PIP Report
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hello, I'm new here, I hope everyone is doing ok.
I'll try not to waffle on too much although it tends to happen when I'm anxious and a tad peeved, so if I do, then I apologise.
I suffer from significant anxiety, agoraphobia, depression (all diagnosed by a psychiatrist), a therapist also thought I might have social anxiety and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
I've had a lot of treatment over the years for my mental and physical health, more so my mental health problems, I've never been referred for FM, only diagnosed.. Just explaining so you know what problems I have.
In 2013 I put in a claim for PIP, I had an assessment in 2013 and was awarded PIP enhanced for both pretty much based on my mental health apart from 8 points being in moving around. From what I can tell there was only one letter of evidence that stated I had tried different things to help myself but nothing had worked etc. the assessor acknowledged that and the fact it would take time for me to get better, she recommended a review in 5 years, she never said I would be better, she said to check to see if I was getting the correct care.
Fast forward to 2019, I had my PIP assessment (review) in April, I recorded it with Capita's permission. The assessment seemed to go ok (it was a home assessment), my son requested the report 3 weeks later but was told it hadn't been sent to them yet? and said the would request it and send it, they didn't send it, my son had to call again. I got the report last week and well.. I was pretty annoyed. The assessor has stated a lot of untrue things in his report, stating there was no evidence, but there was, that I didn't state it at the interview.. ok so why was he here for 65 minutes and why does the front of the report contain what I've said (or not said in some cases), I explained the best I could as someone who has severe anxiety, my Son was here helping me as well, he stated I have no input or don't take meds.. there is evidence explaining exactly why I don't take meds or have "input" he obviously didn't read it and.. here's the best bit, I'm apparently ok for 50% of the time because he did his "MSE" bearing in mind that these assessors aren't medically trained, and that half of the time they are looking at and typing on their laptops! So basically he's turned my enhanced award from mental health to a standard award for physical health!
The lies he has told range from:
Uses an aid to go to the toilet... I told him I have no problems using the toilet.
Uses an aid for cooking, he was told I don't cook and why (if I did cook my son would need to help/supervise).
Uses an aid to get dressed... no.. I said I sit to get dressed and that my Son prompts me to get dressed when we are going out which is rare so I'm in my PJ's 24/7.
Uses and aid to wash, this is partly true but my Son mainly prompts me to shower because otherwise I won't bother due to feeling tired, sore etc.
He's remove points from can't go out and engaging with people. I don't go out alone or engage with people alone, my son comes everywhere with me and when I go to appointments I tend to type a note out for the GP or whoever I'm seeing, I've even done this with a dentist a few times and will give them the note so I don't have to explain, he was told that also and how it affects me when I do go out etc.
So from his MSE he's decided I'm not like this 50% of the time... I'm sure the GP's would tell him different!
He's basically calling me, my Son, the previous assessor, my previous GP and the psychiatrist, liars..
I do have a question.. Is the DM likely to go along with this assessors report or will they look at the previous assessment and any evidence and notice that there are discrepancies in his report?
I've spoken to Welfare Rights about it, they want me to wait for the decision before complaining to Capita (I know they may not care but I do and I'm sick of them doing this to people), he said he will also help with an MR if it does turn out that my award has been lowered from enhanced to standard.
Sorry about the rant/moan, but my anxiety has been pretty bad since I saw the report and I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. I was even checking for something on the internet to take the edge of my anxiety, I can't take tablets due to swallowing and stomach problems.
0 likes, 11 replies
kelly71520 Nashota
Posted
Hi Natasha
I'm currently going though the same thing with my sister at the moment, for mental health claim, received enhance of both mobility and care on the previous system DLA , moved to pip and was just awarded standard care no mobility, now its time for renewal and are just awaiting a copy of the report as she was given a paper assessment,
can i ask what information is given on the report do they advise in points?
i think the system is shocking my sister has had bi polar for 16 years its not something that just disappears,
make sure you do a Mandatory reconsideration if you don't get what your entitled too, i have read on a forum to not take much notice of the report as when the decision maker decides on award they look at previous awards also and can often change the advisory of assessment provider
Nashota kelly71520
Posted
Oooh! Ok thanks for the info at the end there! I'm hoping it stays at enhanced but I'm not going to get my hopes up.
In regards to the points, when you get the report there are boxes with ticks in them for each descriptor, you can work it out from looking at those boxes and checking online to see what the points are, so in my case I've dropped from 18 in daily and 18 in mobility to 8 in daily and 8 in mobility. I'm glad I recorded the assessment.
Welfare Rights will be helping me with an MR if needed.
denise15811 kelly71520
Posted
Hi Kelly,
The report is just a recommendation and the points in the report are not added. You'll need to look for the boxes with dots or ticks and use the PIP descriptors to add up the points that have been recommended.
What you read on another forum about comparing previous awards is not correct i'm afraid. The decision maker relies heavily on the report, which is the reason why it's written. They usually go with it and it's very rare they go against it.
Twonker kelly71520
Posted
It's terrible what they are doing to people. I hope when we get a new government theres a full overhaul of the system.
denise15811 Nashota
Posted
Hi,
It's very rare for them to go against the report, they mostly go with it.
There's a few things here that i think you're misunderstanding about the PIP descriptors.
