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[Politics] Centre for health & disability assessment



Fortunately my medical letters proved that I was telling the truth and they had no case for me lying. All I said was "Well, I've got two extremely long, powerful, detailed letters here. I had an accident at work - I don't want to sue them because they did nothing wrong and they're lovely people but I'm a danger to myself at the moment. While I'm having hospital tests for serious illnesses I have no source of income."
When I asked for an appeal (that's a story in itself), I asked the DWP why they haven't got in contact with either my doctor or healthcare professional. The reply knocked me back a bit "can't you do it?" I said that if I get a letter from my healthcare professional then it'll cost me £30. The DWP lady suggested I get a letter from my doctor instead, I then told her it'd still cost £30 as it's the same practice. I forked out for the letter as I felt it would help.
To not even bother getting in contact with my doctor annoys me no end. To me it feels like they're accusing everybody of lying, including my NHS doctor and nurse.
 




Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,865
Guiseley
It's awful that people in need have to go through this, but let's not just blame the government - blame those taking the piss as well.
 


ManOfSussex

We wunt be druv
Apr 11, 2016
14,730
Rape of Hastings, Sussex
When I asked for an appeal (that's a story in itself), I asked the DWP why they haven't got in contact with either my doctor or healthcare professional. The reply knocked me back a bit "can't you do it?" I said that if I get a letter from my healthcare professional then it'll cost me £30. The DWP lady suggested I get a letter from my doctor instead, I then told her it'd still cost £30 as it's the same practice. I forked out for the letter as I felt it would help.
To not even bother getting in contact with my doctor annoys me no end. To me it feels like they're accusing everybody of lying, including my NHS doctor and nurse.

It's awful - the onus is always put on the claimant.

Another consideration to aide a claim and assessment is the side effects of any medication prescribed for the condition - be it physical or mental health - too many people overlook it and it doesn't get mentioned.
 


JamesAndTheGiantHead

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2011
6,228
Worthing
It's awful that people in need have to go through this, but let's not just blame the government - blame those taking the piss as well.

Fraud only accounts for about 1% of overall benefit claims. This isn't to restrict people making fraudulent claims, it's to put off people in genuine need of support from applying.

PIP appeal success rates is ridiculously high, around 90% I believe. Unfortunately I'm cynical enough to believe that these assessment companies are rejecting claims and hoping that people will give up and go without.
 






It's awful that people in need have to go through this, but let's not just blame the government - blame those taking the piss as well.
The DWP have stated that they believe that 0.5 % of all DLA claimants are on too high a level or shouldn't be on it at all. The Government stated they wanted 500,000 people to not be on PIP out of the 3,000,000 DLA claimants. 0.5% of 3,000,000 is not 500,000. So the majority of people who are going to be affected are innocent claimants unfortunately.
 


rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
4,521
This is not dissimilar to when an "outside contractor" was engaged to review Tax Credit claims. They did anything and everything to try to refute claims and if that failed they tried to bully claimants to stop claiming.

I had a client who had a joint mortgage with another fella (because neither of them could afford a mortgage on their own) and his claim was stopped because he was "in a relationship with another man". It was only a couple of weeks later when watching Victoria Derbyshire that I realised that this was one of their "angles"; they had been suggesting that others in the same household were "in a relationship".. including a mother and daughter!

I suspect that like the Tax Credit "agency", this mob get paid by results so they will always try to find any "excuse" to reject the claim and if that doesn't work they then lie and bully the claimant so they just give up. Total scumbags.
 




rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
4,521
PIP appeal success rates is ridiculously high, around 90% I believe. Unfortunately I'm cynical enough to believe that these assessment companies are rejecting claims and hoping that people will give up and go without.

Not cynical at all. It is reality. This is exactly what is happening.
 


clippedgull

Hotdogs, extra onions
Aug 11, 2003
20,789
Near Ducks, Geese, and Seagulls
Yes,

I was actually in the support group for ESA.

I got 'assessed' by a paramedic on sick leave, when he was running through my symptoms heart disease ( 5 stents currently ), severe depression and anxiety, he actually said to me, 'yes, I'm on sick leave with depression at the moment' I though WTF is this guy doing assessing for this company.

Anyway, got found fit to work, 0 points down from my original 20 that was awarded for exactly the same condition which hadn't improved. Appealed and got awarded 8 points. F****** joke. Luckily I was near early retirement availability with my previous jobs, railway and post office.

So last December I told the DWP to go and get f*****, in my head of course.

Good luck to anyone having to go through the above s***. :)
 


ManOfSussex

We wunt be druv
Apr 11, 2016
14,730
Rape of Hastings, Sussex
Fraud only accounts for about 1% of overall benefit claims. This isn't to restrict people making fraudulent claims, it's to put off people in genuine need of support from applying.

PIP appeal success rates is ridiculously high, around 90% I believe. Unfortunately I'm cynical enough to believe that these assessment companies are rejecting claims and hoping that people will give up and go without.

As has been pointed out, you're not being cynical in the slightest. I had to claim ESA over 4 years ago now for a while. Back then you applied for your claim, with a doctors certificate, and were paid the same rate as JSA, £72+ a week, for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks you were assessed by The DWP. Now for a lot of people, they'll be fit for work again and off ESA before that assessment. Those that aren't, having been assessed and deemed still eligible to still claim ESA, are then placed into 2 categories:

ESA Support Group (Deemed to have limited capability for work)
ESA Work Related Group (Deemed to be able to work again)

Both the Support and Work group claimants, after assessment, were paid the same rate £125+ a week back then, with weeks claimed prior to the 12 week assessment awarded back dated. The Government though in 2016 voted to reduce the amount those placed in the WRAG got from £125+ a week to £72+ a week. That was purely just to put people into work before they're ready and reduce the budget and number of claimants. You don't be to be cynical to work out what incentives Atos and now MAXIMUS, who conduct Work Capability Assessments on behalf of The DWP, have to place people in the WRAG rather than the SG and therefore claim less money.
 




lancyclaret

New member
Jan 10, 2014
566
At any assessment, never admit your condition/disability has improved or has any chance of improving. In fact, try to emphasise you can only see your condition/disability deteriorating in the future. The assessor won't be sufficiently qualified to dispute your opinion about your "worsening condition".

Never utter the phrase...."Some days I feel better/worse than othe days".
 



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