Pip award review and face to face
Posted , 11 users are following.
Hi, everyone.
My husband is awarded to Pip (enhanced rate) till Nov/2017 and he received an award review form (AR1) last year.
He ticked all the question "no change" and sent the form with his current medication list, reports (copies of feedback after consultations to GP) from psychiatric, future treatment plans about insomnia.
We thought those support docs show enough he's condition hasn't got improved as he still needs all these treatment.
But today he received appointment letter for face to face assessment.
We are wondering why and he is worried about the assessment.
Can anyone give us any advice through experiences?
Should we take all the docs we already sent for the assessment?
Any additional docs we can prepair ( letter from me?)?
0 likes, 24 replies
denise15811 jumpingrabbit
Posted
Hi,
Having to go for another face 2 face assessment for the review isn't unusual. The assessment will be just like the first one. If you have more evidence there's absolutely no harm in taking more, the more the better. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for a decision and it'll be in his favour. Good luck.
jumpingrabbit denise15811
Posted
Thank you for the reply.
He didn't need to have f2f when he applied first time.
there was a big discussion about the Pip waiting time on news papers, House of Parliament etc and we thought they skipped the process to speed up??
We thought the purpose of AR1 is reducing the number of f2f and if there is no change of condition, no f2f required... But as you say still a lot of people have to go to f2f even there is no change.
We will do our best. Thank you again.
jumpingrabbit
Posted
I would be grateful if anyone can tell me any experience of f2f as this is his first time.
denise15811 jumpingrabbit
Posted
Most people are asked to attend an assessment, with only a few getting a paper based decision you were lucky the first time.
You'll be watched from the time you arrive to the time you leave but this doesn't mean there'll be cameras there watching you. They will make note of everything you do. They'll ask questions related to your form, so in yo9ur case they'll refer back to the form that was originally filled in the very first time you applied. This is because for the review form there was nothing to add because you ticked the no change box. When answering the questions don't just answer yes or no, if you can't do something then please say why you can't do it. If aids and adaptions are used then please tell them. The more detail you tell them the better. If you have mobility problems or problems dressing/undressing and bathing then you'll be asked to do some activies, for example...lift your arms up as far as you can, put your arms behind your back, clench a fist, hold his/her finger, left your legs up as far as you can and bend down. If you can't do any of these then please say you can't and tell them WHY. I've been for 2 of these assessments in the past and in all honesty i didn't find them too bad. Though i know some would disagree with me. After the assessment if you wait about 1 week then you can ring PIP and ask them to send you a copy of the assessment report. This will give you some clue as to what the decision maker will decide, however the DM doesn't always go with the advice writen on the report but mostly they do. Good luck and i hope the decision is in your favour. Please do come back and let us know the outcome.
jumpingrabbit denise15811
Posted
Teadow jumpingrabbit
Posted
Hi l had a home one last week people were very nice just asked about your health what you did on a day to day things like that asked if you could do a few exercises but if you couldn't they didn't force you
issymc jumpingrabbit
Posted
jumpingrabbit issymc
Posted
You gave us hope.
jumpingrabbit
Posted
I would like to update for my husband's PIP assessment.
We went to award review f2f today.
His assessor was a nurse and she was very nice.
She told us the interview is for getting more info about his condition, not for investigation.
Basically she checked all the activities on the appreciation form and she even read out what she was going to write (not all the questions though in the report and asked us if it could explain his condition correctly.
She told me she herself suffers from arthritis and she had to quit nursing.
I guess it is one of reasons she was sympathetic to my husband's chronic pain.
We presented new support docs which are his GP's letter and appointment letters.
We also showed medical reports which we sent with AR1 just in case.
Surprisingly she told us she has never seen them before! We also showed some of doctors' letters even if they are dated more than 2 years ago because we thought it related to his current problem (we sent them with his last appreciation form, so they are supposed to have them.) She said it saves her to dig up his old application.
These things tell us they don't really read all the info you've already sent before the assessment. She took photocopies of all the docs apart from appointment letters.
I highly recommend to takeany docs include old ones or ones you've already sent.
We are told we will get a decision letter in 2weeks time. She told us they say it would take 4-8weeks, but usually it wouldn't take that long.
