× Members

2nd PIP Face2Face

More
5 years 4 months ago #220258 by Dane
2nd PIP Face2Face was created by Dane
Hi. I am in a bit of a dilemma and completely stressed out by it all. I was moved from DLA onto PIP in 2016. I managed to keep my mobility component to continue having a car but my daily living entitlement was halved; up until this I was the holder of a DLA indefinite Award 'for Life' and was using my 4th Motability car, and I am now using my 5th.
I requested a 'mandatory reconsideration' and dwp stood by its decision: they witnessed nothing in the F2F that suggested the decision to reduce it from the Higher rate of DLA to the lower rate in PIP should be overturned. I was too scared to go to Appeal as so many of others' experiences (on here and in my world elsewhere) were worse, and to be honest with you I regret I didn't now.
I was diagnosed with chronic Crohn's in 1984 that led to 12 major bowel ops from 1987 to 2011, 10 were 15-17 hours long with the other two being 6 hours long. Many weeks over that period I have been in ICU, been in a coma for a good while and had the last rites said over me so many times that my dad joked he "got the bus in the end" - racing from work fitting lifts as a fitters mate! I had a colostomy for 5 years, I have little bowel left, I also no longer have a gallbladder and wear incontinent pads 24 hours a day and my liver has been 'half-clipped off', the surgeon said. I had a number of blackouts where my memory of was blank apart from the blood/damage caused by falls that ended up being diagnosed as epilepsy following a brain haemorrhage where I was in Walton Centre ICU for 2 weeks, awaiting a brain op which in the end I did not have, ie: subdural haematoma, damaging my front lobe, where I wasn't able to drive the Motability car I was paying for for a whole year (2012).
I was given a 3 year PIP Award and exactly 1 year to the day before the end date of the Award I was sent a PIP Review form that was 20 pages long (dated 25 May) as opposed to the original PIP application form of 40 pages. Totally terrified and stressed out again the time scale - appointment date window - was so short, and with the summer closure of the forum and couldn't utilise it - because of the damage to my brain it forever forgets the immediate - I filled it in as best I could, not sending in as much supporting evidence as I had for the original application because the structure and wording of the whole Review convinced me dwp was just checking how my ill-health was, ending in a F2F dated September 20 after they had cancelled the September 18 F2F @ 1:29pm when the appointment was 3pm.
On Thursday, with the same time for the appointment, I ended up being called for @ 3:52pm and being finished @ 5:12pm.
Expecting the white envelope I came home to on October 11 to be a 'Decision' it ended up being a request for me to attend another F2F with the computer informing dwp 'don't have enough information in order to make a decision' - despite the fact Independent Assessment Services informed me the assessment time allowable limit is 45 minutes.So far, such is the level of incompetence I have 6 appointment letter's when I am awaiting another F2F dated November 6 @ 3pm and have only been seen once.
CAN ANYONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME, BEING SENT FOR ANOTHER F2F FOLLOWING ONE THEY HAVE ALREADY HAD THAT WAS WAY OVER THE TIME LIMIT?
ON THIS SITE, AND I SAY THIS RESPECTFULLY, THERE APPEARS TO BE LOADS OF STUFF FOR THE PIP APPLICATION ETC BUT VERY LITTLE ON THE PIP REVIEW APART FROM BEING TOLD THAT WHICHEVER BOX YOU TICK THE DECISION ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE ARBITRARY, AND OF NO CONSISTENCY WHATSOEVER.
CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ANY GUIDANCE OR HELP THAT ALLEVIATES MY ANXIETY AND WORRY, AT ALL, PLEASE.
THANK YOU. TAKE CARE.
DANE.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
5 years 4 months ago #220267 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic 2nd PIP Face2Face
D

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

In case you are not aware, your real name appears to be showing in the forum, if you want to change this then follow the instructions in the following FAQ

My full name is showing, how can I stop it?



It's not very common but we do see members having to attend a second assessment on occasion In practical terms, there is little that you can do about this as your claim cannot progress until the DWP receive an acceptable report.

There are several reasons that the requirement could happen, the report was incomplete, it failed auditing and we have even heard of the report not actually being produced or the assessor leaving.

You can make a complaint to the Assessment Provider

Capita Complaints
www.capita-pip.co.uk/en/complaints.html

ATOS (IAS)
www.mypipassessment.co.uk/feedback/

and given the number of appointments you have had, you might also want to involve your MP.

Contacting your MP

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Dane

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
5 years 4 months ago #220369 by Dane
Replied by Dane on topic 2nd PIP Face2Face
Gordon, Thanx for the reply.
Something I'd like to query.
In the case of myself being asked to have a further F2F and being told on the phone by IA Services that my file said there wasn't enough information to be able to come to a decision it is my understanding at present that having gathered more supporting letter's/medical evidence I can just give it to them @ the 2nd assessment in response to the fact of not having enough information to make a decision? I enquired exactly what information they didn't have enough of, and required, they couldn't specify as the file didn't have that information.
I have been told I can just give the new information to them @ the assessment centre. As my experiences so far mean I feel I can't trust and have faith in this process I feel I need to check that understanding and it is okay. Thank you.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
5 years 4 months ago #220386 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic 2nd PIP Face2Face
DCBM

Don't assume that it is your evidence that is missing!

Yes, you can provide more information at the assessment but I would also send a copy to the DWP office dealing with your claim with a covering letter explaining what it is.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
5 years 4 months ago #220388 by Dane
Replied by Dane on topic 2nd PIP Face2Face
Thank you, Gordon.
No, I don't assume that it is my evidence that is missing but when the Review arrived I did assume it would not be necessary to go to the same lengths I did regarding evidence and supporting letter's for the original movement from DLA onto PIP in 2016.
The 20 page Review presented as a Review @ half the length of the original PIP application form in 2016 implied to me. seemingly wrongly, that it was not as big an issue as the original application, when my recent experience(s) is suggesting to me perhaps i aloud myself to be misled and it was relayed to me that I should be responding to it and treating it in the same way I did in 2016 so, that is what I am doing.
Experiences shared on this site alone suggests to me the process is largely arbitrary, and I shouldn't have taken anything for granted in the first place; outside the F2F I am responding and correcting to what I have the power to do so.
I have to accept what occurs within the F2F will and can only be responded to with immediacy. THANK YOU for your knowledge and advice. It is appreciated.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
5 years 4 months ago #220404 by ela67
Replied by ela67 on topic 2nd PIP Face2Face
Hi Dane I'm really sorry you are having to deal with this and it's causing so much anxiety. The same happened to my son who is 16. I'm his appointee and we attended a f2f for 2hrs 20 mins. I called for assessor's report the following week and was told he had to attend another as the assessor had gone on long term sick leave and didn't file the report. It was heartbreaking to have to go through same with him again. (And it was on my birthday!)

The second assessor told me she was using the first report as evidence in writing up her assessment, therefore I didn't repeat many of the points I made originally. However, these then weren't included in the final report. I would say don't assume the evidence will carry over and make sure you restate important points.

Our 2nd assessment was 1hr 15mins and was different in some ways, but generally similar in format. If you can think back or took notes from your first interview you can maybe think of things you'd wish you'd said or didn't emphasise etc and do it this time round. I was prepared for the assessor's report so I kept in mind the whole time that there was an appeal process no matter the outcome and this actually helped me feel less stressed.

Good luck, the f2f will be over soon so just keep looking forward and reminding yourself that it will be behind you one day.

E

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: GordonGaryBISCatherineWendyKellygreekqueenpeterKatherineSuper UserjimmckChris
We use cookies

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.