Pip Assessor Qulifications

Hi Brown

Welcome to the forum, you might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explains where everything is.

Welcome to Benefits and Work .

You will usually find the assessors qualification on the assessors report (PA4).

The assessors are supposed to load up their reports within 48 hours of an assessment. You should be able to ring up any time after that to request a copy of the report.

You can make a complaint to the Assessment Provider if you are dissatisfied with the way you were treated.

Complaining to the PIP Assessment Providers

Gary

Hi Brown,

Some food for thought!
Making a complaint against an assessor could be important. Firstly, if you are not awarded PIP and need to make an appeal, the first question from the tribunal is likely to ask why you didn't make a complaint, when you are highly critical of the assessor. (I have heard this asked many times, and not doing this can appear to weaken your case.) You may of course not get a satisfactory response about the complaint, but it may well make a decision maker have another look at the case, and possibly make a more positive decision.

Secondly, and more importantly, if no one complains, then nothing ever gets done, and poor assessors will continue to make poor decisions and cause great upset in the meantime. The reason I say this is that there was a recent appeal case that went to the Upper Tribunal - the assessor in that case had been publicly disgraced via secret filming for the tv programme Dispatches. The Upper Tribunal Judge held that in these circumstances the assessor's report was deemed to be completely unreliable, and the Judge ignored this.

I hope this of assistance. Good luck with your PIP claim.

LL26

Hello Brown,

If you feel that the assessor did not give you the opportunity to explain the difficulties you have with everyday life then I would suggest that you put in your complaint at this stage. You need to make it clear in your letter that it is a complaint about the assessor, not a complaint about the decision, just makes sure that it is passed onto the right department. Make sure that you also include the ongoing impact the assessment has had on you.

Have you requested the assessor's report yet? (AKA PA4) Having the knowledge of what is recorded on there may help you to form your complaint. Depending on how quickly the DWP make their decision on your claim, you might also have time to give further input before they decide. If you do this, make sure that you make it clear that you letter is additional information to the assessment, not a MR submission.

Hope that helps,
Catherine