![[Picture: Skwawkbox blog]](https://i0.wp.com/voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/dwpp.jpg)
[Picture: Skwawkbox blog]
It seems appropriate to post this after Iain Duncan Smith gave his extremely skewed and dishonest speech to the Conservative Party conference. Here’s what’s really going on:
A YOUNG disabled woman has been forced to turn to food banks and crisis loans to survive after the Department for Work and Pensions slashed her benefits and stopped her partner’s Carer’s Allowance.
Katie Davidson, 21, suffers from a range of mental and physical disabilities including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorder, joint hypermobility syndrome, which causes her a lot of pain and restricted movement, panic attacks, depression and anxiety.
For the past two years she has been receiving £82.20 a week on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) enhanced care rate as well as the standard mobility payment of £21.80 a week.
Her partner and full-time carer Martin Laird, 23, was also in receipt of £62.10 a week in Carer’s Allowance because she needs round-the-clock care.
However, after a DWP assessment, Katie got a letter saying that her PIP enhanced care payment has stopped and her partner would no longer get Carer’s Allowance to look after her, which means the couple are struggling to make ends meet on £87 a month.
The DWP said the reason for Katie’s benefit cuts was that she told the assessor she was able to carry out eight out of the 10 criteria and only had problems preparing food and engaging with people face-to-face. However, both Katie and Martin say this is not true and they did not say this to the assessor.
Katie’s mother Morag fears the distress of the DWP decision could push her daughter to the edge of despair.
Who do you believe? The DWP or the claimants? And what do you think of the mother’s concerns?
Source: Stripped of benefits and forced to live on £87 a month … the latest victim of the DWP
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Thanks Mike! Keep screaming this stuff from the roof tops! 🙂
Has anyone else noticed the DWP suddenly stopped releasing the IB to ESA figures (months before the migration was finished). I suspect the number of people who were booted off the benefit was lowered than they had hoped. The pain they have caused people is horrible. We shall continue to fight back though.
This is yet another case of he said – she said – which could have been avoided if the “assessment” had been recorded.
true..
Exactly what I said on The National’s comments on Monday. There seem to be some people who think this story is a bit fishy but the advice is still the same.
Tweeted @melissacade68
THE CLAIMANTS MOTHER…….DID you see the DWP reply? They normally refuse to comment on individual cases……What has changed?
Natalie’s Brother Luke who died who was found fit for work but was very ill. a personal tribute to him from his sister
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjZ0Wn1IvtE
Nothing unusual then. I went from high rate DLA for being severely disabled to 0 pip points. I lost my motability car and the extra money for my care leaving me isolated. No way to get to shops and buy food even if I could afford it. This contradicts my ESA support group result and is the result of my Pip assessor telling lies on every single question including things that she could not possibly know such as I ride my bicycle and walk my dog in the park when the truth is if I walked 10 steps I would be sweating and shaking in pain. My DLA final payment has been made. I have no idea what I will do next month: I want to go to bed and not wake up.
I take it you didn’t record the PIP interview or have anybody present as a witness, either?
Is it 28 days since the date on that PIP decision letter yet, Jonno? If not, call them, say you want a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ (MR) and you want to see the assessment report. Then, There’s two ways to go. Either send in the the simplest letter confirming the MR, hoping to get to the independent Tribunal appeal stage quickly, or do a thorough job of trashing their decision in the MR and providing more evidence that their decision was wrong, hoping for a positive MR. Also confirm you want a copy of that medical report, ask for it in writing as well so you have a record. Then pull it to pieces
It may be that your medical (assessment) report doesn’t come before the deadline – so don’t wait for it. If time is running out, send in the letter confirming you want a Mandatory Reconsideration and tell them more evidence will follow, if you believe there’s a chance of the DWP changing their mind in MR. If you don’t then just send the basic MR request, and do the trashing for the Tribunal.
If you want more help with this, or if it’s over the four weeks, want help claiming again, you can find us on facebook (to coin a phrase) M.E. & Chronic Illness Benefits Advice Group. We’re voluntary, free and friendly.
@jonno
you also need to check the credentials of the “healthcare professional”. Certain serious conditions like heart failure and stroke can only be assessed by a qualified doctor.
If she already had an award of high rate care I don’t understand this decision – has she suddenly miraculously recovered? Was the previous decision incorrect? Or did the HCP lie, as per usual, to meet his/her targets for the week?
I know which answer I think it is.
It comes to something when you have to record or take along a credible witness to avoid being screwed by over zealous contractors who probably working to a high attrition bonus …..this should be disclosed if bonus awards are relevant.
We must keep this in the public’s attention otherwise it’ll get forgotten about and so no one will challenge the government about this and more and more people will die because of their agenda!