Awarded' PIP... then 'un-awarded' it!! Any ideas??

When is a PIP award not a PIP award? When is an assessment not an assessment?

So, it’s been a YEAR since I first made my claim for PIP, and I am no further forward and even more confused!

I suffer quite badly with Anxiety and Depression and after a number of years’ in and out of hospital, mental health units and assessment & treatment units I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I had been using alcohol as a coping mechanism. I was awarded ESA without a medical and hoped my PIP claim would be as easy.

How wrong I was!

I was assessed (CAPITA) in April, and the assessor, a mental health nurse, spent 2.5 hours in my home going in detail about my condition. She completed the report the following day and sent it to DWP.

There it stayed for 8 weeks. Yes, 8. Apparently 3 different decision makers had looked over it during this time.

After a number of complaints and additional anxiety, I received a call from DWP and was told they had made a decision, which was a NO. The guy said he couldn’t explain why and said that a decision maker would call the following week with his decision. I later found out HE was the decision maker; he let this slip after contacting me back THREE weeks later (bizarrely at 7.30pm with a kid screaming in the background).

I stated I wanted mandatory reconsideration and was initially annoyed as I was led to believe from the decision maker that it was down to the CAPITA Health Professionals report. But that was another lie.

When I eventually received the report in the post, there were two. The first report was completed by the HP who seen me at my house. She scored me 21 points daily living and 8 points mobility, with a review of 3 years! The week before my ‘no’ decision and 8 weeks after the original report, a supplementary report was written by another HP giving me ONE point for daily living. Guess which report the decision maker went with?! In fact, his summary of why he awarded me one point was almost word-for-word the same as the second report!

I have completed some initial investigations: The second HP is either a Children’s or Adult Nurse according to the NMC register, and therefore has limited experience with mental health, regardless of CAPITA training. My GP has said that DWP have a procedure in place to obtain information / reports from them, however they try and make the claimant pay extortionate amounts for a report instead. He has stated that they have never attempted to obtain further info from the surgery. Also, the nurse who completed the first assessment is not suspended or under any form of investigation according to NMC register, so I believe she has been doing her job properly.

I think this will go all the way to Tribunal, any advice on how I should approach it?? Thanks.

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This si certainly a bizarre situation! I hope that one of my more expereinced moderator colleagues might be able to give you some help.

Thanks for that! Changed.

Also would like to pint out that the second Health Professional had never met me nor spoke to me on the phone, she basically took the info in the first assessment and contradicted the first HP's findings, saying exactly the opposite of what the first assessor said.

Jonny Rotten wrote: Thanks for that! Changed.

Also would like to pint out that the second Health Professional had never met me nor spoke to me on the phone, she basically took the info in the first assessment and contradicted the first HP's findings, saying exactly the opposite of what the first assessor said.

Hi JR,

One of our other Mods, Gordon, is in the process of responding to your initial query, so that should show up soon.

bro58

Thanks for that Gordon.

I haven't had a response re: my MR request yet. It was placed approx 3/4 weeks ago, at the same time I requested the reports.

I am currently going through the guide to detail how I meet each descriptor, however in the guide it talks about how you don't agree with a decision: technically I DO agree with the initial decision, just not with the second decision. I just wanted to ensure that the submission I make hits the spot in regards to the complete differences between report 1 and report 2 and more importantly, how I believe that waiting 8 weeks for a decision to be made which then blatantly went in favour of the second report smacks of DWP looking for ways to NOT award me PIP. I was also looking for info in the DWP's on guide for decision makers to see if I can highlight my concerns that I believe the original assessors report was completely (in my opinion) ignored.

My GP said a report that I request will be expensive and is pushing me to try and persuade DWP to request a report, however he said that he can only write down my symptoms and how I state it effects me; as he is not in my life 24/7 and therefore will not say for definate if it affects me, which is understandable.

I have recently joined the Royal British Legion; as an ex-serviceman I am going to see if they can offer support at a tribunal should I need to attend one.