Labour doubles down on slashing billions from DWP's disability benefits bill

@mangomungo I had to go for a mandatory reconsideration which was declined and then Tribunal, was 18 months in total. Tribunal panel were OK/decent and saw the evidence etc. It's fair to say they were pretty hacked off with the DWP and that's putting it mildly.

I hope you're appealing and I'm so sorry though that you're going through this.

My award is to Aug 27 and the letter states they'll contact me from Aug 26 so I'm under no illusion that here we go again, another fight on to try and keep it, even to the awarded date of 2027.

I was in two minds whether to report the person (a nurse) who was my Assessor, to the NMC. They were very obvious lies. I know the code of conduct well, as a nurse myself, but I didn't. If I experience the same next time then I hope I've got the courage/wherewithal to do that. Wondered tbh if it would harm my claim but how my health has declined further so much I think I'd be too angry to allow that to happen again without taking action. I do wish you well and if you're appealing that you get awarded. It took a lot for me to keep my head going through it but the sheer unfairness and injustice is definitely what kept me onto it. Take good care x

Has anyone heard of HAAS (Health Assessment Advisory Service), it is apparently new and has been set up nationally and so that the various Assessing companies assess for PIP, HC, ESA, and one other, lically/regionally, and coordinate back into HAAS I can't remember if the other benefit is LCW/RA (BTW, I'm sorry if I'm late to 'the party' here and it's all common knowledge apart from me who's only just discovered its' existence 🤭). Anyway, I digress.

My point is another post on here I previously made regarding bonuses paid to Assessing staff/staff being untruthful in their assessments.

I've seen elsewhere on here commentary that they are not paid bonuses. That may well be correct - my 'knowledge' of that was hearsay (not the untruths which were directly relating to my claim) really but I'd like to elaborate.

Serco for instance have just been awarded a 5 year contract and are recruiting for Functional Assessors (salary 37.5k to 45.5k pa). Disturbingly, a 1k 'salary uplift' can be paid at 6 and again at 12 months service, based on 'performance'. I assert this is a bonus, wrapped up all nicely with a ribbon by a different name. ('Good performance' will hardly be based on passing applicants for benefits). Their job description makes for an interesting read.

My point to assist is this. Please ask your Assessor what their qualification is (they are accountable under their Code of Conduct to act with integrity and honesty, and to cause no harm, certainly if they're a nurse. Others, such as physiotherapists and paramedics will be working under a Code of Conduct too). I've posted about this above somewhere.

Finally, I appreciate I'm stating the obvious but it's crucial to keep evidence. Only because I'm a bit of a hoarder with paperwork did I have full evidence that I was able to demonstrate the Assessor had lied throughout my Report (I'd kept all sorts of nonsense but some retrieved from my online banking like car parking charges that proved valuable in some of my evidence).

So sorry for long post but IF it can help just one person, then not sorry. With upcoming changes that may be made, evidence supporting claims could become more important than ever 😐

The one I couldn't remember was UC

@mangomungo so glad you're going to CAB they're very knowledgeable and helpful, very good luck, and you're very welcome, if it was us lying we'd be hung, drawn and quartered (slight exaggeration 🤣 but you know what I mean). I'm just not going to put up with it quietly going forward. If rules are changed and cannot claim then there's not a lot I can do about that but when lies are told by them (probably to get a bonus) then that's outrageous and it isn't spite on my part but they will be reported to their regulatory body.