PIP - the dreaded face to face interview

If you have not already seen it, you may find this helpful - it is the Citizens Advice section about PIP www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

It is a fact that people do better at tribunals if they appear in person. NEVER choose a paper hearing. Representatives can be helpful too.
Do remember though, that a tribunal has the power to take away points as well as increase them.

I had to go to the Assessment Centre when mine changed from DLA in 2016 to PIP. My DD came with me as I couldn't drive at that time. She has attended these interviews with various family members.

I was on lower rate for care on DLA, I was granted Daily Living Allowance at higher rate than I was paid on DLA also as I have no Carer I am paid Carer's Allowance alongside my ESA. My PIP will be paid until October 2019 at which point I presume I will be re-assessed. Good luck to those of you waiting for assessment

These assessors blatantly lie, one of my sons has had several srokes,he has Haemochromatosis,[overload of iron] which makes him at risk of having more as his ferritin is causing him joint pains and stomach pains,his feet are very painful, he was medically dismissed from his job he had worked at for about 30 years never been out of work
He answered all the questions asked, but lo and behold, most of them wee put down as something he never said
He has been given a flat with warden service, and rarely leaves it,it is painful for him to walk very far
He has been put on Universal credit of £73 a week, which is supposed to be the minimum to live on, out of that he pays part rent, gas,water,electric, food ,and anything else he needs,but now been landed with a letter for overpayment of tax credits from 7 years ago, which he cancelled when it was due to be reviewed, and he has had almost £50 a month taken out of his UC ,how are people supposed to live
This Government is despicable, with this Universal credit business,
My other son, his twin has similiar problems apart from strokes, he is also on long term sick with osteoarthritis too,, but has been told he has to apply for jobs, absolutely disgusting
They both have back up of Drs and consultants
No wonder there are so many suicides, both have appealedpip, but doubt if they get anywhere
This second son has had no money since before Christmas
Also they give back pay
If you want help,you have to be a drug addict and alcoholic,you get plenty then,and thats a fact

Should say dont give back payments

I failed my assessment for ESA, and am currently signing on for work.
I can feel myself slipping further and further into a dark, dark place.
I just needed a bit of time to grieve the loss of my daughter.

MissaAdventure so sorry for the loss of your daughter, dont really know anything about your loss, but its terrible what people are having to go through, especially at a time like yours, when you dont need the extra stress,and need time to grieve

Thanks Val. Job centre have told me to ask for a mandatory reconsideration, but well, its so ruddy difficult when you feel like death warmed up!
Plus, I have to be seen to be applying for jobs so that I can get my 73 pounds a week!

valeriej43, it may seem that you have to have drink or drugs problem, I can assure you that it is not that easy. As someone who has had experience with this through a family member, I can testify they have as many problems as the rest of the disabled population. As many of them self medicate through high levels of anxiety, the current PIP system can often cause them to fall off the wagon even when they have been doing well before the papers arrive.
I think the system was designed to remove as many people as possible without taking their needs into account properly and by giving assessors or their bosses incentives to remove people from the list, it is open to abuse from all sides.

It is important to emphasise what you often struggle with and not what you might possibly manage on a good day....

Can I please emphasise that the members of an Appeal Tribunal have nothing to do with the DWP. They are independent people who are employed by the HMTCS.
THEY TAKE A COMPLETELY FRESH LOOK AT THE CASE. All the evidence is considered. This is why it is so important that the claimant appears in person.

They also have to look at what you are like the majority of the time:- not a particularly bad or good day.

icanhandthemback I know this to be true, because i also have a family member in this situation too, not sons or daughter, but he has a flat,rent paid, ESA of a very good amount, just had back pay of £4000, previously had back pay, [not sure what of] of £3000, and blown the lot in less than 3 days, this time bought himself and friend expensive mountan bikes [£1000 each] spent the rest on clothes and drugs,
Wrecked his flat between him and friends,
Is that right,i dont think so
When people who try to do the right thing have to live on £73 a week
My son who has had the strokes has even tried to find a part time job which he can possibly do, was told for every pound he earns 63p is taken out of it
Is the incentive there to work, especially when you are ill, i dont think so

It really makes me sick the way ill and disabled people are treated in this country,
I know there are some who play the system, but the genuine ones are tarred with the same brush
I am having to help both my sons financially at the moment,and i just have my state pension and very little savings,
Also why are ill people having too apply for work, its all wrong,i think they are trying to kill us off, and they are doing a good job
Have you read about the DWP employee in Wales, who had a panic attack and was was made fun of because of it and called a whinger
He has just been awarded 26000 in compensation,by a court

Our world is becoming so difficult for so many people.

HootyMcfOwlface. My husband has had three of these assessments regarding PIP. There is really nothing to worry about, the people who conduct these assessments on behalf of Capita have to treat you with respect and courtesy. They are not trying to trick you or catch you out. The second time my husband was assessed was regarding his application to have his PIP increased to the higher rate due to the decline in his health. The result came back that he was to remain on the lower rate. I appealed and thanks to a letter from his GP had the decision overturned, he now receives the higher rate. So the appeal process does work if you don't agree with the decision made.

