Another pack of lies over PIP assessment shows they should ALL be recorded
Some fools are going to say “this is a grandmother-of-10; hasn’t she got enough relatives to help her cope with this benefit cut?”
Silly, silly people – who have probably never had to rely on the charity of their own families. Different people have different circumstances and it is wrong to expect particular results in situations about which you know nothing.
So let’s progress to the substantive issue: the claim that Janet Williams, of Shirehampton, Bristol, lost almost half of her PIP payments because an assessor lied about what happened during an interview.
Ms Williams, 59, has severe arthritis in both knees, and one leg is two inches shorter than the other after three operations, making walking extremely painful.
She has fibromyalgia and a swollen spine, feet and knees, and she also has anxiety, depression and stress.
But after the interview, her Personal Independence Payments were slashed from £148.85 a week to £82 a week – and the Department for Work and Pensions also took away her mobility car.
She was left housebound.
At an appeal tribunal, the assessor said Ms Williams had refused to be examined; Ms Williams herself said the woman had decided not to carry it out because she could see that Ms Williams was in pain.
The assessor also said Ms Williams had said she could walk a mile to her GP surgery; Ms Williams said she had not been asked that question.
These claims could have been resolved easily – if the DWP habitually ensured its assessments were recorded.
But that’s the last thing the DWP wants – which is why it has demanded that assessments may only be recorded on a Neal CD Interview Recorder which claimants must buy at a cost of £1,400 each.
How many benefit claimants do you know with that kind of many going spare?
So Ms Williams must go without her benefit and her car.
And the DWP can gloat in the knowledge that it has got away with this trick yet again.
Source: Gran-of-10 ‘cut off outside world’ after DWP almost halved her PIP benefits – Bristol Live
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People’s should chase these highly trained HCP through their employors and union the midwifery nurses union because only so many do it’s disgrace full how their union will only give them black marks telling em b good strange nah it’s all to do with their dues without it they lose many of these highly trained HCP but one has to has they get away with their lies
I think it’s disgusting I too have had to have assessment which I too was refused any PIP I had stage 4 breast cancer 2017 found my mum DYING on floor during 5th chemo round ..with all that happening on top of zoldronce acid administered every 2 mths zoladex every 4 wks ,cause they can’t See my nerves lumps depression PTSD anixety panic attacks brittle bone ,toes that can’t take pressure bones on fire I will NOT put myself through another assessment was awful experience ..I’m left with £00000once universal credits pay for amminenites left with 000 I can’t go out without assistance so kept in most days …
PIP would help a little BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE but waiting from early December 2019 no news can’t borrow any m9ney as can’t pay back use what’s left in house forget shopping till 4th of next mth
Should not have to live like this
Would we expect any better from this lot, that’s why pip came into being, it was so they could junk a lot of our claims, just had my mobility slashed so no car for me or blue badge sick of it
Sharon, I had an assessment and it was deemed I could walk over 200 metres, I was on my own then at end of the report said my daughter helped me with my coat, in 1 report I had a rolator and on 2nd by same person I walked with a walking stick. Said I could bend my knees and it is physically impossible as I have had surgery on my knee. So on and so on. These people are a complete joke!!!! Imagine if they were your gp/consultant looking after us, the hospital beds would lie empty. Susan needs to keep on and never give up
Hi Elena sorry to hear that I was told if a person was to appeal against it if it was for pip or the universal credit instead of appealing it in court what could take months or even over a year you should just apply for it again as it would be a fresh claim I told my brother it and he was turned down for pip and could not be bothered fighting so he listened to me and applied for it again and got it no problem the 2nd time when he was expecting to fail the pip.
It’s not down to the assessors they know who is lying and who is telling the truth. They just tick the boxes. I work full time and so does my kids. The people I look after know how to play the system and brag what they get. They tell each other what to say and how to act so they can get more. The full system is a joke. People who have worked all their lives then need help do not get it. The drug addicts, alcoholics and so called mental health patient’s the selected few know exactly what to do and when to play up. The government needs to let the professionals make decisions on their own judgement and random spot checks made discreetly like benefits cheats and insurance fraud checks. They should be made to pay it back.
We’ve heard all this before, haven’t we?
Susan: The simple fact is that people aren’t being abused by the system because other people are getting away with “playing” it, as you describe it. They’re being abused by the system because that is what the system is intended to do.
For that reason, the possibility of anybody succeeding in a wish to “play” the system is extremely low – wouldn’t you agree?
Look at all the evidence and think hard before posting this kind of comment again. It is offensive to those who are suffering.
I think Susan is absolutely right . People over exaggerate their problems to claim a benefit that’s for those who really need it . Not people who just want another source of income to replace their pensions
Did you read the article?
