I had my initial PIP Award last year which ended up being lower rate of the daily care and nothing for mobility. I did not agree with the result but did not want to appeal just in case I lost everything after waiting 12 months to get it.
Anyway, my health has got worse and I decided to ask for a PIP review. I got lots of information about how to fill in the form and sent it all off. I got told that I had to go for a medical assessment by ATOS. I took all my meds, lots of paperwork as well as my dear wife just in case I got confused. The last assessment was a piece of cake compared to this one. I got the distinct impression that it was a race against the clock to get the form completed as the computer had broken. The interaction between the health professional and I did not go very well at all. I got very confused, frustrated and then irritable because I had trouble getting my words together to answer the questions. I really had to insist that the health professional excepted reports and letters from other health professionals about my current conditions. I had even photocopied them before hand.
Is it just me or have others on this forum found it a very frustrating, stressful and thoroughly unpleasant process that leaves you feeling that you're just making things up? This is despite turning up for the assessment in my wheelchair!
Made me ill, going thru the process. Made me cry in the assessment, waste of time as I got no points, I was glad in a way as it means no more stress waiting to be put through the wringer and keep going round and around in circles every year or so. You would think that anyone wanted to be off sick long term for laughs with the way they treat you. I dread the day I have to swap fromDLA to pip. I have had a change in circumstances but can't face doing the whole application again.
It felt humiliating and degrading. I hope you get the answer you deserve x
Hi, please don't give up that's what they want. My son had medical for esa and got 0 points we appealed it took nearly a year for hearing but they reversed decision I don't think atos are at all interested in making the right decision only
getting people off of benefits. Just keep on fighting
Yes sadly it is designed to be so. It is part of the process of this evil government trying to prove we are all scroungers. When the system says you are fit for work if you receive chemo therapy by tablet rather than into venous and that if you are terminal you still have to do unpaid "work experience" and mental illness doesn't exist just pull yourself together then it is designed to be cruel and demeaning. It's what the mob want.
Sorry you went thro this. Hope the end result is ok for you
Like you after having the first assessment(at first for DLA) which I thought they just wanted to get rid of me and then their reply arrived saying there was nothing wrong with me I asked for an appeal and they then just sent a new reply saying they have decided that I am at the lower rate for care and nill for mobility (which was what I was asking for) I asked for an appeal form and they told me I would now have to claim PIP but not to worry as it would me back dated to when I first applied for DLA so I tried applying for it, it took them over 8 months to even send me a form as they said they had decided II was not in the country enough to be able to claim when I asked if they had sent me a reply stating what they had decided they said no they had not bothered so I asked again for a form but before they would even send me the form I had too prove i had been in the UK for 12 months out of the last 24 which I did by sending them copy's of my flight tickets (I had been spending a lot of time out in the Caribbean)but even after I eventually get the form and returned it they just decided I was not entitled to it before they even arranged a interview with a "health professional" I asked for a appeal but they told me I could not appeal the decision until they had done a mandatory reconsideration and they then arranged a interview with a "health professional" but the person they sent to my house asked many questions but wrote down a complete pile of lies eventually when their reply came and i looked at when he had wrote down I phoned them and told them what he had wrote down was not what I told him or was not how the interview went he had put down "during the interview the post came and she jumped up went 5 meters straight to the door and returned carrying a large heavy box with no signs of distress or problem I told them the following
" yes the post came and I managed to get up holding onto the furniture and went 3 yards to the door where i had to stand in the door jamb to hold myself up and on the way back I had to throw the small package onto the settee and i collapsed onto my chair and then I could not continue with the interview as i had burst out crying with the pain" I then added that I had apologized to the interviewer about not being able to talk to him for the 5 minutes it took me to get it under control and that if they want I could send them a video of the interview as it was all on my cctv system at that they said they will have another look at my claim and get back to me then they sent me a appointment for a new interview at their Nottingham depot I did a search for it on google maps and saw that it was on a clearway on one side and on a pedestrian area on all the others i called them and told them that I could not get to it due to where it was located and explained why so they said they will arrange a second interview but if i did not attend that one then they would consider my claim closed after a few weeks they sent me a new appointment but again it was for the same place so again I called them and explained the problem so they arranged a new appointment for one in my home after that one arrived I received a phone call asking if I was at home I said yes I am in just waiting for them to arrive and was told they had been knocking on my door for 5 minutes I asked what address were they at and was told no 36 I said I live at no 25 and had lived here for 3 years and had never lived at or near 36 so the girl came round and said she was sorry for the mistake but the form she had been given showed 36 in the end she was quite friendly and the interview went ahead when they eventually sent me a reply it stated that they have given me the lower rate for care (there is only 2 rates for care with PIP) and the higher rate for mobility and they they gave it me until 2025 which is the longest they can give they back dated it for 4 months not back to the date I had first applied it was back to when they decided to reassess me but I was not going to complain as they may now decide that they had made a mistake and stopped it again. in the end it had taken over 30 months to get a decision that reflected how I am.
