Feeling bullied

[Fergie65]

Went yesterday for review of my pip b4 a panel & girl came out upset saying the panel where cheeky 2 her & my rep was reminded by panel that I could loose my current benefit as we have 10 year old & no wage coming in we felt we had no option but 2 cancel my review I am so mad now & wish we'd went in I would have went 2 my msp Nicola sturgeon if they would stopped my money but I was too upset to think straight yesterday how r these people allowed 2 get away with treating people like this it's disgraceful 2 be intimidated by people who should no better

[iforget]

I am not sure what has happened here...

Why was it that you didn't go in if you were there?

Was it because of what another person attending a review said?

Who was your rep and did they not clarify the situation for you?

If the panel were the people who made you feel so uncomfortable that you could not continue then perhaps you should be getting a complaint in as soon as possible so that your review can be rescheduled.

There are so many bad stories going around about reviews that I think it makes us all very anxious before we even get there. I hope you are able to get this resolved and can attend your review because as far as I am aware refusal to attend the review can result in your benefits being stopped. Of course that does not mean you cannot start a new claim...but who wants to go through all of that.

Maybe a call to Headway or CAB to get some advice might be in order?

[Fergie65 in reply to iforget]

I did attend appt but person in b4 me told us about how bad the panel was & my rep was reminded by the panel that I could end up with nothing now if that wasn't meant 2 put me off I don't what would we have 10 year old son & without my wage coming in now every penny is needed was 2 scared 2 take chance but I don't think they should get away with intimidating people like this it's discraceful

[iforget in reply to Fergie65]

So many people are facing uncertain times with the introduction of PIP and I am still struggling to understand what happened here.

Are you currently getting PIP and this is a scheduled review , change of circumstances review or is this a transfer from DLA to PIP situation... or maybe something else altogether?

I am unclear what they said that caused you to flee. Often these types of interview begin with them explaining that a claim depends on the outcome of the interview/assessment and that it is possible for a claim to be reviewed and any award increased, decreased or even stopped depending on that outcome...but they also explain that you have the right to appeal and at the end of the session they should explain and provide information on what happens next. The interviewers do not make the final decision so you never know at the end of the session and have to wait for the letter to arrive. Even if the outcome is not what you hoped you have the right to appeal.

Generally if a review is due it is mandatory and I'm afraid that walking away from a review rather than facing the panel is not an option. Refusing to attend a review usually results in benefits being stopped.

Reporting any changes is likely to result in a review. Failing to report any changes is illegal and can result in prosecution. Which basically means that no matter how hard it is for us, we have no choice but to jump through hoops for them

If this is the transfer from DLA to PIP and you do not attend they can stop your claim, although they would write to you and tell you this and usually give you the opportunity to reschedule or make a new claim.

You can of course contact them and ask for someone with experience of brain injury to conduct your assessment. You can explain how this visit made you feel and how difficult you find this whole process - having this documented will not harm your case in any way.

At my last review the assessor was getting fed up at how difficult the process was for me and subsequently for her and she said she "wanted to speed things up by bringing your husband in and asking him"...

I said there was no problem with her talking to him to get his perspective but I pointed out that questioning my husband would not give her any idea of my ability to understand and answer her questions or of how it is for ME to get through every day...

If you haven't spoken to anyone at Headway about this please do give them a call. They do have advice and information on the process and may be able to help you.

[Fergie65 in reply to iforget]

Yes I currently get lower level of pip & our advisor advised that she felt I had been assessed on physical ability & not mental ability following brain haemorrage I found the whole thing extremely stressful & upon hearing how the previous person got on made me worse the panel reminded my rep my money could be cut & I was 2 frightened & nervous 2 go 4ward the whole thing was totally intimidating

[iforget in reply to Fergie65]

It IS stressful and I really do empathise... I am pretty sure you can reschedule and that will give you time to prepare even better than before and request an assessor with experience of brain injury issues.

It is hard not to be influenced by what the person coming out of their session might say but there is no way of knowing what may or may not have happened in that room while they were in there. Their circumstances and approach will not be the same as yours and you may see the same interview panel as someone who was unhappy with how their interview went and yet you might feel totally differently at the end of your turn.

I always take my time in these things. I find it helpful to state at the beginning that I find these things stressful and exhausting and tell them I need to make sure that I understand what they are asking ...and then I keep at it until I am sure that I understood what they are asking and that they understand what I am telling them in response to their questions.

