PIP was 2nd claim with new conditions but from 15 April 2025 new 3rd claim as advised.

peteuk

tifo said

If the assessment report gives points then i'll know the outcome and can plan an MR appeal or tribunal, but it was more for me to be able to make an appointment with Shelter because they take so long. If i wait for the decision letter (if it's a straight no and 0 points then in the past we've had it in 2 weeks) then ask Shelter i could wait 4 weeks from that, whereas if i ask Shelter now and see them in 4 weeks i haven't got the longer wait. I say this because i'd like them to help with an MR or tribunal rather than go it alone again.

No you wont as it’s the DM who decides.  If you get a nil point score then they could still override this, equally if you score 12 they could override it too. 

Its unlikely bit still possible.  Obtaining the report will give you a guide.  Its personal preference.

Spoonie_Turtle

peteuk said:

tifo said

If the assessment report gives points then i'll know the outcome and can plan an MR appeal or tribunal, but it was more for me to be able to make an appointment with Shelter because they take so long. If i wait for the decision letter (if it's a straight no and 0 points then in the past we've had it in 2 weeks) then ask Shelter i could wait 4 weeks from that, whereas if i ask Shelter now and see them in 4 weeks i haven't got the longer wait. I say this because i'd like them to help with an MR or tribunal rather than go it alone again.

No you wont as it’s the DM who decides.  If you get a nil point score then they could still override this, equally if you score 12 they could override it too. 

Its unlikely bit still possible.  Obtaining the report will give you a guide.  Its personal preference.

If the DM overrides a low-scoring recommendation then OP can always cancel the appointment.  And if the DM overrides a favourable scoring they'd need a darned good reason for doing so, and it would probably be easier to challenge, pointing to the reasoning in the assessment report and medical evidence that aligns with the claim.

I had my own assessment yesterday too, and will be requesting a copy of my report in order to potentially have a head-start if I need to do an MR. 
[But I can't face dealing with it until next week at the earliest so although I had a text an hour and a half after the assessment to say DWP have the report, I'm leaving it a couple of days before asking for a copy.]

atlantis187

Don't get your hopes up getting a decision within 8 weeks 
My wife has been waiting since beginning of December since her assessment still not heard anything

Spoonie_Turtle

atlantis187 said:

Don't get your hopes up getting a decision within 8 weeks 
My wife has been waiting since beginning of December since her assessment still not heard anything

Goodness me!

born_again

atlantis187 said:

Don't get your hopes up getting a decision within 8 weeks 
My wife has been waiting since beginning of December since her assessment still not heard anything

Has she had the email saying DWP have received the assessment?
As some go for a audit check at assessors. Ours took 5 weeks to reach DWP.

peteuk

born_again said:

atlantis187 said:

Don't get your hopes up getting a decision within 8 weeks 
My wife has been waiting since beginning of December since her assessment still not heard anything

Has she had the email saying DWP have received the assessment?
As some go for an audit check at assessors. Ours took 5 weeks to reach DWP.

Audit is carried out befor sending it to the DWP.

born_again

peteuk said:

born_again said:

atlantis187 said:

Don't get your hopes up getting a decision within 8 weeks 
My wife has been waiting since beginning of December since her assessment still not heard anything

Has she had the email saying DWP have received the assessment?
As some go for an audit check at assessors. Ours took 5 weeks to reach DWP.

Audit is carried out befor sending it to the DWP.

Thats what I said 👍

tifo

Spoonie_Turtle said:

If the DM overrides a low-scoring recommendation then OP can always cancel the appointment.

will be requesting a copy of my report in order to potentially have a head-start if I need to do an MR. 

Exactly. I'm thinking the same.

tifo

tifo said:

I've had my telephone assessment and it was about 1 hr 30 mins .... the appointment was late by 1 hr 10 mins .... but they did call 10 mins before the appointment time to ask if it can be 45 mins late, then called again at that time to say it will be another 10-15 mins. I said that's fine.

The assessor went through each condition and how it affects me and asked about each medication and any side affects (I don't know of any). I think it went OK but i know they'll catch me out on many things, for example i said i go shopping when i can and they'll say this means you can walk X metres or I said i drive a manual car when i can (and don't drive when i can't) but they'll say i'm ok driving a manual car for mobility. But the assessor did prompt me many times and i said "oh, i didn't think of that".

