Pip

[GrandmaDylan]

As I've already told you I'm having a face to face assessment at home on the 25th. My daughter who is a social worker has offered to be here with me for the meeting. Do you think telling them when they arrive she's a social worker or do you think it would make things worse? Deb

[Hidden]

Personally, I don't think you need to tell them. Just say she's your daughter, you shouldn't need to them her profession. See what others think, though. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Porphyriamaniac]

No grandma D, if I were in your shoes, definitely not, id play dumb. Let her see how they handle your case, what they do. Its none of their buisness anyway, shes your daughter first and foremost. Then if you're not satisfied with the outcome, take it further, shes got the knowhow but they dont need to know that beforehand. My experience is they will do and use anything they can not to give you pip, my step dad, a cancer survivor twice over, can't walk and they try to take it away regularly even though his circumstances haven't and will not change! Sorry if this isn't pc, i just don't have faith in their reasoning after what I've seen/ experienced. This is just my honest 2 penneth. All the best for your interview grandma D, whatever you decide. Stacie. Xxxx

[Hidden]

Hi there Debs

I agree with Lynne, Master of Arts, and the Yorkshire lass, no need to tell them. It will be good to have her by your side though.

Good luck 👍

Miles

[Hidden]

Hi

When I had an esa one a couple of years ago, they wouldn't let my hubby speak but last year when I had my pip interview i had read up on it more and knew he was allowed to speak. I got enhanced on both, the man who interviewed me was ok but tried to catch me out! You've got to be one step ahead of them!! Lots of love from Lynne

Ps do t let the fib you off!! Xxxx

[freddie76]

I would keep quiet. Just introduce her as your daughter .Her professional capacity should not come into it as far as the assessor is concerned but will be in your favour as a witness to the interview.

Good luck

[Hidden]

Deb,

It has no relevance, they have no right to ask and you certainly do not need to offer an answer.

If you need to appeal (hopefully not), that would be the appropriate time to introduce additional information.

Mark.

[Hidden]

I agree what you daughter does is nothing to do with the claim.

What strikes me is when you are so ill you have to worry about getting support you need and have a right to.

David

[GrandmaDylan]

I wondered if they knew she is a social worker they might realise that they won't get away with trying to trip me up. My daughter is a social worker for children and adolescents but during her training she has also dealt with vulnerable adults. One of her cases involved a severly mentality handicapped (non pc, sorry. But I can't think of the right term) man who can't read or write or look after himself. When he got his pip assessment form a carer at the home he is living in did it for him. Every question she asked him he replied yes. So he was awarded nothing. If you asked him could he catch a bus, he'd reply yes. If you asked him if he cooked for himself he'd reply yes. The truth was he couldn't do anything for himself. Once the social workers were involved they did the form with him and naturally he got maximum points for every thing. My friends sister has mental health issues but lives independently, drives and goes shopping etc. She has a mental health nurse and a welfare officer. Her welfare officer does all her benefit forms for her and she gets several types of benefits. Her car iinsurance is paid for as it is deemed important that she is able to drive or it could make her depression worse. They pay her £3000 a year to go on holiday with her sister as her carer as it is considered important for her mental health. She receives benefits to pay for a carer (her sister) who in turn gets enhanced pip. My friends sister had a very well paid job which included work hard, play hard. This started a cocaine habit which in turn caused her depression and subsequent suicide attempts. Luckily she had taken out income protection when she was earning a huge salary so she's still receiving that 20 years after leaving her job.

[AyrshireK in reply to GrandmaDylan]

I pointed out in the request for mandatory reconsideration for hubbies appeal that I was a police officer and that the report that was written was lies and that I had been present at the face-to-face and it wasn't a true reflection of the assessment at all - to no avail. I haven't sat in on a police interview that was as bad as that face-to-face. I wouldn't reveal your daughters occupation just now, if it comes to appeal you've got a very good and qualified witness and it might become more pertinent then. My friend is a CPN and has actually accompanied patients to their face-to-face and they still twisted the accounts of her patients even when they've been some of the most mentally ill patients she has.

Keep your powder dry on your daughters occupation. Hopefully you won't need it but you will have a good witness on your side if you need to take it further.

All the best, Katie x

[Hidden in reply to GrandmaDylan]

How does she get pip if she still gets her huge salary through insurance? Or is the insurance in fact minuscule?

Miles

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Linus,

PIP is non means tested.

Snoops.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Brown, charlie Brown puleese 😁..I haven’t worked for 4 and a half years never heard of pip till this forum last month. So I admit that, as per, I know nothing...

Charlie Giles

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

plop plop. You could have claimed it when you were working, I was told that but I was working. It didn’t compute.

Snoop, dog poop.

[GrandmaDylan in reply to Hidden]

No it's about a thousand a month. Pip isn't means tested.

[crowfordmccrow]

My partner is a social worker, and in all cases involving my health she takes a back seat. they care too much. It's like taking a Doctor to see your Doctor. And she's family. Trust who you'll see then discuss her opinions with your daughter. Go from there. x Jai

[Debbs73]

Personal i don't think you need too. If things didn't go in your favour then have and use your daughter's expertise as a social worker. Good luck hope you get good news. 🙂

[pip-lit]

I agree,keep your powder dry just now. Your daughter taking full notes of the session might help you with a mandatory recon. / and or any subsequent complaint that you might like to bring. Fingers crossed though that things go well

[GrandmaDylan]

Good advice as usual from all of you. Deb

[chell1704]

I went with my husband and I'm a social worker. We didn't say anything other than I was his wife and carer. Good luck. Out assessor was actually rather nice. Though Hubbie did look awful at the time.

