PIP Telephone Assessment

There is a great deal of reliable information online regarding the criteria and how to fill out the PIP forms and you disregard it at your peril. Gov.uk, Citizens Advice, Benefits & Work are all reliable sources.
On the other hand, headlines in various media are very misleading.

Quite a few people, having failed once, decide not to put themselves through it again.
Mission accomplished.

I have no experience with these claims - but it does seem that they are based on very complex criteria.

Judging by many of the comments - on here and elsewhere - it does make me wonder if those who are dealing with such claims fully understand the formulas themselves?

Or is it a situation where the DWP, as with other departments, have suffered so many government cut-backs to the point where too few workers are given too many caseloads resulting in a high turnover of staff which can lead to inexperienced people doing the job?

The only time I've filled in any kind of government claim form is when I applied for a Blue Badge for my disabled partner. It required much supporting evidence and was a stressful experience - not least because the form seems to repeatedly ask the same questions - but in a different format.

I understand the need for precision and accuracy - but do these assessments really need to be so complex and therefore so alarming?

Or are they designed deliberately to make people figuratively jump through hoops in the hope that some will fall / fail?

Thanks Cabbie21

You can raise a complaint about the assessment, with the company, not with DWP.
Do ask here for help when you need it.

I know you've had a struggle Whiff and glad it is diagnosed and awarded for you now.
I actually asked for a copy of my hospital notes and xrays because everything is there in black and white - pain is so hard to explain in a conversation.
One time at a face to face assessment I took my husband (it states you can bring someone for support) and he was told to sit down at the other side of the room and to shut up 😲 I ended up breaking down in tears.

I had my PIP phone assessment in 2022. It latest 1 hour 46 minutes. When I had the PIP decision they gave me zero on everything. And a letter explaining their decision. Ask for MRN the lazy female bull copied out the original letter but moved the sentences around.

Luckily had a new member join our craft group she told me about the Brain Charity.. I got in touch with them and they got me a solicitor pro bono and she applied for PIP tribunal. She asked me to get a copy of the assessors report which I did. 23 pages long every paragraph multi errors so I had to mark each one and write an email explaining what was wrong and the correction..Took me ,2 days. The only page without an error where the assessor had signed it and out it took her 38 minutes to write it..
This was July 2022.
My solicitor told me to claim universal credit. My face to face interview with my caseworker couldn't have been more different. She listened to me and after seeing me walk she said it would be phone appointments from now on. And she would send for the can't remember the correct title but the health forms for UC. I filled them in as they where easier than the PIP forms which my daughter filled in for me.. I didn't trust a phone assessment so had face to face appointment. And was awarded the health UC as well.They even back dated it until my caseworker asked for the forms.

Finally went to PIP tribunal 29th August 2023. The panel couldn't have been kinder . A support worker from the Brain Charity went with my as moral support. After 50 mins I was asked to wait outside the room . It wasn't 10 mins and they had us back in and was awarded enhanced PIP for living and enhanced PIP for mobility indefinitely. And they back dated it until 7th March 2022 when I asked for the forms.

I was born disabled and had been fighting since 1988 for disability benefits. Can't tell you the horror stories I went through.

But the PIP tribunal restored my faith in human nature the judge apologised for how I had been treated . And the decision letter is on crown court paper and he even put about how badly DWP and PIP had treated me .

As I was state pension age this year I went to the CA in February this year and they helped me fill in the form over the phone with DWP .Lynsey who was helping even wrote down what I had to say to them on my birthday and the information they needed much to my surprise I was awarded £70.04 per week.

My state pension,PIP and PC paid into my account on the same day every 4 weeks.

Cabbie helped me with her sage advise and her experience of seeing a PIP tribunal..

Miss A had a long fight to get what she deserved and her fighting spirit kept me going.

The Brain Charity helps people all over the country with any neurological conditions. Even though they are based in Liverpool.

Took me 35 years but I won in the end. But it's been hard and had money worries since my husband died in 2004 aged 47. But since having the 2 UC they tied me over until I got my PIP and then state pension.

UC stops when you reach state pension age but as it's paid in arrears they make sure you get any monies owed to you.

It's very hard to get any benefits from DWP but don't stop fighting but get help from any charities to do with your condition and Citizens advice.

Well, fingers crossed then.
Thank you.

MissAdventure

I've been dreading my next assessment since my first one was done.
The lady who did mine was quite nice (ish)
Certainly nothing like the horror I'd expected.

You may not get one ...I didnt nor did several others i know in my area ( NW) ....I filled out my renewal form .....didn't hear anything for months ...then got a call from the case manager ....asked a couple of questions then said it wouldn't be passed on for assessment he was happy to make a decision himself and I would hear shortly.....3 weeks later got a decision letter and was awarded the same ....so this might be you too

I've been dreading my next assessment since my first one was done.
The lady who did mine was quite nice (ish)
Certainly nothing like the horror I'd expected.

Neither pain nor mental illness can be measured, so they are the hardest ones to claim for successfully, unfortunately.

Sorry finger caught the post button 🙄. He kept saying he would get his report checked. It is a horrible experience, I wish they could just measure pain with a tape measure.

I must admit I felt that this person was new, he kept saying I’ll just get

Yes, I have first telephone assessment was horrendous, 2nd was a video call and much better.

There are so many criteria / descriptors to work through. I think it is better to be thorough and I would be disappointed if you had a rushed assessment.
It is useful to ask for a copy of the assessor’s report. When you get the decision you can see if it tallies. You should challenge the decision if you think it is wrong. The criteria are very specific.

Hi Elless...its very hard I know....I think 1.5 hours is probably quite usual...but still a long time for you ....I have had them ring back before to clarify things ...hopefully you will hear very shortly.....think time scales in my area (nw) are around 4 weeks fromm assessment to letter arriving at moment