Fewer appeals against PIP refusal due to stress? The DWP plan is working well
The stress created by the Department for Work and Pensions – to stop benefit claimants from appealing against wrong Personal Independence Payment decisions – is now well-known.
The Conservative government that runs the DWP wants to discourage as many people from claiming the benefit as possible.
This study shows that the department’s dirty tactics appear to be succeeding.
A study released by the DWP yesterday has revealed that 37% of people who do not appeal the decision made in their PIP appeal during mandatory reconsideration (MR) do not do so because the process would be too stressful.
The study also shows that a fifth of people who do not appeal at MR did not do so because they were sure there would be no change to the award, and another fifth said they were too unwell.
While 83% of people in the survey knew what the first step in claiming PIP was, 46% said they knew nothing of the process, while 36% said they had no idea why people would claim PIP.
The report notes that the main reasons for appealing is that 42% do not receive their award, 26% find that the DWP did not take their evidence into account, and that 25% found the face-to-face assessment unfair. They also found that claimants feared the DWP would treat them unfairly during their appeal, saying: “The qualitative research revealed that claimants were sometimes reluctant to contact the DWP for advice or further information after receiving their decision letter, due to concerns that it would not be impartial.”
Source: Over a third do not appeal PIP decision due to stress shows DWP study | UNITE Magazine
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Perhaps the fact that the first thing the dwp tell you if you put in for mandatory reconsideration is that you may lose all of the existing award ,thus threatening claimants to discourage them pursuing claims for the higher amounts to which they are entitled,might have some bearing on why people give up.The whole lengthy ,torturous process is designed to be as stressful and difficult as possible and has a negative impact on the health ,physical and mental,of claimants.
Stress – yeah! And when they get the bouncers in to rough some ‘trouble-makers’ up and draw a bit of blood it puts a few more off as well. It was bound to come to this: sick and disabled people can only take so much and one doesn’t pop along to an ‘assessment’ in one’s best togs expecting to go a couple of rounds with the biggest brute that the DWP can throw at you. Torys! The caring face of welfare in the UK. Is it any wonder the UN is worried!
aktion t4 T ITS BEST DENIAL of benefits hmm
It’s not surprising with a 5 week delay in them ‘opening their mail. The following is my email to my MP [that doesn’t have any identifying info in]. Think it shows how inept [or intentionally callous] the DWP is:
In May I was reassessed for my PIP award, on 25th June I had to ring DWP as no money received. I was advised that this was because a decision had been made and I owed them money, at this stage I requested a copy of my assessment and advised them that I would be placing a MR request. 2 Days later I received my decision letter saying that my PIP had been cut from Full mobility & care, to just full mobility and that I owed them money. A few days later I received the HCP’s report that not only failed to refer back to my previous assessment, but also failed to look at my previous tribunal outcome. As I’m sure you have heard from your colleagues, the report was full of inaccuracies [ie had asked for my partners name to be spelled but still wrote it totally incorrectly, reported carrying out physical assessment when this didn’t happen etc]. Over the next week I slowly dissected the assessment [previously having been an RGN ] and spent a few pages of my MR request detailing the errors/inaccuracies/lies [and considered contacting the NMC over potential clinical malpractice and negligence ] this was signed for at the Wolverhampton handling centre on 19/7. In the 2nd week of July I found that the DWP had paid me the full amount of money they’d refused to pay 2 weeks previously. This was the final payment at full rate.
Since 19/7 I have had no contact from the DWP so rang them this morning – they informed me that they received my MR on 20/7 but it wasn’t ‘actioned’[ie picked up by a decision maker to start processing] until 24/8 [as they apparently have a 1 month delay in checking the mail. If as a claimant reliant on the state I was to behave like this, I would have my money stopped. The stress this is causing, is exacerbating my condition & while I’m not at the point of needing food banks I am definitely cutting back on healthy food and skipping meals. Apologies for venting but I believe, it’s important that as my representative in the House, you need to be aware that despite all their platitudes the DWP have NOT improved the ‘client’ experience.