PIP Confusion Help Needed.

Good Afternoon, this is my first time using this site so please excuse me if I'm doing this wrong.

I applied for pip in April 2018, had an app for a face to face in May but they cancelled and rearranged to June1st.
My sister came with me to the assessment as I don't leave the house alone at all. I suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD and have recently been diagnosed with BPD and EUPD alongside this I am morbidly obese so that doesn't help matters.
The woman who assessed me completely lied and too 19 days to send her report to DWP which they said was odd because they usually receive them with 3-4 days. My sister thinks she completely forgot so just made up her assessment, she basically said I was fine on low dose medication and nothing wrong with me which was all blatant lies as I am on several different medication none of which are low dose, I am on metformin, desmopressin, prescribed codeine for pain, volterol gel for pain, duloxetine and temazepam.
Anyway my sister sent a letter to PIP and stated that everything was lies and reffered to how the assessor basically copied and pasted all her answers (they were all the same) She even said I was just a little overweight. At 28.9 stone I think that's more than a little overweight don't you?
I will soon be going through CBT for the third time and everything is just adding stress onto me.
My sister rang PIP again earlier and they said it's still with the case manager it could take another 2-3 weeks before I hear from them.
I'm getting really worried now and don't know what to do. Has anyone else been in this position? I am aware I am more than likely going to have to appeal the assessors decision even though I had letters from doctors and pshycologist and CPNs.
It's now been 7 and a half weeks since my f2f.


Also added on I had never been for an ESA assessment before they just went off my doctors letters and I had to go for one last week so I'm now panicking about that, have they called me in because of the lies the assessor told? I took all my medication and letters and appointments from doctors and discharge papers from my last 2 suicide attempts within the last 2 months. The lady seemed nice and was shocked to read I have attempted suicide 9 times and seemed nice and understanding with my childhood abuse etc but I am very sceptical now after the assessor from pip was nasty and lied about everything.

Sorry for the long post. And Thankyou for any advice I may get.
Terri.
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Comments

  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,049
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    I am sorry that you are having such a difficult time.

    I take it that your sister did a mandatory reconsideration when you were not awarded PIP and this is what is being considered?

    I will be absolutely honest and say that at the moment you cannot do much. You will have to wait until the mandatory reconsideration is completed. If the decision is not changed then you will have to appeal.

    Ditto with your ESA assessment. It is probably just a coincidence that you were called for a face to face assessment this time. Again you will just have to wait for the decision. Sorry.

    The one thing that you can do is talk to CAB/welfare advisor and tell them what has happened as regards your PIP. As they are very busy they may allow you to make an appointment for help with an appeal in a few weeks time which they will allow you to cancel if the MR goes in your favour.

    Did you receive any help with completing your PIP/ESA forms?
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,847
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    The assessment report can sometimes be delayed being returned to DWP if it's chosen for audit. As yours took 19 days to be returned it was most likely because it was one of the chosen ones. DWP would not have known if this is what happened. This happened to me twice and my reports were delayed for weeks.
    Good luck with both.
  • TallTee93
    TallTee93 Posts: 8 Forumite
    Pmlindyloo, no she hasn't done a mandatory reconsideration as they haven't said no yet, they just keep saying it's with the case manager, when we got the copy of the assessors report my sister rang them and they said to send a letter highlighting the lies that had been told so that's what she sent them, it's been 5 weeks since then. I'm just so confused with it all. They make it so difficult. I am prepared for doing a mandatory reconsideration though.

    Poppy12345, how long were yours delayed by for the audit?

    Thankyou both for your replies xx
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,847
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    TallTee93 wrote: »
    Pmlindyloo, no she hasn't done a mandatory reconsideration as they haven't said no yet, they just keep saying it's with the case manager, when we got the copy of the assessors report my sister rang them and they said to send a letter highlighting the lies that had been told so that's what she sent them, it's been 5 weeks since then. I'm just so confused with it all. They make it so difficult. I am prepared for doing a mandatory reconsideration though.

