Surprise phone assessment for PIP?

sammyjammy

So as you didn't answer the call in August that claim would have been closed and you haven't actually made another?  Did you give out any bank details or other personal data on the call?

Muttleythefrog

I think I'd email (or call) the relevant assessment company (* see below if unsure) to see if they can update you... include your NiNo for reference and mention that date of the call you've had. Likely was legitimate but I think you need to establish that. Update may be helpful as entirely possible the company has now sent their advice (i.e. their report) to the DWP. Return back here for advice when you can give update yourself as really we can only speculate at this point.

(As a general point I am worried that government departments or their private outsourced partners are increasingly contacting people and coming across as illegitimate due to failures to do simple things correct like give relevant context, details or use proper English). 

* Atos (Independent Assessment Services) and Capita I understand currently doing assessments for PIP and where you are should determine which. Not sure if this is up to date map but latest I can find - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/610293/personal-independence-payment-postcode-map.pdf

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

hopefulmoneysaver94 said:

I was phoned by a lady who claimed to be calling from PIP claimants to go through my assessment as she felt that a face to face one would be too long, and over the phone was quicker as all of my information was already there? 

She had quite a bad cold, a northern accent and spoke very fast so I’m not sure where she was actually calling from - I have read that DWP outsource their assessments? 

I originally applied for PIP in August 2021, and had a phone call BOOKED IN  for July 2021, I didn’t answer this due to having an anxiety attack. 

From that, I didn’t hear anything, and honestly wasn’t expecting to either as I didn’t answer the phone call. 

I filled out a self assessment online on Wednesday last week, and scored maximum on both elements, and then 

This morning the lady rang and I didn’t even know I was going to have an assessment?! What’s that about? 

I had to ask her where she was calling from several times to actually hear her. She said that my report would come from the “actual dwp and not on a mobile”. 

Has anyone got any experience of this? 

Did you enter your phone number or any other contact or personal details on the self-test?

The PIP self test results are not shared with anyone. Not only that, this test isn't reliable unless you completely understand the PIP criteria.

No I know, just the timing made me wonder if it was someone phoning from a self test company and whether it was possibly some kind of scam.  Evidently not connected though as OP didn't give their phone number.

The lack of identity check and even lack of ascertaining whether they were speaking to the right person is weird.  Well, the whole thing's weird.  Possibly a failure to go through basic procedure as Mutteythefrog says.

Edit: also they don't routinely send out the report from assessments, you have to phone DWP and ask for it once they've received it from the assessment provider.  If this turns out to be genuine I think it would be worth contacting the relevant AP and letting them know how this has gone, so they don't confuse yet more people like this.  It possibly worked in your favour as you answered the call because you didn't have notice or time to get anxious about it!  But them not following policy and not seeming to have a clue how the process actually works (i.e. telling you DWP would phone and that they'd send you the report) is not good.