for you just refuse what they have decided and ask for a appeal and just keep at them until you get what you deserve at the moment they are all just trying to cut down the welfare bill as much as they can, you cannot blame them for the way they are as you must know several people who are on DLA or some other disability benefit who do not need it you see people every day park in the disabled bays and then jump out of their care and either walk quickly or run showing that they are just cheating the system which is why the government is the way it is I bet that close to 50% of people on disability benefits do not qualify for them.
good luck with getting what you deserve,
Regards Poppy Ann.
Thank you all for taking the time to post a reply as well as your supportive words.
Part of the problem is that they aren't actually health professionals any more - just pencil pushers who have targets to reach. I think we were better off when it was the Decision Makers in DWP who were doing most of the assessment stuff, as at least they had access to a very full manual to help them make a decision.
I would never deal with PIP on my own now - always use an advocacy service like CAB. I get the impression that they take you more seriously if someone like CAB is standing behind you helping argue your case and making sure all your answers are worded right so they fit exactly what DWP is looking for.
One of the crazy things is that if you have or use any aids or assistance to get you by (like mobility equipment, including wheelchairs) then their logic says "you were disabled, but you got a wheelchair (crutches, stick, etc) ,so now you don't have any mobility problems and you aren't disabled any more".
Very astute observations and wise words. Thank you.
I was awarded pip at lower rate for mobility this year , then I had another assesment and they took it away from me , even though nothing had changed in my condition unbelievable im to tired to challenge
Hello,
I am sorry to hear about their silly decision. It really does take a lot of energy fighting things all the time.
I have just had this experience with a friend with terminal cancer.Because she had not got medical reports, they ignored the previous assessment in 2014.Her cancer started in 2012.They reduced her to basic and took away her mobility. I asked for a DS1500 from her oncologist because i had looked it up, but no one had suggested this. cancer wasn't mentioned on her assessment .We phoned for reassessment It took 2 weeks to get the forms on Dec 16th and they said it had to be in with the medical evidence by Dec 30th. i sent a very thorough and critical report of A4 pages X3 with the form.I wonder what will happen next! I think it is appalling how they are treating ill, vulnerable people
Hello,
I am very sorry to hear about your friend's situation. They have enough on their plate without jumping through these hoops.
I believe there is an expedited process that is followed for people who have been diagnosed as terminally ill. Here is the link from the Citizen's Advice Bureau website.
ATOS is the worst company out. It is not just you take my word for it. My husband had dealings with them 7 years ago , And I myself recently, I lost my mobility and got standard PIP , Am in middle of going to tribunal. They seem to think that genuine people are scamming but think nothing of passing those with nothing wrong but who can act up very well. These people know the system therefore get everything they want, whereas the genuine people lose out.
did you know that DWP only cover £100 of the cost of tribunals and the government pays the rest! if only they were fined every time the tribunal turned around a decision they made. This may make the system fairer.
For any one needing support whilst applying for benefits there is a great site called benefits and work which has loads of great guides.
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