Well said, my disabled mother ( disabled since 34 yrs old) now 70 suffers with both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, being told you have the bones of a 60 plus year old woman at 34 and that she would be in a wheelchair before she was 50, to now have half her disability living allowance (Now PIP) taken from her is disgusting, I was with my mum when she had her “assessment ” there were so Many things wrong when we arrived.
the assessor was having to be receptionist as well as do everything else as someone had called in sick,and she was in a terrible mood when we checked in,during the assessment she told me several times to be quiet when I was talking to her to explain things for my mum, as mum suffers with anxiety and stress and recently lost her partner so her confidence was extremely low, she even said at one point ” there seems to be an echo in here ! ” how rude I thought.
Mum is currently waiting for her case to be seen (65weeks and counting). My mother worked all her life before being diagnosed with this illness even when us kids were growing up, she was heartbroken when she had to give up her nursing career because she could no longer be able to physically do her job and now because the “assessor” says so apparently mums condition has improved enough for her to not be entitled to this benefit. Shame on the woman that took this from my mother, I hope you can live with yourself.
Susan it sounds like you’re an hcp your self. ill informed and don’t know much about anything. Stop chatting utter nonsense and dribble.
You need to hope that if you become to I’ll to work you don’t end up with someone like yourself assessing if your fit for work, shameful.
So called mental health patients? Oh my god! I hope what happened to me never happens to yo, or maybe you should try it. I was working 15 hours a day 6 days a week as I loved my job as a chef. The one day I slipped and dislocated my hip and had massive nerve damage to my spine. I cannot walk properly, have awful depression and a list of other complications you could not fathom. I then have to fill out a rediculous form just to get the help that I thought my taxes were paying for. Then Ian Duncan Smith came along and single handedly caused misery for all. Wake up and smell the coffee. Are you aware more benefit discrepancy happens by government dept. I feel sorry for you
Oh Dear … Let’s hope you or someone close to you never end up in a crisis and need support wether substance misuse or Mental health . As we know from social media Mental health can effect anyone is… Rich or famous .included
Susan what do you know??
I myself have worked for years , paid into the system, had a good job.
A drunk driver left me for dead. I had my body, my face and head rebuilt, was in a coma and rehabilitation unit for two years.
I had to learn to walk, and talk again, have front lobe brain injury, and presenting mental health issues, I cannot work again now. Not my fault.
However last 15 years I have had to go to these assessments, which is fine, but what is not, is going with all my documents, reports from consultants, x rays, surgeon and and neurologist reports. Every time dwp assessors have left vital information out, played down my condition, challenged reports written by specialists. It doesn’t matter what you write on the form personally, you say people know what to write to play the system. Absolute bullshit!!. They don’t listen to what is put, they don’t listen to the professionals reports.
If this was the case people like myself in wheelchairs, and people with chronic conditions would not be having to fight at tribunals.
I have requested everytime and seen my reports from dwp. They the dwp purposely lie, leave out information. Everytime I have appealed gone to court and won my case, every time.
Yes there are people who try and trick the system. But I would like to know who and how?
When people like myself with unequivocal medical evidence from the highest of medical professionals have trouble claiming. I find it hard to believe that someone with no medical evidence can lie and get away with it. Dwp would be onto that straight away.
It’s media propaganda that tells people like you how dwp is tricked by fraudsters. Absolute bullshit!
Dwp are too clever and callous, they deny very ill people , so no way are they going to believe someone with no medical evidence and just say so.
You got to laugh sometimes at these highly trained HCP write up they seem to be disciples of Christ they who can make you fit for work oh dear yet on my a return to work after a wait hmmm wait for whot a bus you see dementia doesn’t allow me too yet these charlitans try to do the government work for them only following orders I myself have a very small Sony recorder which is on recording it but wait it can be used against them has a judge pointed out
Had this happen to myself, including saying she seen me walk around the room yet stopped me before I had managed to take half a step after struggling to get up, said I showed her no proof of my visual impairment yet handed over my registration card, then change it to showing the card for the charity that deals with the registration, not mentioning the charity name, but still said I showed no proof on the mandatory reconsideration, had a eye witness, also said I showed no signs of anxiety yet I was in mid of a anxiety and panic attack by the time she left and couldn’t hold my hand out still to shake her hand as she left, the whole organisation is flawed and when you want to make a formal complaint they pass the book on who is at fault would love the information on how to make a external investigation complaint
I am helping 3 people deal with these liers. It must be orders from the top of the chain, because there can’t be that many hcp’s that have chose to lie of their own Accord. They want us to pay for recording equipment, like that’s going to happen. I’m sure this multi billion pound company can afford to kit out all its assessment centres. If you’re looking out for people’s wellbeing and your doing things above board you would want this evidence for both parties sakes. Capita and atos are the only company’s I know that will hire liers and cheats too work for them , if I found out one of these nurses was looking after a family member in hospital I would be scared what they were doing to them when your not around. They could even get jobs in oap care homes. SCARY!!!
