Observations by PIP assessor in Home Assessment.

In the latest newsletter you ask about observations made by assessors. I had a home assessment which took place in my dining room which is approx. 10ft square ( 3m square for the younger generation). I remained seated throughout. This was a second assessment & when the dreaded brown envelope arrived I found my living component unchanged but my mobility reduced. I suffer from Parkinson's Disease which is progressive.The assessor based her award on very strange criteria.
1. I maintained eye contact throughout the interview
2. I was well presented & well dressed
Quite what the relevance of these facts is remains a complete mystery. My walking ability was demonstrated by sitting at the dining table!
I complained immediately by telephone to the DWP and basically told,TOUGH!
I wrote to the DWP complaining firmly yet politely, pointing out that points 1 & 2 were standards of good manners and etiquette from what to the DWP is a bygone age and of no relevance to PIP. I received a reasonably quick reply restoring my Mobility to the higher level and increasing my living score by 4 points. At least here common sense prevailed.

Andrew,

I had those two observations, along with normal facial expression

Congrats on your award!

I was just reading the latest newsletter re the bogus PIP observations.

My assessment was a couple of years ago by ATOS (under their new name). I had been getting DLA for about 25 years. I was on Low care and High mobility.

The assessor came to my home. I was seated during the whole assessment. I did say I could not stand on one leg like a crane as she demonstrated, She did not ask me to do anything else like walking. She said in the report that I declined to do any of the exercises.

Without digging out the transcript or her report, I can't remember if she asked me about walking but I do remember my wife or I saying I could not walk further than the top of the road (less than 20m). In her report she said she knew what I was thinking, in that she said I thought I could walk for a couple of minutes, and in that time I would cover 40m. I never said anything like that and would not have thought that as it takes me a couple of minutes to cover the less than 20m to the top of the road.

She also claimed I was of average build; at the time of the assessment I had a BMI of around 40. I know the population is supposed to be getting heavier even I consider myself as a little overweight, and above average.

I phoned the DWP but was told I could lose points as easily as gain them. As I had only just scraped through on both components I decided not risk it. I lost my Motability car, but my care went up by as much as my mobility went down so I was not realy out of pocket. Must say I am a bit concerned though, about what will happen next now the Tories have such a big majority.