PA4 Received - Blown Away!

Well, after that very long telephone assessment, Feb 14th, as my daughters 'Appointee' we finally received the PA4 Report, dated 21st. And my daughter was awarded zero points across every descriptor, it would be laughable, the Assessor said that she'd taken all of the supporting evidence into consideration, the PIP Review Form as well as the previous PA4 report from 2017.

Some Clarity here: From the age of 7, DLA - higher components for life, PIP - Enhanced in both components for 5 years with a note that things were unlikely to change - she is 32 yrs.

The Assessors justification - “SOH and FE shows she currently works in a Supermarket on the majority of days. It is acknowledged she has had some work adaptions, however her job role still involves working on the shop floor and working on the tills. She has had minimal sick leave over the past 12 months. There is no evidence to support a significant restriction as a result of her Dyspraxia. There is no current or planned Physiotherapy input. SOH does not report the use of any aids"

All I want to say is that the very detailed PIP Review form was jam packed with itemised aids she uses, when, where and why. Work Risk Assessments, Occ Health Reports detailing why she cannot work on tills, (interacting with customers is not her strongest point!), Reports/letters detailing all of the modifications to the job role and aids used as well as her Disciplinary letter re sick leave! Reasons why Physiotherapy was on no benefit, etc .......

Thursday I rang the DWP - I spoke to a case worker - she commented on the fact that 'as case workers' they would question the PA4 as a matter of course, but that alarm bells would ring when a claimant goes from Enhanced/Enhanced after 25 years to absolute zero, especially as the justification is the claimant 'goes to work' - she said that the awarding of PIP had no bearing on whether a claimant worked and strongly advised that I was to immediately contact Capita and lodge an official complaint and copy the letter to them, (she confirmed that my daughters claim was still in a queue and that a case worker had not been allocated at that time.)

Contacted Capita - they said too late to make a complaint with them, I was to lodge a Mandatory Reconsideration - I reminded the very unhelpful, but polite lady that I had the PA4 at this time and not a decision, that I was entitled to lodge a complaint! She attempted to put me through to Complaints - Alas no one answering the telephone! She said that she'd send them an email and they'd call me back within 48hrs .......... I am not an overly suspicious person but decided not to wait for a phone call, so composed a complaint letter straight away - it took 6 hours, detailing every inaccuracy, pointing out where those inaccuracies could be proven to have been 'oversights' (I'm being really, really PC here). I sent the letter via email to Capita Complaints and copied it, (twice), to be posted out to the DWP - One for a normal first class post, the other copy as guaranteed next day delivery - belts and braces!

Yesterday we had a prearranged appointment with the GP that had been made by the Surgeries Special Needs Health Assessor two weeks previously. We sat in front of the GP and watched her, no word of a lie, agog and reading my letter of complaint to Capita, pulling the whole PA4 apart - she agreed with me that Physio is a waste of NHS resources - my daughter had Physio up until the age of 18 - they agreed that it was not beneficial to her after she had attended for 14 years. The GP was well aware of problems with my daughters Mental Health and that she had had a total of 5 weeks absence from work. She mentioned that the inaccuracies by PIP assessors was all too common now!

Upshot, despite it being a waste of NHS resources she has referred my daughter back to Physiotherapy, made an unnecessary referral to the ADHD Specialist Team, (she had not had to see them as an adult as the GP Practice were happy to prescribe her medication), a re - referral to the Mental Health Team - who saw her and discharged her 6 years ago with the advice to the GP that 'she was living at home with her parents and appeared to be safe in their care, therefore any changes, ring this number and we'll see her again' A referral to audiology had been made a few weeks beforehand as the GP did agree that my daughter does have a problem with hearing - she was most annoyed at the assessors comments, and asked to keep a copy of my letter as she suspected that there may be contact from the DWP in the near future.

So there it is ................... I've been reading the forums now for some months and note that there are a number of posts where young adults with ADHD, Autism seem to be being knocked back with the excuse that they work, maybe a coincidence? There is no consideration given to how they actually manage to get to work, carry out their tasks etc etc

The ironic thing is that if she loses her PIP, I think that she'll also lose her Access to Work, Carers Allowance, working tax credits for single people have already been quashed - so will be working for 4 days a week for the princely take home of £125 after her expenses are paid - So, Mr Gov't Man, tell me, why should she and others in the same situation even bother?

