ASD sufferers was not necessary). However I had forgotten to bring in any supporting info though prior to my Mandatory appeal the DWP admitted on the phone to still having a copy of the 2004 ASD diagnosis then referred to as Asperger's which detailed my difficulties.  Not, I might add, according to both the DWP and ATOS who upheld "mixes easily with people" presumably because this was a weak chink in their armour? I also contested this as a bone of contention in the Mandatory appeal asking how any pre-planned interview could possibly equate to a chance encounter? But all to no avail accompanied by a few Atos tweaks alleging things that are not so but that is my word against theirs. Including the assessor asking my wife questions and then ignoring her answers when my wife's role was purely to give me encouragement and support. So yes I am going to appeal. At the moment I am still annoyed from receiving the rejection letter but it will pass.

@Delver54.

Yes, assessors either write blatant lies or play down what the claimant says in order to make them seem as little disabled as possible.  And the DWP are only too happy to rubber stamp what assessors write.

Only 16% of MRs succeed.  But 65% of tribunal appeals do - which amounts to a strong comment on assessors' reports and DWP decisions.

Hi amandae and welcome

Unfortunately we see similar stories on the forums far too often

If you can you should get help from CAB or any charity that supports your condition

If you haven't done so you should ask for a copy of the assessment report asap. You will need this to identify the areas that you need to challenge

For now you need to concetrate on showing that you meet the descriptors for an award.

Although it is important to address any issues with the assessment report or HCP, this should be done as a separate complaint to the assesment provider. It can be beneficial to mention that you are making a formal complaint

Most HCP' and DM's don't take into account the reliability factors and make their decisions on a snap shot of your life, how you were at the time.

To complete any of the descriptors you need to do so Safely, Repeatedly, In a timely manner and to an acceptable standard.

For example : If you can walk 20 - 50 metres but you can't repeat it straight away and you need to rest for some time before you can do so again then you cannot be said to complete that descriptor. Or if it takes you twice as long as an able bodied person you cannot complete the descriptor
Dressing and undressing : If your medication takes some hours to work in the morning and you cannot dress without assisstance because of this then this needs to be taken into account

Go through each descriptor one at a time and see how these factors may apply
You should look at each activity and break it down into sections and apply the reliability factors to each section

For example Preparing food

Can you do so ?  ( safely, realiably, to an acceptable standard and in a timely manner )
If not, why not ?
What is it about your condition that stops you doing so ?
Can you do so if you have help or and aid ?
What happens if you don't have help or an aid 

Do this for each descriptor for your MR

There is a template that you can used for the MR

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683380/if-you-disagree-with-a-decision-made-by-dwp.PDF

and some additional information

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683381/how-to-disagree-with-a-decision-made-by-dwp.PDF

You have a month from the date on your decision letter to request an MR. You can do this by letter or phone. Be very aware of this date, do not miss the deadline. If you are waiting for further evidence, then you can ask that the decision is not made until you have submitted this. They may or may not do so.