    Poppy12345, how long were yours delayed by for the audit?

    Thankyou both for your replies xx
    Have you added up the points in that report? There will be boxes with dots next to them, it's these you need to look at to see what was scored. They usually go with what's recommended in the report.
    Unfortunately the DWP won't be interested in any lies that were told in the report. You can of course make a complaint to the assessment providers, i'm not sure how far this will get you though.
    There was a 2 week delay for my PIP assessment report and just over 4 weeks for my daughters report to be returned.
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,923
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    I would formally request a mandatory reconsideration of the decision not to award you PIP.

    Here is a template -
    https://www.leicester.gov.uk/media/178163/mandatory-reconsideration-request.pdf

    Add this is helpful:
    https://www.advicenow.org.uk/pip-tool

    Mandatory reconsideration has a DWP time limit, so I'd get it in and it can run alongside the case managers review.
    Keep a copy, and check they have received it.
    The last thing you need is a dispute with the DWP about whether they will accept a MR - hence my suggestion to get it in now.

    If you have any relevant medical evidence readily available include this with your MR.

    Here are the PIP points:
    https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system
    Go through these and see were you score the necessary 8 points (for a standard award).
    Btw Benefits & Work has some excellent guides on the appeal process and tactics, understanding how PIP points should be awarded, etc. It could be worth thinking about the c.£20 membership to access their detailed guides.

    This is a very helpful guide to the PIP appeal process:
    https://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/how-win-pip-appeal

    It explains the process clearly.

    Also:
    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/mandatory-reconsideration/

    Do start your appeal by asking for an MR of their decision. I'd be wary of just relying on a case manager to review it - I think you need to start the more formal and recognised process of challenging a PIP decision.

    pmlinyloo's suggestion to get help with your appeal from your local advice agency / CAB is an excellent one. As she says, CAB's are very very busy so be persistent, polite, and see them asap.
    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/how-we-provide-advice/advice/

    Good luck
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,847
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    Alice_Holt wrote: »
    I would formally request a mandatory reconsideration of the decision not to award you PIP.


    The last thing you need is a dispute with the DWP about whether they will accept a MR - hence my suggestion to get it in now.
    I'm confused here because the OP states in post #4 that they (DWP) haven't said no yet. I'm assuming that to mean they haven't yet had the decision.
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,923
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    poppy12345 wrote: »
    I'm confused here because the OP states in post #4 that they (DWP) haven't said no yet. I'm assuming that to mean they haven't yet had the decision.

    Ah. ..Yes you're quite right. It was me getting confused!

    That's a longish time to wait for the decision letter, though (from an application in April).
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,847
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    Alice_Holt wrote: »
    That's a longish time to wait for the decision letter, though (from an application in April).
    I think the issue here was the delay in returning the assessment report to DWP, as this took 19 days. As we both know waiting times do vary wildly and if that report was sent to audit, it's an even longer wait.

    3 months doesn't seem that long, even though DWP say 8 weeks from applying (i think). At least that's what it was when i applied for my daughter last year. It was 3 months (ish) for her timescale, in total.
  • crackerberry
    crackerberry Posts: 834 Forumite
    edited 24 July 2018 at 9:07PM
    19 days for the assessment report to be returned to the DWP isn't actually that long and probably closer to the average time to return than it being returned within a couple of days, which doesn't happen that often. The assessor does have up to six weeks to return it and sometimes does take that long to do so.



    Once the report is back, it can take 4 - 6 weeks for a decision, sometimes it's sooner, sometimes it takes even longer. It depends on case loads and where a case is in the queue.
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,847
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    19 days for the assessment report to be returned to the DWP isn't actually that long and probably closer to the average time to return than it being returned within a couple of days, which doesn't happen that often. The assessor does have up to six weeks to return it and sometimes does take that long to do so.
    Sorry but i disagree with this. I wouldn't say 19 days is the average time at all. Mostly reports are returned within a few days, the digital one at least. The paper copy takes a little longer. As i stated if a report takes this long then it's most likely been chosen for audit.
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