Face-to-face health assessments for benefits suspended amid coronavirus outbreak

[headwayuk]

Face-to-face assessments for all sickness and disability benefits will be suspended for the next three months, the government announced today (16 March 2020).

Anyone who has a face-to-face assessment appointment scheduled from Tuesday 17 March onwards does not need to attend and will be contacted to discuss next steps and alternative arrangements, which could involve either telephone or paper-based assessments.

Find out more here:

gov.uk/government/news/face...

[sealiphone]

The negative effect for this will be the delay in a person receiving a award of PIP, so the time between claim and award is going to be months, who knows how many.

Given the financial measures the Gov. are considering, I think it would be reasonable to award and reconsider later, with no claim back if decision is 'no award'.

[Elenor3 in reply to sealiphone]

Sealiphone for Prime Minister yay. Great idea 💡

[Georgiab123]

Is that just assetment or tribunal as well

[headwayuk Partner Headway in reply to Georgiab123]

Hi Georgia, there is no reference to tribunals in the announcement by the DWP. I would therefore recommend contacting the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm whether or not your tribunal will be affected by this decision.

Best wishes,

Harriet

[Georgiab123 in reply to headwayuk]

Thank you yes I will tday, iv waited a year for this

[sealiphone in reply to Georgiab123]

If your appeal has been passed to Tribunal Services, you should have received correspondence from them, if it's at that stage Tribunal Services are the people to speak to.

Tribunal Services administer all venues and all aspect of a appeal, once the DWP has referred your case.

Each geographical area has it's own central office to administer appeal hearings, you can find your office here:

courttribunalfinder.service...

Although you should have received correspondence with a case reference and their contact details, if your local service has received your appeal.

This is the current update in respect of COVID19

gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus...

[Georgiab123 in reply to sealiphone]

Thank you iv rang and it’s still going ahead tmoro

[Georgiab123 in reply to Georgiab123]

got it no bother more than I expected the tribunal members were lovely just wanted me to go in my ilnesses don’t be worried people if you deserve it you’ll get it

[Elenor3]

Thank you for sharing this