Having had a tremendous battle in order to get what I was entitled to by way of ESA, I was eventually given a court date for tribunal. The court had requested that I send in all the evidence beforehand, so that they could read it and know what they were dealing with on the day. I did as requested, and the result was that they tried to ring and cancel my attendance, as they'd already decided in my favour, just by reading all of the information that had been sent to the DWP in the first place. It just goes to show in my opinion, that the DWP chose to ignore information given, in the hope that the weakest of our society, will just give up and go away to literally die somewhere.

Having gone through all this, naturally I was VERY worried when the time came for me to change from DLA to PIP, because we had recently moved further away from town, and I find travelling very difficult at the best of times, we requested a home visit for the assessment. We were dreading it, and were very much on our guard against being tricked into saying things that might be misconstrued, but as it turned out, after approximately an hour of talking to me, and a few minutes with my husband, we were very surprised to receive a letter only about 3 weeks later approving my application for PIP and even increasing my benefit, so I actually think that provided you are genuine, being seen in your home environment can work in your favour, as obviously the assessor can see the aids you need around the house and your normal way of behaviour.

I would also add that to anyone going through all this for the first time, it is absolutely essential that the claimant gets it in their head that they must emphasize their WORST days, and not even mention 'good' days, as it seems that the assessors focus only on the 'good', and ignore the rest. I know from personal experience that we often have a need to make out that we're coping well, even when we're not, as we don't like to look weak, a good example of this, is an old friend who used to go to the GP when he was dying of cancer, but always told the GP that he was 'fine'!

Sorry if I've rambled, it's the morphine! lol. Anyway, wishing the OP all the best, do let us know how it goes.

It's rare that they give PIP until you've appealed the decision to disallow it; I was fortunately in a position to claim AA, being seriously disabled - severe diabetic complications, unusable right elbow and unable to walk, but being almost 70 can't get help with mobility. We were ATOS, but assume Capita same rules. What annoyed me were the lies and contradictions they put as excuses. Good luck, everyone, but be ready for a real fight!

HAZBEEN, your daughter can claim to get her carers allowance backdated to. Not everyone knows that, but if they stopped your grandsons benefits and it was deemed to be the wrong decision via a tribunal, they would have to backdate the carers benefit too. Just been through it all myself and hubby ended up getting more money backdated than me!

valeriej43, I guess it must depend who you get because our experiences have been very different to yours. However, I do agree with you that the way the genuine disabled are treated is dreadful. Unfortunately, a lot of people who have been expected to work because they have children of school age or similar have found a reason to be disabled with "disabilities" that are difficult to prove especially with the internet available to give them all the symptoms. I think if I were ATOS or Capita, these are the people I would probably look at more carefully whilst taking into account there will be genuine claimants in there. Unfortunately a PIP is a gateway benefit so it is in a claimant's interests to really push for it.

My best advice,as this is one of my professional areas of legal expertise, is take notes of all that happens. Remember that the assessor will watch every movement that your husband makes to assess it against the stated difficulties, so if a task is painful he must say so.
Don’t underplay anything, its not helpful to play the stoic and doesn’t give an accurate picture.
Lots of people are too embarrassed to be honest especially when it comes to personal bodily functions, don’t be!but be very detailed and honest about all the help he needs. try to make sure that you do not over estimate walking distances or under estimate the time it takes to do a task remember the benefit is awarded due to the help he needs not his medical problems.
Make very sure that the level of pain a task causes him is clearly and frequently stated, if she or he asks your husband to do any physical things like bending to toes or standing if it hurts and he has to hold on to you to do it he must clearly and unequivocally say so.
Finally remember that if the decision is unsuccessful he will have one month from the date of the decision to lodge a mandatory reconsideration.
I would not suggest paying for help with the appeal process you can get free expert specialist help from your local Citizens Advice and I would suggest if needed you went to them for this as soon as you received any decision.

Update: the assessor came yesterday. He was a very pleasant young man, not at all scary!. He was here about three quarters of an hour and took loads of notes on his computer. He didn't look around the house nor at any of the equipment in the bedroom, which I thought he would. He said we would get a letter in about 4 weeks with the decision. I just hope we don't have the experience of valeriej43 and others - fingers crossed.

Hooty hope it goes well for you. My DD had the assesment done a couple of months ago, same as you, a pleasant young man and it didn’t take long.She got a letter saying the payments would continue.
Hope your DH didn’t say he was fine! Men are inclined to say they are better than they really are.

My son (3 strokes and multiple pulmonary embolisms) is to have an assessment for PIP . I fully expect he will be turned down and neither of us are well enough to go through the process of appeal and court . It is made as difficult as possible to get these benefits , I lost my mobility car on going from DLA to PIP . The very long and detailed form plus Drs letters and test results are ignored in favour of a ` medical Professionals` opinion The person who did mine was an Occupational therapist , she insisted on examining me ! even though not qualified to .

Hooty

Good to hear your update was thus far positive and it will be interesting to know the final outcome when it arrives.

You sound as though your experience echoes mine and I am pleased all went well.