PIP nightmare.

Tommo1980

Also don't take any of the posts on your thread personally.

I read it as a general discussion about the best way to present ones difficulties at the f2f.

I'm sure it wasn't meant as a personal attack.

Tom

NYM

Why is there any need to answer the questions with the prefix of *Yes* -or- *No*...?

*Sometimes* works just as well.

NeilCr

NYM wrote: »

Why is there any need to answer the questions with the prefix of *Yes* -or- *No*...?

*Sometimes* works just as well.

Indeed.

The PIP form itself gives you those three options. My experience would be that with most clients I have seen the majority of answers have been yes or no rather than sometimes. Even with sometimes, though, you need to expand

As indicated earlier it often goes wrong when someone answers a question with a straight yes or no. That's something that can happen with those not experienced with the form filling process

FBaby

It sounds like there should be a 4th option stating 'after some time'.

EmeraldEye

EmeraldEye wrote: »

I was due to have an assessment on the 7th of this month for PIP. When I received the appointment letter I phoned the PIP department that very same day and explained that I had an issue with ID or in this case the lack thereof.

My bag was stolen a few months back (and of course my only photographic ID was in it) and I never "got around" to replacing it. I spoke to a nice young man from PIP who was very reassuring and told me "not to worry". I explained to him the situation and informed him that I would be applying for an electoral card to use as ID (I applied for this the next day) and his response was to say that he would make a note on my file and book me in for a new date. That new date is the 13th (next Tuesday).

My electoral card has not arrived, I was hopeful that it would have arrived by now but it hasn't, so I phoned PIP again today and spoke to someone far less polite than the man I had spoken to previously. To begin with she insisted I had phoned the wrong number and "would need to phone England" because for some unknown reason she was under the illusion that I lived in England (I live in Belfast where I have lived my whole life), but we finally sorted that misunderstanding out and I started to explain about the lack of ID and my previous call to PIP but she wasn't very helpful and her only suggestion was "Okay we'll send your case back to the Department for Communities and you can explain to them why you failed to attend your assessment".

I corrected her remark and stated that I was not refusing to attend or trying to get out of attending but she was adamant that as I had already changed the date once I wasn't allowed a new date.

I don't have any utility bills in my name but I do have my birth certificate, medical card, medical letters with my name/address/DOB and I could also get a letter from my family solicitor confirming my identity, I put this to the woman on the phone and she said "That wouldn't be sufficient".

What am I meant to do? If I don't attend on Tuesday my DLA will be stopped but if I do attend with only the above forms of ID they will refuse to conduct the assessment (It says so in the information pack they sent me). I never had to have medicals for my ESA or DLA so I suppose I just didn't consider the fact I'd need ID, I should have thought ahead and been better organised for PIP I know.

Is there anything I can do to argue my position? I don't really know how it was left on the phone, she did keep saying to me "Well what do you want to do?" and to be honest I didn't have much to say in response because I feel there's not much that I can do. In the end I thanked her for her "help" and hung up.

Just an update to say that on the Monday morning (12th of December) I received a call from PIP informing me that they were now cancelling the appointment for the 13th of December and were instead offering me a home assessment for the 4th of January to "ease the difficulty for you", I agreed to this and a few days later I received a letter confirming the at home assessment. Thanks for the advice everyone!

LoveLifeAgain

That's great news, EmeraldEye and good to see some help from the DWP. Hope all goes well

EmeraldEye

EmeraldEye wrote: »

Just an update to say that on the Monday morning (12th of December) I received a call from PIP informing me that they were now cancelling the appointment for the 13th of December and were instead offering me a home assessment for the 4th of January to "ease the difficulty for you", I agreed to this and a few days later I received a letter confirming the at home assessment. Thanks for the advice everyone!

Can someone further advise me please?? I received a letter on Saturday morning from the Department for Communities informing me that they have asked PIP to consider whether it would be possible to cancel the face to face assessment with me and instead assess me on paper and that PIP would be in touch with me with a decision on the matter in due course.

I'm now completely confused, I was initially worried about my lack of ID but comforted when PIP then later offered to do a home assessment but to now be told there's a chance that the assessment may not be happening at all has me worried.

Today is a bank holiday so I obviously won't be able to contact either department but the at home assessment is scheduled for Wednesday, so I don't see how they will have time to reconsider anything before Wednesday (the 4th).

I did not have an assessment for DLA, I did not have an assessment for ESA (either the first time or recently) so I was always anxious about the need for a PIP assessment but I accepted it and now I'm not sure how best to address the recent letter, in fact I'm not even sure why the Department for Communities has intervened. Should I phone them and/or PIP on Tuesday to clarify or just leave it and see if anyone arrives on Wednesday morning?

Torry_Quine

It doean't meant they'll decide before the appointment was meant to happen, just that they may be able to make a decision without one.

wild666

I never show any ID at any assessment I say IF IT WASN'T ME WHO THE F*** WOULD COME HERE TO BE F****** TORTURED BY YOU LOT? I always give then cr4p I nearly always carry ID but why should I show it and who would break in and steal an appointment letter? NO ONE!
By not showing ID and them accepting that the letter is proof I remove some of their power.I also covertly record everything, I am sure they think the mic is connected to a mobile but it's connected to a Dictaphone.
PIP seem to be doing a first assessment but subsequent ones, assuming you get an award, may be paper. Either way if they turn up put in a subject access request as soon as they go or if paper as soon as you get the result.

wild666

NeilCr wrote: »

Indeed.

The PIP form itself gives you those three options. My experience would be that with most clients I have seen the majority of answers have been yes or no rather than sometimes. Even with sometimes, though, you need to expand

As indicated earlier it often goes wrong when someone answers a question with a straight yes or no. That's something that can happen with those not experienced with the form filling process

I have decided that my next PIP form possibly around 2023 will say SEE ATTACHED INFORMATION PAGE X or XX They want an answer that is either yes or no they will get an MP's reply going about it vaguely and long winded they are going to hate it