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PIP Assessor Knew Patient

Posted , 9 users are following.

Jazzhands
Jazzhands

Hi guys I just want to check something. My sister in law has just had a PIP assessor do an assessment on her. Half way through the assessor said "I know you don't I, I went to school with you." My sister in law didn't twig until afterwards who she was until she had left. She was one of a group of girls that bullied her in school.

The result of the assessment was that she deemed her able to walk 20yards unaided, which is utter rubbish. Her car that she relies on is being taken from her tomorrow.

My question is, is a pip assessor allowed to assess someone she knows personally? Surely as soon as she realised she should have adjourned the assessment until they could arrange a new assessor and left?

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • Lilmem
    Lilmem Jazzhands

    Posted

    Once a bully, always a bully.  Has your sister in law asked for a mandatory reconsideration?  I would phone the DWP and tell them the situation.  Your sister in law has nothing to lose.  Good luck.  smile

  • StevefromBrum
    StevefromBrum Jazzhands

    Posted

    I am shocked and appauled. As Mary suggests, please phone DWP and explain.

    Good luck and please, if possible, can you keep us informed on this discussion board of the progress and outcome?

  • gettingonmypip
    gettingonmypip Jazzhands

    Posted

    I would say you"re sister inlaw should be re-assessed. The DM should be made aware of the situation. But would they now accept a good result from a different assessor? 

  • denise15811
    denise15811 Jazzhands

    Posted

    As bad as this is but i don't think there's any law in this, i have read only a couple of stories where the assessor has know the claimant. No idea what the end decision was on either of these but i do know that the assessments went ahead. You could put in a complaint but how far you'll get with this is another matter.

    For now though you'll need to ask for a copy of the assessment report if you haven't already done so. A Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) would be the first step. You have just 1 month from the date on the letter to get this in so be quick. I would advice to call DWP and ask for this then follow it up with a letter stating the reasons why and what you disagree with. Use the PIP descriptors as a guide but remember the reliability, with out pain and discomfort, in a timely manner criteria too. Send in more evidence if needed, the more the better. Don't wait for them to get this as mostly they don't. Plenty of info on the net about MR's. Remember tho that most MR decisions remain the same and you'll most probably have to take it to Appeal Tribunal but outcomes are much more successful with this.  Good luck.

  • susan556
    susan556 Jazzhands

    Posted

    And they say the assessers dont lie!  problem is most the time the walk from the carpark to the assessment room is more than 20 yards so  youve . lost the mobility side once youve done this part.  And yes your sister inlaw should tell the DWP about the situation with her knowing you. In her case it seemed to go against her maybe.
    • mooreja9
      mooreja9 susan556

      Posted

      The problem is that my mum Is wheelchair bound and the assessor came to the house. And I had to help her into the living room. Also my mum's house ain't even 20metres in length

    • susan556
      susan556 mooreja9

      Posted

      Well then Mooreja  they cant use the she can walk more than 20 yards against her surley.  The fact she is in a wheel chair and you still had to help her into the living room in it itselfe the assessor should have noted this. So i would say less of a problem in her case. Its those who struggle to walk but have no choice when they have to go to out of town  places for their assessments and the room itselfe is often more than 20 yards away that are being turned down.  When did your  mum have her assessment?  
  • mooreja9
    mooreja9 Jazzhands

    Posted

    For everyone's information my mum has handed the car back....but we have now got a tribunal date 30th March

    • susan556
      susan556 mooreja9

      Posted

      Mooreja im so sorry to have read this, i just dont get it at all. how can they take away her car when she is in a wheelchair doh!   Will find out in a few days time if my hubby has got any PIP. wont hold our breath! 

       

    • belgravia
      belgravia susan556

      Posted

      Prepare for the worse Susan as anything better then that would be a bonus.
    • susan556
      susan556 belgravia

      Posted

      Belgravia we are, way we see it the waiting time from the day of  filling out the PIP form, then the waiting for the date to be assessed, afterwards the results, well what ever it will have given him maybe another couple of DLA payments. If he had refused to apply for the PIP from the start them he would have just lost his DLA earlier than nessessary.  The actuall assessment took one hr 25 mins of answering question after question. The young lady who dealt with this seems nice enough but who knows what she was actually typing in a.  We arnt expecting to get anything at all but at least he can say he tried.  Thank goodness we both have our stae pension to survive on anyway, mire than what so,me are left with under pension age. I so feel for this catorgory. 
    • belgravia
      belgravia susan556

      Posted

      How long Susan did you wait once your PIP claim form was sent  to them  to then receiving your assessment letter?.
    • denise15811
      denise15811 belgravia

      Posted

      If you're that concerned you could always ring who ever will be doing your assesment and ask them how long do they think you'll be waiting. They'll tell you if there's a backlog. The thing is that everyone's different therefore it's better to hear from the "horses mouth" so to speak. I know the wait is stressful but some are waiting months others just weeks. It depends on the area and other factors.

    • belgravia
      belgravia denise15811

      Posted

      l have no intention of phoning Denise as l will just try to cope with it sadly best l can but its strange that my next door neighbour  got his assessment letter after 5 and a half  weeks and l am still waiting coming up to 9 weeks at the end of the weekend.
    • denise15811
      denise15811 belgravia

      Posted

      I see, well phoning them would be the only way you'd know. Yes i read that when you posted on another thread. The reason i said to ring is because sometimes post goes missing (especially coming from places like that, (oddly) I remember a few years ago when ATOS claimed they'd sent me an appointment letter, when in actual fact i never did recieve it. I missed an assessment because of this and had to ring DWP and explain what had happened because ATOS had returned my file to DWP. The only reason i knew was because i'd recieved a letter from DWP saying my claim had been canceled! Thankfully for me they returned it to them but i had to wait even longer for an assessment. If you chose not to ring then all you can do is wait and hope this doesn't happen to you.

    • belgravia
      belgravia denise15811

      Posted

      Thanks Denise as all l see is a system chaotically run and totally unfit for purpose but alas if it gets sick and disabled claimants benefits cut they don't give a damn sadly.

      l will just have to wait until the dreaded white or brown envelope drops though my door as l totally hate phone calls especially to those lickspittling subservients.

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