We feel relieved it is over anyway and fingers crossed.
denise15811 jumpingrabbit
Posted
Hopefully she really was nice because some appear nice then when a claimant gets a copy of the assessment report they've lied about everything. Yes appoinmtent letters aren't taken as evidence and usually evidence has to be within the last 2 years. Decision times vary a lot depending on your area and could take anything from 2-8 weeks sometimes longer. My PIP review decision took just 5 days. Good luck and please do let us know the outcome. You can ring DWP and ask for a copy of the assessment report this will give you some indication of a decision.
jumpingrabbit denise15811
Posted
We finally received the f2f report and Denise 15811, you are right. She was nice and sympathetic at the interview but the report is. full of lies! She read out what she was writing about budget decision at the interview and asked if it describes his condition, but in the report, it says no problem to make complicated badget decision. She focused on his depression which is not his major problem and ignored his insomnia completely!
We haven't got the decision yet, but misterious amount of money from PIP DWP yesterday even if it is not usual pay day. We cannot work out why the decision is from the amount. Does anyone know how long they back date? I imagined they pay new amount from the date on the decision letter, or do they go back to the review date?
Anyway, according to the report, he wouldn't get any award for daily activities (he was awarded enhanced rate.) so we have to prepare for MR and appeal.
denise15811 jumpingrabbit
Posted
Yes very often they do lie, sadly. I answered on your other post this morning about your payments question. I do think the only way you'll get your answer is to ring them and ask what the decision is. As i said i think my back dated money was from the review date but can't remember. If you don't have decision letter today you won't have it tomorrow as we have a bank holiday weekend coming up. Also if you ring them and have the decision and decide you want the MR at least you'll be able to start on that over the weekend. You only have 1 month from the date on the letter to get that in. Good luck on the decision.
denise15811
Posted
jumpingrabbit denise15811
Posted
We are going to request MR and start gathering more evidence and information fro GP and his sleep clinic.
Actually we received the decision letter just now and we will ring them to ask MR and also write to them to ask not to take any action until we send them further info and evidence. As I understand, as long as we contact them within 28 days for requesting MR, they will wait for further evidence? Or do we have to send the evidence in 28 days? Due to Easter holiday, it is difficult to gether the letters from GP or Dr soon (his GP is on 2weeks holiday for example.)
denise15811 jumpingrabbit
Posted
I would send the evidence in within the 28 days. The reason is because some MR decisions are done quite quickly, while others take long. To be safe send it with the letter of request.
What you need to do is prove that those descriptors apply to him. If he has difficulties and needs help then point out what descriptors apply to him. Be straight to the point and don't write anything about any lies that's been told. They're aren't interested in any of that. If the evidence you have proves his difficulties and fall inline with those descriptors then even better. Don't forget that in asking for this MR he could lose the award he already has, it has been known, it could also increase or stay the same. Most MR decisions though remain the same. Good luck.
cheryl52225 jumpingrabbit
Posted
I went to a pip review with a friend of mine he was awarded pip for 3 years without a f2f assessment two years ago he got review papers sent them off then got the dreaded appointment for f2f he has been really ill for about 8 weeks having 4 ambulances out to his house and taken to a&e he still had to go to the assessment as he was discharged from hospital the assessor seemed nice he told us that he couldn't see why dwp would stop his pip as he had evidence off a heart specialist my friend was on enhanced rate for copd anxiety depression aterial fibleration and now he is awaiting ct scan results and colonoscopy results but dwp have informed him his pip has stopped we are awaiting the letter in post of the health assessors report apparently he was given zero points for the daily living and 4 points for mobility it's disgusting I know that the report will be all lies but in the assessment the health professional was asking me the questions and agreed my friend couldn't do half the things he had stated on his form so how can you get enhanced rate for daily living and mobility then at the review when things have got worse have the award for pip taken away
denise15811 cheryl52225
Posted
Hi,
Sorry i didn't see your post hidden amongst this one. I'm sorry to hear this. Your friend was very lucky to have had a paper based decision last time as this is very rare. Another thing the HCP should never make you think or say anything to you that "they can't see why DWP wouldn't award it to you" It's not their job to say those things. The Decision Maker makes that decision and not them. Losing everything at review happens a lot. I've lost count the amount of times i've heard people say the assessors seemed nice, yet when they've got the report back they've been slapped in the face.
You're only option now would be to start the appeals process and asked for a Mandatory Reconsideration within 1 month of the date on the decision letter. You'll need to put this in writing sating what you disagree with and where you think the point should have been scored. Any extra evidence, send that too. Bear in mind also that most MR decisions remain the same, 80% do infact. The likelyhood of having to take it to a Tribunal is extremely high! 65% of those that appear at their Tribunals have a decision in their favour. For those that don't attend and have a paper based decision the favourable decision is much lower!! Good luck!