da to pip assessment
Posted , 10 users are following.
Hi All,
Well this morning at 9.30am I had my assessment for transfer from m/c and h/m dla to pip.
It took place at the Waterlooville/Portsmouth centre. It seemed to go okay, the assessor was female, formal in her approach and questioning manner and was patient when I went off course and started rambling. She did not disclose her position or assessing qualifications and when after the assessment was finished I was asked if I had any questions, I wanted to make sure she was aware of "invisible disabilities", well if looks could kill I would be a dead man, I might have blown it ,big time!!!
Mike.
0 likes, 41 replies
Elsbells mike09523
Posted
Hi Mike. Would just like to say I applied for pip last year got turned down appealed and was unsuccessful. Reapplied this year as my invincible illnesses got worse. Went for the the face to face medical which I found totally stressful and anxiety went through the roof. Had this end of May I've finally been awarded standard rate pip. Hang in there and fingers crossed all goes well. Keep us posted how u get on. Good luck
Elsbells mike09523
Posted
Also would like to add if u feel unhappy with how u was treated u can ask for another interview. People cannot judge u as they don't no when u fill them forms in u have to do on your worse days. Would Luv to see some of them sitting there in our situation it's bad enough putting up with our illnesses than have to stress over the meeting. So wrong
denise15811 Elsbells
Posted
HI,
I'm sorry but filling out PIP forms as if it's your worst day is the worst thing you can do, and can be seen as benefit fraud. PIP is not about your worst day, it's about how you are 50% of the time.
If you fill those forms in like it's your worst day then you go to your face 2 face assessment and it's not your worst day then the HCP will see right through you. Exactly the same as any Tribunal would.
When filling out PIP forms and ESA too then you should state exactly how your conditions affect, if you have good days, then say this. The way you fill out those forms is important and the more you tell them on the forms how your affected the better.
Elsbells denise15811
Posted
mike09523
Posted
I phoned the dwp yesterday morning, they have a new number to the one on the forms, and got through to a polite and helpful person. After taking my security details he asked what he could do for me. I asked for an assessment report copy. After checking on the system I was informed that it had just arrived and would go to decision maker, he would put a copy in the post that day.
Mike.
Elsbells mike09523
Posted
Once with decision makers normally takes about 4 weeks does depend on area you live tho as they do have a back log. Fingers crossed for you.
mike09523
Posted
Hi All,
Just received my assessment copy, doesn't look good. If as expected the dm goes fully with the report then I will request a MR.
Will wait now for dm letter.
Mike.
denise15811 mike09523
Posted
What does the assessment report actually say, does it recommend anything?
mike09523
Posted
Hi denise,
Still going over it, but some of the comments look like "copy and paste". Can prepare and cook a simple meal using an aid-My wife/carer and I both assured her that in the past I have burned/scalded myself and cut my fingers and consequently I do not go into the kitchen for my own safety and do not prepare or cook a simple meal. Toilet requirements-needs to use an aid (bottom wiper), yes I do use an aid, but, we also explained that I require my wife/carer to help me to my feet afterwards as I have to stay on toilet for 20 minutes, 3 -4 times a day because of bowel and bladder problems.
It's the same with most descriptors, minimum points or none at all. With mobility I got 10 points for walking with an aid no more than up to 50 meters. But no points for not able to plan and follow a journey.
Good to hear from you denise,
Mike.
denise15811 mike09523
Posted
If an aid can be used, like a toilet frame you may find it very difficult to score points for needing assistance. The same for any other descriptor that aids can be used if you need assistance.
Following and planning a journey, do you suffer mental health as well as physical health?
mike09523 denise15811
Posted
Hi,
I am on fluoxetine, 40mg day, for anxiety and depression, but as I do not have any psychiatric help I am judged to be" not to bad", and able to cope???
Mike.
denise15811 mike09523
Posted
Scoring points in the following an planning a journey descriptor will totally depend how your anxiety affects you and not receiving any psychiatric help shouldn't make any difference what so ever.
Receiving points of course will totally depend how your condition affects you. Do you go out alone? Did you go to the assessment alone? If you don't go out alone what are your reasons for not being able to do this. What would happen if you did go out alone? These are the things they will look at in this descriptor.
Of course you will have to wait for a decision before the next step but before deciding anything i'd advise you to get further help and advice from an expert such as welfare rights. Asking for the MR they will look at the whole award again, so you do risk losing what you may already have. Having more of an understanding with the descriptors will definitely help you. There's only so much advice i can here because i don't know how your conditions affect you but if you got further advice you'll be able to explain to them how they affect you.
Only 17% of MR decisions change, so there's a high chance you'll have to take it to Tribunal. Waiting lists for these are 1 year + in a lot of areas because backlogs are huge. 70% of Tribunal decisions are successful but that's only for those who appear in person. I believe it drops down to less than 10% for those who ask for a paper based decision.
mike09523 denise15811
Posted
Thanks for your valued input Denise.
My daughter drove me and my wife/carer to the assessment centre. The assessor came outside for some reason and saw me sitting in my daughters car, and when I came back out at the end of the assessment a car was parked next to hers with a person with a camera in the driving seat watching us, probably just coincidence. I cannot go out alone, I could not cope with delays, diversions or change in my routine. I did write all of this in my application, and also explained it in such detail to the assessor, that my poor wife burst into tears in front of us as she had never heard me describe my fears so graphically .
Mike.
mike09523
Posted
Funny how it sometimes takes a while for the penny to drop. Going through my pip assessment to prepare for the dm letter I noticed a theme with the assessors comments for her recommendations for descriptor awards. Because I said I try to drive the car 2-3 times a month I was asked if I had notified the dvla. This completely wrong footed me as I was desperately trying to remember how I had answered that question on the pip application form, I meekly answered no, got a sullen glare back, and was told that because of my medications then perhaps I should. Of course since finding out that her qualifications are as a paramedic, the penny did drop.
This lady must of witnessed some terrible scenes in her profession, particularly vehicle collisions involving older drivers on medication. If I had been prepared for this line of questioning then I could of told her of my preparation before driving our car. Some time through the week my wife will enquire if I would care to do the driving. I will then suggest a day in the future. Two days before then I will reduce the meds that make my reactions impaired and will only drive on the day if I feel sure that I am capable.
The assessor has taken my admission of driving to mean that as I am capable of making split decisions with instant reactions involving gear changing, observation, preparation and manual dexterity, then I am more than capable of doing everything on the pip application form that I wrote that I struggled with. I cannot challenge her decisions for marking me down to minimum points on almost all descriptors but I feel that I am a victim of her personal crusade to stop disabled drivers from driving while on medication. We are allowed to, but must decide if we can do so with the safety of others foremost.
How many people have already fallen to her, I think, misguided crusade.
Mike.
denise15811 mike09523
Posted
Hi,
Some conditions will go against you if you drive, especially with the descriptors. For example, and this is very good example. If a person claims they can't prepare a simple meal because it's not safe for them to do so because they forget what they're doing and they've left pans on the hob etc but they can drive a car then yes it will go against you because if you think of it then you're contradicting yourself by saying you're not safe to do one thing yet you can do another safely, when both things take an awful lot of concentration. What they will say is that to drive a car it takes an awful lots of concentration and thinking. They will most likely say that if you can drive a car safely then you can prepare a simple meal safely.
I take morphine twice a day but i still drive. There's warnings on the boxes of this medication now regarding driving but after the DVLA changed the rules about driving while taking this medication i immediately spoke to my GP who clearly stated that if i felt up to driving that day then that's fine and there's certainly no need to report the medication to the DVLA.