1/ uses an aid for the toilet but you don't use one.... this could have scored you 2 points but you shouldn't have scored that because you don't have problems using the toilet...
2/ preparing a meal (cooking) you said it states you used an aid which would score 2 points.... but you say you don't cook, you won't score points because you don't cook. You will always score points for needing an aid if they think you can reasonably use one. To score points for needing assistance then you need to tell them why you need assistance. What would happen if you didn't have assistance when you cook? Not being able to cook is not part of the descriptor.
3/ dressing and undressing. You say it says you use an aid but your son prompts you while you sit on the bed.... however, they would both score 2 points. So, it doesn't matter which one is correct, you'll still only score 2 points here.
4/washing and bathing. You said it says you use an aid, which is partly true but your son also prompts you. You can't score for both her and each descriptor would score 2 points, so either way you can't score more than 2 points here.
5/Engaging with others. You say you never go out alone and when you go out your son goes with you and you write notes to give to people to communicate... 4 points maybe possible here for needing social support.
How many points do they recommend for daily living part?
What about the mobility part? are there any points scored for that?
Nashota denise15811
Posted
Your response made me anxious to be honest. I understand the descriptors fully, I'm on another forum where I get advice and help and also someone gave me a link to info on the .gov site that explains the descriptors and how someone would fit them or not fit them, both myself and my Son went through it.
The point of the post was a rant, I was stating the that assessor has changed my award from being about mental health with 18 points in each to now being about my physical health to 8 points in each, he has basically tried to sweep my mental health problems to one side and has made my physical health problems primary which is incorrect, nothing has changed from the first assessment/award and Welfare Rights have pretty much stated that it shouldn't have changed the way it has because nothing has changed since my first award, the only thing that has happened is that I have a diagnoses for fibromyalgia (yes I know it doesn't go on diagnoses). The fact is, I've had a lot of treatment in regards to my mental health but I've never been referred for FM, yes I tried certain things before being diagnosed but not as much as I've tried for my mental health.
So in regards to what I had points in before:
Preparing food - d. 2 points
Washing - c. 2 points
Dressing/undressing - c. 2 points
Reading - c. 2 points (he's removed this)
Engaging - d. 8 points (he's removed this)
Budgeting - b. 2 points (he's removed this)
Mobility
Planning/following - e. 10 points (he's removed this)
Moving around - c. 8 points
So as you can see most of these are about being prompted and my mental health problems were acknowledged and taken seriously. The assessor recommended an assessment in 5 years and she states that any significant change is likely to be gradual and occur over a prolonged period of time (along with some other stuff that I won't bored you with).
Fast forward to 2019 and the points award in the new assessment:
Cooking - b. 2 points
Washing - b. 2 points
Dressing - b. 2 points
Toilet - b. 2 points
Mobility
Moving around - c. 8 points
The only question that I was asking was about the DM going with the assessors report which you've answered above. I wasn't asking for help with the descriptors (no offence) because I understand them.
Sadly these HCPs do tell lies, complaints have gone up by 6000% in 3 years and as stated by a senior Welfare Rights officer on another site, these people aren't even medically trained so it's beyond me how they can sit there for an hour or even less in some cases and then state you don't have a certain problem for 50% of the time..
The assessment was recorded and Welfare Rights seem interested in listening to it. When the decision comes if the DM has gone with the assessor has you have said, then I'll be doing an MR which will probably fail because only 18% are successful, Welfare Rights have said they'll help with that and to make a complaint against the assessor, they might not acknowledge it but I'll try anyway.
Twonker Nashota
Posted
Hi Nashota, I'm sorry that this has happened to you as well, I have a friend that the very same thing happened to. With the help of an advice centre she got what she should have done in the first place. Don't give up, keep fighting. As for one of the people that responded to you, no idea why they responded like that because there was no need for it, it almost comes across as them talking down to you. You should have just ignored it and not explained again, you already explained well enough in your original post. I hope everything goes well with the MR and complaint, take care of yourself and try not to get too stressed out which I know is easier said than done.
denise15811 Nashota
Posted
I'm sorry you felt that way after my reply to you. I certainly had no intention of making you feel that way and when i read it back to myself i couldn't see anything wrong. It's often very difficult to read text speak because sometimes it can come across as rude and hurtful when infact it's not.
I was simply just trying to help you and i'm sorry that you thought differently.
If the decision does remain the same i hope you'll be one of the 19% that have the decision changed at MR stage. Good luck.
Nashota denise15811
Posted
That's ok, my anxiety is pretty bad at the moment so many different things are making my anxiety worse, it's no one's fault.
I know you were just trying to help which is why I explained about the points, I wanted to make sure you knew why I was ranting about the assessor and that I didn't sound like some nutter.
Thank you, I know it's very hard to get a decision changed with an MR, it's 19% now, It was 18% before, so I stand corrected. Take care and thanks for trying to help.
Nashota Twonker
Posted
No, I don't think they were, sometimes text comes across in the wrong way, my anxiety isn't helping any so I don't think it's helped when reading the person's response, it's not their fault. Thanks for the nice words and glad your friend had their awarded fixed.
denise15811 Nashota
Posted
You're welcome. Having helped so many people here over the past few years, even through private message, i genuinely didn't mean anything at all.
I'm glad you have welfare rights helping you! Take care.