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PIP Review Assessment
- Gladioli
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1 week 3 days ago #302384 by Gladioli
PIP Review Assessment was created by Gladioli
I am supporting a friend who is waiting for a date for a PIP telephone review. I helped him to complete a review form sent to him by PIP in March 2024. After many months his award was extended. He was then contacted to say that a telephone assessment would be arranged. This was arranged for late January 2025 but couldn't go ahead as he was very unwell and was taking a very strong painkiller. I was on holiday and another close friend called PIP to cancel the appointment and asked that a decision using the evidence submitted be made but he has now received a letter stating that another appointment will be arranged. I believe that due to the deterioration in his physical and mental health that he is really going to struggle to engage with an assessor and even if I were with him that he become very distressed and simply not engage. If this happens will the assessor end the call and will a decision be made using the evidence already supplied? If he is too physically or mentally unwell on the day to take part and we need to call PIP to cancel the assessment will a paper decision be made or will they try to rearrange the telephone appointment again? Would he help to get a letter from his GP or consultant explaining how ill he is?
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- BIS
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1 week 19 hours ago #302477 by BIS
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by BIS on topic PIP Review Assessment
Hi Gladioli
I'm sorry that your friend is so unwell. As far as the assessment is concerned, claimants are only allowed to cancel one appointment, and then they have to take part in the second or there is a risk to their claim. You have a couple of options.
1. Contact the assessment services, say that he is highly unwell, and ask if they will do a paper-based assessment. You can say they can gain confirmation from the GP that he is unwell. (They can contact the doctor for clarification if your friend has given the DWP permission) or they can provide time for a letter to be produced. They have to consider the request. If it is refused you can make a second request and that has to be considered. If they refuse twice - whatever type of assessment has been chosen it has to go ahead or their is a risk to the claimant's claim. If you choose this option - make sure that you keep the DWP informed of what is happening.
2. Attend the assessment - I am assuming this is a telephone assessment. If you are with your friend and he makes clear he is not alone, you should be able to say that you are worried about your friend and his ability to take part. If he's gets a good assessor - they may have a few words with him realise how ill he is and stop the assessment. They would then inform the DWP that he was too ill to take part and a paperbased assessment would be done.
There is always a risk that you get an assessor who is unsympathetic and doesn't listen to your friend and then reports back to the DW that he has refused to take part.
3. Get a letter off the GP asap and speak to the DWP with your friend's permission and tell them how ill he is, say you have a letter and will they speak to the assessment services and ask them to do a paper-based assessment.
Clearly, the most important thing is your friend's deteriorating health, so whatever you decide to do, you need to act quickly.
If he does have the appointment, you must request that they record it, and if you have the ability and you're with him, record it yourself. Never underestimate their ability to say the equipment wasn't working!
BIS
I'm sorry that your friend is so unwell. As far as the assessment is concerned, claimants are only allowed to cancel one appointment, and then they have to take part in the second or there is a risk to their claim. You have a couple of options.
1. Contact the assessment services, say that he is highly unwell, and ask if they will do a paper-based assessment. You can say they can gain confirmation from the GP that he is unwell. (They can contact the doctor for clarification if your friend has given the DWP permission) or they can provide time for a letter to be produced. They have to consider the request. If it is refused you can make a second request and that has to be considered. If they refuse twice - whatever type of assessment has been chosen it has to go ahead or their is a risk to the claimant's claim. If you choose this option - make sure that you keep the DWP informed of what is happening.
2. Attend the assessment - I am assuming this is a telephone assessment. If you are with your friend and he makes clear he is not alone, you should be able to say that you are worried about your friend and his ability to take part. If he's gets a good assessor - they may have a few words with him realise how ill he is and stop the assessment. They would then inform the DWP that he was too ill to take part and a paperbased assessment would be done.
There is always a risk that you get an assessor who is unsympathetic and doesn't listen to your friend and then reports back to the DW that he has refused to take part.
3. Get a letter off the GP asap and speak to the DWP with your friend's permission and tell them how ill he is, say you have a letter and will they speak to the assessment services and ask them to do a paper-based assessment.
Clearly, the most important thing is your friend's deteriorating health, so whatever you decide to do, you need to act quickly.
If he does have the appointment, you must request that they record it, and if you have the ability and you're with him, record it yourself. Never underestimate their ability to say the equipment wasn't working!
BIS
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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