Hello Sheila,

I am so, so, sorry to hear this, especially as you seemed to think the assessment had gone well. It seems to me the assessors, even when they appear to listen carefully and write everything down, either just don't understand or cannot empathise at all. They have no compassion! After everything you've told them, they can just say they disagree with it all and no-one questions whether they are qualified to do so.

I am calmer now than I was, as I'm hoping my son's case is now settled (although I've still to receive the new decision letter) - I think you've read my most recent post - but I'm still so angry on your behalf!

Maybe your daughter's claim will be looked at by a decision maker who takes all the evidence into consideration - I'd like to believe it happens sometimes.

I so agree with your last paragraph - it isn't just about the money!

With my heartfelt sympathy,

Wendy

Thanks Wendy - We've been fighting since our daughter was 4 years of age - when we knew something wasn't right - that started 29 years ago. The NHS realised within 5 months that she had some major problems and everything looked up for a short while, until school - where we took on the Education Authority - who insisted that the 'Special Needs' department in the local Primary was adequate - it wasn't! Queue the Educational Psychologist - recommended that she transfer to a SEN School - finally she made a little progress, made 'friends' started to join in with activities - even represented the school in Shot putt! I can't tell you how proud we were to watch her in her first ever sports day at the age of 12 For the first time we appreciated how important 'taking part' was!

She stayed under the Children's Hospital until she was transferred to Adult Care - total joke, no resources and written off as 'nothing we can do now - any problems see your GP or phone us to be placed back on a waiting list' we'll write to the GP - GP happy to prescribe Methylphenidate Hydrochloride, (Concerta XL), so no other care needed apart from the Annual Health Check at the Surgery for Patients with SEN's.
For the last 9 years she has worked in the supermarket with, (forgive me - it's the only way to describe her job role), a dumbed down job role - with lots of support. So now because she gets off of her backside, (with a lot of help, accepted), she is considered to be what I can only imagine, a benefit fraudster! (I've decided this because absolutely no change to her help, disabilities or job since the last assessment).
Any Assessor who makes these ill informed decisions, with all of the evidence provided, deserve to be stripped of their employment.
Sorry - I'm sure you'll appreciate where I am in my 'journey' right now
I am so pleased for you, and it's heartening to know that there is hope x

Hi Sheila

So sorry to hear your story. It sounds really familiar. You may have seen my recent posts, but my son with ADHD got 0 points across the board. I think, even conservatively he should get enhanced DL and standard mobility. The assessor, who was a pharmacist not a psychologist or psychiatrist, was making quite sweeping statements about his mental health and his working memory despite, as you said, us being really clear about the impact on his daily life. She also said he was not receiving specialist input (his GP prescribes in a shared care arrangement, so not entirely true) and that he 'lived independently' as evidence that his disabilities do not affect him. There were so many inaccuracies in the report and misrepresentation of my son's ability, it was crazy. We have sent off the MR with new evidence, but I am not at all hopeful.
On the plus side, the people we have dealt with in the official appointee team have, so far, all been lovely. One had a five minute conversation with him and stated her surprise that he had got 0 points!!
Anyway...we fight on!! Good luck!

Thank you Anji, I am, as I type waiting to speak to the DWP, hopefully being put through to a caseworker - to, again hopefully, have it recorded on my daughters account that 1) A copy of the Capita Complaint re PA4 had been delivered to them this morning, and 2) That I have today chased up Capita 'Customer Services' (re Complaint Team) as they have not got back to me within the 48 hours that their Complaints Procedure dictates. A Manager there has taken on my grievance and escalated it to the Complaints Team. (who, I am informed have quite a backlog!).

For anyone else reading that has an interest:
Capita Complaints Procedure is:

1. Claimant Calls and complains, is either put through to team or Customer Service member fills in a form with the claimants details, and brief summary of complaint - this is forwarded to Capita Complaints and is effectively classed as hour 1.
2. Within 48 hours a person working in Complaints calls Claimant and takes details of their complaint over the telephone and sends the claimant a letter, detailing the complaint and advising them that they have 20 days to investigate.

Now, just to make you smile - I've been digging around Capita's website and for those with a sense of humour ............................

This is taken from the Capita 'Code of Conduct'

What we all must do;

"Behave in an ethical manner and take pride in our decisions,
behaviour and actions."

I think that it's safe to say that their code of conduct does not extend outside of their own organisation!

Good luck everyone