It is exhausting and I always have someone with me for back up but I always see this is being MY assessment and so it is me they need to assess not any one else.

If it takes a while then it takes a while... Daily tasks take longer and so will any assessment of my ability to undertake the tasks of daily living.

As I have no short term memory I always ask if I can record the session and or take notes and I make sure that I leave with a copy of the general details of the assessment.

Nobody should be left feeling awful about these things but the reality is that we do... and all any of can do is get through it the best way we can manage... and at least we can try to support each other through the process.

[paxo05]

I see that the review panel have not change along with the new benefits. I can remember a dla panel consisting of an athritis consultant who was reviewing my back and head injury. Things were not going well until my then social worker started asking simple medical questions that the specialist just kept answering by the comment " not my field". I cant say what my social worker went on to say as I sort of lost it and had to leave. The outcome was another appeal but with a relivant consultant. Outcome was dla approved. I think they do this deliberatley to put you off going to appeal. My answer arm yourself with relavent medical information from your consultants and stick with it. If the disagree with the evidence ask them to contact your consultant and take it up with them. Sorry for long answer but found myself climbing on my soap box again. Oh and I've my review coming up at the end of tge year ...oh what joy.

[sporan]

I think just the thought of having to rely on benefits to survive is stressful enough given the the way all claimants are stigmatised and lumped together as a 'drain on the hard working tax payer'. Let alone the stress of having to face a panel of strangers or other assessments.

What about my 42 yrs full time employment, never less than 50 hrs a week and still made to feel like a parasite.

Sorry rant over.

Fergie was the PIP panel to adjust your benefit to different level because of change in your condition? Because when I had my DLA award through it said if there was a change in my condition, even for the better, that I would have to go through a PIP assessment and possibly loose all benefit.

I should say though that somewhere on these forums a contributor recently whent for a re-assessment and had the benefit increased because they are better able now to assess and evaluate both brain and emotional or related medical problems than under the old scheme.

I have only ever had an ATOS ESA assessment which after two aborted appointments, aborted by ATOS that is, the 1st cancellation by phone mid Friday afternoon before an early Monday appointment and the second cancellation at the actual appointed time and in the assessment centre at which I'd arrived around 40 minutes early for!

I ended up having a home visit and was put into the support group. The stress and emotional pain caused by the delays in the assessments was awful, especially as when it finally happened at home I was less than 2 weeks away from having benefits stopped, because of DWP time limits, and through no fault of my own!

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Abuse and bullying today at doc surgery. Not recorded, nobody would believe me. No point complaining = no proof. Their word stronger (worth more) than mine. No protection or help = same as from start: GP/hospital/others treated me SO wrong, tried complaining and got punished for it.

No idea what help/services here, maybe should try find out? Advocacy? Translator? Chaperone? How to complain, the rules/regs = and QUALITY of outcomes?

Maybe in another life (very interested in) but too much going on now and HOUSING greatest priority - but STUCK, a prisoner. Just want to SETTLE,not travel, just snuggle in (if fits ME place) and try recover. Then for me (since school) the year starts in September = THEN get well stuck into stuff = a new year... ?

But tis all a dream at mo. Silly.

[jimboriley52]

Without sounding insensitive to your position regarding PIP I am never shocked or surprised anymore. This government hate the sick, disabled and poor and how anyone can vote for this bunch of criminals is beyond me. Cameron and his cronies should be on trial for Manslaughter as the amount of people who have committed suicide over this kind of thing. As for myself I was up the wall trying to get the benefits to which I was entitled almost 2 years had passed before I received anything. The reason I eventually got my payments is when I contacted my wonderful MP Rosie Cooper. Within 4 weeks of her taking up my claim I received PIP both elements at the enhanced rate but to be honest I cannot remember going for the medical although my sister told me that she took me. Now I am really afraid that if the Tories are re elected I will end up destitute. This government are nothing but Fascists/ Nazis and given the chance if they could getaway with it they would have people like me exterminated as we are now use to them, as they try to enslave us all. And another thing that really gets me irate is how the general populace think we are all scroungers. Do they think I chose to be ill?

Those people also need to understand is that any of them could become ill/ disabled within minutes. Fergie65 I hope you sort out your situation