[Fides]

Ordinarily I would say don't introduce her, but given how dishonest the PIP assessor's are it might help your case for them to know that she is a social worker and that they are less likely to get away with lying or misrepresenting the tests. I would suggest getting your daughter to take notes of the questions and tests performed and then signing off on them to avoid any misunderstandings. Remember if they ask you a question and you answer, make sure that their understanding is the same as yours so that they don't draw the wrong conclusion. (i.e. very often they come to the interview with an opinion already, so you need to make it quite clear that their understanding reflects the facts)

[Hidden]

Hi

How are you feeling? I really hope everything goes well next week. Have you recovered from your theatre visit? You must have been in so much pain. With all my love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[GrandmaDylan]

Hi Lynne, I'm ok thanks although the face to face assessment is constantly on my mind. How are you feeling? It looks like you've had another sleepless night. Deb x

[Buster3]

Hi new here with pbc had it for years just getting worse .I also have an pip assesment next week in my home and it is making me ill my husband will be there and a hope he is allowed to talk because I will not be able to remember everything I hope you get on ok with yours grandma Dylan

[GrandmaDylan]

Thanks Buster. I know how you feel. This assessment is on my mind 24 hours a day. It is ridiculous that we have to go through this when it makes us more ill and anxious. I hope you're successful with your assessment. Are you on ESA? I am. Deb

[Buster3 in reply to GrandmaDylan]

Yes just been put in that only get 73.10 at the moment now have book to fill in to see if I should be supported apparently if you go I to supported money gets put up my home visit is on Tuesday grandma so we will see What happens .

[GrandmaDylan in reply to Buster3]

Hi Buster. How did your assessment go? Was it as horrible as we've heard?

[Hidden]

Hi Deb,

I wish you the very best at your assessment.

We don't have anything like what you are discussing here in the US, so I have no experience. Judging by some of the replies on here though, I probably would introduce her as daughter and that's it. I'd be more inclined to invest in a voice recorder and record the whole interview without the assessor knowing, but that assumes you get a lousy one and not a caring one.

Again, best wishes to you,

Mary

[Yuiop]

Good luck for tomorrow, hubby had his last week, 6 weeks before we find out what’s what. Just remember it’s your worst days you answer about. X

[GrandmaDylan in reply to Yuiop]

Thankyou. I'm absolutely dreading it. My and hubby have just had words about it. He's worried that if I'm refused pip my esa will be looked into. He's worried that I've stirred the hornets nest. We never seem to be able to win at anything. Other people we know play the system and get away with it. We try to make an honest claim and get knocked back. A friend of mine had to give up work due to an injury. Her rent is paid and she gets pip plus other benefits. She was part of a lottery syndicate that won over £1 million but didn't declare it to the benefit office. She got a £60,000 share of her ex husband's pension (ex police) again didn't declare it. My husband got a bill from the tax man saying he owed them money and we had to pay it back over 12 months. He is employed 2 days a week and it goes through the books so it wasn't anything to do with him. Obviously the tax people hadn't worked out what he should have paid.

[Yuiop in reply to GrandmaDylan]

DWP can tell what you have in the bank because of the interest, unless it’s under the mattress! Take it step by step, we had a nurse do ours, always answer your worst days, and that’s being honest. They go over your meds as well as mobility. It’s all the same things you filled out in your form, they have a copy of it in their laptop, they use the laptop to note everything, and yes, I would tell them your daughters job in conversation. Good luck x

[Yuiop in reply to Yuiop]

And PIP isn’t means tested!

[Yuiop]

How did you get on? It wasn't as bad as you expected, was it! It was on my mind 24/7 and wasn't worth the worry x

[AyrshireK in reply to Yuiop]

If you see her other post it never happened. ATOS phoned to cancel - assessor ill allegedly. Absolutely shocking leaving someone so stressed for weeks then to pull it on the day.

Outrageous.

Katie

[Yuiop]

Omg! That is outrageous ! I had to cancel Hubbys last one as he was in hospital, went to clinic and got kept in, that's when he got his stent put in. When I phoned to cancel they told me to remember I can only cancel once, then I would have to put a new form in... Very one sided!

[GrandmaDylan in reply to Yuiop]

That's disgusting. The point is we are ill and therefore quite likely to be in hospital when we're supposed to attend an assessment but they don't take that into consideration. They can cancel an hour before our assessment but we only get one chance!! The more I hear the more I despise this vile company and the bureaucrats who gave them the contract. They seem to enjoy our humiliation. One post I read the woman who was being assessed was asked about if she had sex!! I think I would have made a complaint about it.

[Yuiop in reply to GrandmaDylan]

We have had 2 assessments, they were both fine. Hubby gets standard rate but no mobility, I asked for another form and got it filled out as his circumstances had changed, that’s why we got another assesment. I was pissed off knowing people who get more than him and they can still work full time and live a normal life! Gggrrrr