I did mention my OCD which i hadn't thought to put on the form, this was when asked about mixing with people and being in public spaces. But this affects me a lot, if i touch anything, i have to wash my hands with handwash immediately or am worked up until i do, for example letters come and i put them inside and immediately go wash my hands, i explained that i think about the journey the letters have taken and how much bacteria or germs they've collected or if i shake hands with someone then i'm worked up until i can wash my hands because i think how many germs or bacteria the person had on their hands and what they've touched etc etc, for public spaces i said i don't like to meet new people because i have low self esteem and confidence or want to see anyone i know and literally hide so i don't have to meet them (this is true), i don't like sitting on public seats because i don't know what dirt and germs are on them and never use public transport, the assessor asked when was the last time i used public transport and i said a train 6 years ago as it was at the time my eye condition was very bad and i couldn't get a lift but i had to go to a court hearing (my mortgage provider was totally unhelpful). In the end the assessor said i should go see my GP about the OCD. At home i always have at least 5 handwash bottles so i don't run out!

I asked about the possible outcome but the assessor said it will be for the DWP case manager to decide, they can't tell me. I said "you must have an idea" but they wouldn't say. I got a text from DWP PIP an hour later saying they've received the report and will let me know within 8 weeks. I thought that was quick and take it as bad news as the assessor may have just ticked boxes and given 0 points for everything, like last time.

From the assessment and looking at criteria i didn't realise OCD was such a big thing. I'll make a GP appointment and take it from there, even though i didn't put it in my form we did discuss it in detail at the assessment and i'll have medical evidence for the MR or tribunal.

For those that may say i'm clutching at straws, this is not true. I've genuinely had OCD about dirt and germs for many years (and was worse in covid times) but didn't think it was bad enough to see a GP about, but going through the assessment questions i now realise that it is. Washing hands constantly, if i touch anything remotely dusty i have to go wash my hands with handwash immediately, not sitting on public seats or not using public transport for the same reason, not sitting on grass at a picnic, not wanting to touch public door handles (i use my little finger in the corner of the handle where i think most people don't touch it) etc all point to a real issue.

Muttleythefrog

tifo said: From the assessment and looking at criteria i didn't realise OCD was such a big thing. I'll make a GP appointment and take it from there, even though i didn't put it in my form we did discuss it in detail at the assessment and i'll have medical evidence for the MR or tribunal.

For those that may say i'm clutching at straws, this is not true. I've genuinely had OCD about dirt and germs for many years (and was worse in covid times) but didn't think it was bad enough to see a GP about, but going through the assessment questions i now realise that it is. Washing hands constantly, if i touch anything remotely dusty i have to go wash my hands with handwash immediately, not sitting on public seats or not using public transport for the same reason, not sitting on grass at a picnic, not wanting to touch public door handles (i use my little finger in the corner of the handle where i think most people don't touch it) etc all point to a real issue.

OCD can be severely debilitating... in particular it can make tasks much harder to engage or complete... mine was so bad that I ended up trying to live away from my house in local forest a few years ago... very complex to explain... and in times before that led me to try and kill an assessor at a face to face (my wife was injured intervening)... the risks were clearly documented in my claims and how the mechanics of such play out with increasing inability to suppress OCD related thoughts.

I must admit I'm slightly surprised given your extensive exploration of disablements in relation to PIP and for the WCA that you hadn't realised how debilitating it was. From an assessment point of view they may be suspicious (potentially exacerbated by your description of problems which fit nicely with a stereotypical view of OCD which can play out very widely in terms of experience and peculiarities) or they may take a line that people with illnesses or disablements become so familiar with dealing with them that they overlook just how different their behaviour is to regular people and fail to appreciate their disablement consequently. I look to my own father in that respect... born with one arm... it's his normal... he's not experienced having 2 arms... so he struggled to express any disablements or difficulties in relation to a DLA claim historically.

Hopefully the GP will be useful in referral to those who can help... there's a few things they might try.