PIP2 telephone assessment/autism

Hello - I want to let you know I have a telephone assessment tomorrow at 11.30am with ATOS. I will give an update afterwards.

I signed the petition about the End of Reviews and noticed the DWP response. Following this I wrote to my MP Alex Sobel. Last year (2020) I won my appeal at tribunal. I was awarded PIP for 3 years (?) and I have to go through the whole thing again in 2021. The award was only back dated to the date of my diagnosis. I have a diagnosis of autism, which is life-long and untreatable.

I provided more than 200 pages of paperwork with this second claim. They can not say they don't have enough information. Many people with autism don't make a claim because they can not face going through the process. The DWP statement from sept seems to say they are changing how they go about things for some people..

"We have also made changes to help reduce the frequency of repeat assessments some people need to go through on PIP. We have ensured that people who receive the highest level of support whose needs will not improve...receive an ongoing award of PIP with a ‘light touch’ review at the 10-year point." DWP

I feel this should apply to me and other people with autism. I intend to say so in the telephone assessment. My point is that this whole PIP nightmare is a kind or torture when you have autism, that it is cruel to demand those with autism who need support to go through it. I can not say just how distressing I found the process including having to go to tribunal. But then having to go through it all again just a year later.

I sat with my daughter this morning from 8am as she was very anxious waiting for a telephone review due at 9.15. By 10.15 when no one had phoned, she phoned them. As she could hardly talk, ( she has severe mental Health problems, spinal problems resulting in major surgery,an eating disorder, PTSD and COPD) she gave the phone to me`. The answer from them was that the assessor had gone off for emergency leave. She then after already putting me on hold at least 3 times already, put me on hold and came back and said that they had phoned at 8.40 to her mobile number which she quoted. They had already been told and re-told on 20th October that as there was no mobile signal where she lives, they must use the land line. On hold again, back she came with yes it was the land line they used. She said that they had also left a text message on the mobile. I asked for that persons name , on hold once more, the answer to that was she was unable to tell me that. I told her that my mother had been with my daughter all night, I had been there since 8am and no one had called. There was no display on the land line to register a missed call, this person was lying. She gave another appointment for 3 weeks time. After another 'hold' she said she would put me onto the customer Service complaints people. They were obnoxious and very nasty. They asked what did we expect them to do about it all. I said just register it all and she then ended my call with a brisk 'thank you'. My daughter was distraught. After being unable to think about anything else since the letter came, then the lies and 68 minutes on the phone. What a disgusting way for them to behave. I am appalled! Its no wonder that they have a very bad reputation (Capita).

i had avery simialr issue with my phone assesment. I got a letter and a text telling me my assesment would be at 9am on the 1st of september. I then OBSESSED about this for the full two weeks, I am also autistic and have social anxiety (and a few other mental health issues) and I absolutely hate phonecalls. Isat with my phone and a list of answrers to potential questions for hours, then at like 9.40 (after I had already had a panic attack and resorted to taking diazepan) they phoned my mobile - which has hardly any signal at my house and so I couldn't hear the woman properly and tey couldn't hear me, eventually they gave up and called the landline to tell me that the assessor was ill and so my assesment was getting moved to the 8th of september... they were very short with me and actually told me off when I started to cry! They also claimed that they had called at 9.10 and 9.20 but I hadn't answered... which is total fabrication
I ended up having to call the crsis team

anyway, I wrote them a letter the next day explaining how the event effected me. No idea if it held any weight but I felt that it was worth them knowing as firstly it was an example of how these "small" events effect my day to day life, and secondly it had an impact on my assesment a week later as I ended up rushing the questions and getting paranoid that they were going to vanish half way through and I would be blamed somehow

I really hope that the next assesment happens without issue. I know 3 weeks is a long time to stress about it, which won't be helpful... I know if it was me that would be all that I would be thinking about for the full 3 weeks.

soldier - will you be with your daughter during the new assesment time? If so I'd recommend you making some notes during it so if they try anything you have evidence as a witness. Some assesors are ok for someone else speaking for the clament and others are not ok with this, no idea why... but might be worth explaining a the start of the call that you will be taking oveer the call if your daughter gets too distressed, it's not worth damaging her health afterall

Hi Hazel, well done for letting them know how their appalling behaviour affects you. and YET AGAIN lying about attempted calls. Could you manage to send a copy to your MP? Whatever his/her party they need to know how badly this gov't agency is treating their constituents. And DWP are placing an unfair burden on the NHS by making people ill enough to need crisis help, MPs should be informed of this.
Best wishes,
Denby