Requesting copy of PIP assessors report

TELLIT01

I may be missing something, but what is the point of getting the assessors report before a final decision? The assessor's report is only a recommendation, not the final say. The content of the report is really only relevant if the outcome is not the expected result.

poppy12345

TELLIT01 wrote: »

I may be missing something, but what is the point of getting the assessors report before a final decision? The assessor's report is only a recommendation, not the final say. The content of the report is really only relevant if the outcome is not the expected result.

Why wait for the decision when you can have the report before it's made? It's very rare for them to go against the report. If you're refused and you haven't requested the report then this only delays the process of requesting the MR and why delay it?

pollyanna_26

Update.

I've been having laptop problems so have been offline.
After the final phone call on 26th June the assessors report finally arrived on 7th August so quite a wait.
It came from Blackpool so I've wondered if where you live has any effect on the waiting time.
My heart sank when I read it as a lot of what was said didn't tie in with our memory of the assessment. I started planning an MR.
Three days later 10th August the Decision Makers letter arrived She'd gone against the assassors report and looked carefully at the medical evidence we sent . She'd also looked back at the previous paperwork for the original dla to pip claim ( as the assessor did)


DD has again been granted enhanced again for both Daily Living and Mobility.until June 2022. I'm well aware they will start the process earlier but a respite for now. Her esa is going to be assessed again and they need the forms back the first week in September.. However the form is quite short and we expected it to happen as it did after her transfer to pip.


So it seems to me there will be variable time scales when it comes to recieving the assessors report.


Thank you again to those who spend their time and energy here answering questions and offering support to those who don't have real life help with forms etc.


One thing I would say is I believe it best to ignore the info on the pip form advising not to include a GPs letter. Ours formulated his as a report. All diagnoses , medication, the variability of dds physical and mental health while stressing she had only had 2 gps in the same practise over 34 years and her medical history was fully explained. He sees her face to face every two weeks so knows her difficulties very well.
The DM spoke of basing her decision on the medical evidence which tied in with what would be expected with complex physical and mental health conditions. We had a word with him at last weeks appointment and Drs report no.2 should be ready to collect this coming week- Bless him.
polly

TELLIT01

Thank you for providing an update pollyanna 26. Your experience supports my assertion that it's better to wait until the decision is reached before requesting a report. The report is only relevant in the event that the outcome is not the expected one.

Contrary to what poppy12345 stated, my experience when working on ESA was that DMs looked at every report from reviews of entitlement, and regularly called claimants if they were either just below the qualifying , or had potentially been moved 'down' a group. I don't expect PIP DM's act any differently.

poppy12345

I'm glad to hear that they went against the report. However, this is very rare, which is why others including myself will always recommend requesting the report.



There will of course be some that will prefer to wait for the decision but i've had 4 PIP reports and 3 ESA ones and the DM has always gone with the report.

pollyanna_26

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Thank you for providing an update pollyanna 26. Your experience supports my assertion that it's better to wait until the decision is reached before requesting a report. The report is only relevant in the event that the outcome is not the expected one.

Contrary to what poppy12345 stated, my experience when working on ESA was that DMs looked at every report from reviews of entitlement, and regularly called claimants if they were either just below the qualifying , or had potentially been moved 'down' a group. I don't expect PIP DM's act any differently.

I'm a former civil servant , thankfully not the DWP and I moved on to teaching many years ago. One thing I learned was to keep full records of important events and paperwork for future need.
We all decide what is important or not.
I was glad I requested the assessors report as I began working through and identifying all the things that were inaccurate eg she described her physical examination of my dd . The only time she was near my daughter was when she led us to the room for the assessment, she sat a good distance away and asked questions and typed her notes. at no point did she examine my dd .


Luckily the DMs report arrived 3 days later but I had already used a template letter to challenge the assessors evidence if the DM had followed her report and awarded on that. No need to send it but was worth having it ready just in case.


I agree with poppy. I would request future reports as I found it useful.


poppy there were so many glaring errors in the assessors report pretty well everything went against dds history and all medical reports etc. I suppose we were lucky the DM read the details from the previous assessment as well as the current claim. I didn't expect that as when the dla to pip was taking place I was asked did we want the dla file looked at. Later had a call telling me it was lost.
I believe knowledge is power and proper records both paperwork and diaries is essential .
Take care
polly

TELLIT01

Pollyanna, there may have been glaring errors, but they were obviously picked up by the DM and addressed. To my mind, all you did by getting the report was cause yourself needless worry. Everybody is different, so if it worked for you that's what matters.

pollyanna_26

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Pollyanna, there may have been glaring errors, but they were obviously picked up by the DM and addressed. To my mind, all you did by getting the report was cause yourself needless worry. Everybody is different, so if it worked for you that's what matters.

This may sound odd but working on a possible MR gave me a form of distraction during a long wait. The pip forms were sent out late autumn 2018 . DD was seriously ill in Nov and December so we were allowed an extension until January to return the form. Her assessment was arranged for June 9th. We arrived 15mins early to be told the assessor had gone home sick and there was a message on my landline. Listening to that message later it was sent at the time we were about to enter the centre which was in another county from our home area.and a long journey away.

I suppose I was pretty fed up and dd was struggling with the long wait.I understand others may deal with things differently for various reasons. I didn't feel worried about the report, just would prefer to be prepared in advance to go to tribunal if necessary.


Apologies for spelling mistakes and other errors today. I did correct the date the esa forms need to be with dwp.

polly

micky2phones

Hi, glad all went well for you Polly