They are not qualifed nurses i asked one .also when i asked her when she was on her way out the door did she know anything about my sisters illness she says dont worry sure ill google it
Until you have experienced it you would think it is unbelievable! I just don’t know how these so called assessors can be so corrupt and devoid of humanity and ‘working in a caring profession’? Their lack of consciousness / compassion ensures a sound night’s sleep – instruments and a symptom of a cruel and sadistic Conservative State.
Dwp will only let you record the assessment if you have 2 cassette recorders and 2 blank cassettes.. Yes cassette tapes from the 1980s.
I feel this is technologically unacceptable in the 21st century when a smart fone can do it and email copies.
I was on both high rates of dla had a mobilty car then when the pip came along I was cut to low rate pip then in January I lost it all and nothings changed it also affected my esa which was cut in half doing a mandatory reconsider the person at my assessment at home said I could stand walk 200 meters I didn’t even stand up my son answered most of my questions it’s a joke
This is typical of the behaviour of these so called professionals who seem to think they know better than doctors, I was told I was fit for work and had not scored any points when being assessed even though I was going into hospital 3 weeks later to have my hip replacement, when I informed them that I would contact the newspaper to come and take pictures of me in my hospital bed and tell readers that the DWP had declared me fit for work they backtracked and claimed it was a mistake even though they had sent me the refusal letter, they are a disgrace and should not be using nurses and healthcare staff to act as doctors, this sort of thing should be illegal, they are not specialists so should not be acting like they are and that they know better. Shame on this government and these so called healthcare professionals for selling their soles.
I went for my assessment for universal credit because I hurt my back at work in April 2019 and I had my assessment in October in Canterbury i have a problem with my lower back l4/5 disc which affects my left leg and the assessor didn’t do the assessment because I was in alot of pain and I take tramadol 8 a day I had to stop at least twice going into the room and she said I would get the benefit and when they got the report it said I don’t take medication I can walk for 5 minutes without stopping and it is unlikely I have pain and I am still waiting for them to make a decision
Stephen, you have to use an NEAL CD interview recorder to record an assessment. They are modern but cost around £1400.
Has anyone ever been assessed by an assessor who is qualified in the area of medicine that covers your illness. I know I never have. Then again many of our GP’s do not fully understand the conditions we have which is why they send us to a specialist. I was last seen by a physio for my back condition. First physio I ever saw gave up on me as couldn’t understand why she was making me worse! I’ve now had my 2nd surgery and was doing great until my PHYSIO gave me a new exercise which put me in a worse state than before my surgery! Why dont I tji k a physio should assess me? Oh yes, the first assessor I saw 17 years ago said I would be fully recovered within 6 months! Also said I regularly took my dog for long walks. The dog that was dying and was in fact euthanized a short time later. The old system and the new system are completely unfit for purpose. As far as I am concerned the only people in a position to assess us are our consultants who understand fully what is wrong with us.
They say if a person wants to bring in the own recording equipment what costs money they can Why should people have to pay for it to be recorded they also say if a person brings the own in they have got to give the assessor a copy Aswel just how do they expect people to even afford it for a start the DWP and the assessors thought of the idea recording people so they are the ones who should record it at every appointment when they see people. And if a person records them without then knowing it’s then not classed as a legal and if they do the recording themselves the DWP and the company who does the assessments they would turn round and say the recording never worked during the interview but instead of making another appointment they would just put in what they had typed on the computer to save time so they still get away with the lies they would even go as low as even saying they lost there own recording so the other recording in court is not legal and could say it does not sound like the assessment person so your screwed either way.
The assessments are disgusting, I’ve had “no change” in my condition at the last , had my pip cut by ⅓ for no apparet reason. When I informed them of a change to my condition last year I was told I would have to review my whole case so I just told them for information only, I will get them to back date it when my next assessment is due sometime later this year. I hate dealing with the DWP, they act like you’re something they trod in.
I feel for those who are victims of the cruel PIP & ESA assessments. I’m just shocked how more isn’t being said about this whole process in the media. By all accounts virtually everyone who is rejected eventually wins their money back, showing that the entire process is shockingly poor. But why isnt this plastered in every newspaper in the UK? Surely the disabled being tortured by the Tories is news, right?
When my Crohn’s disease flares up I get quite severe joint pain in my knees so I totallty understand how this lady who had her money cut feels. As she has chronic long lasting pain there she totally deserves her money on that alone. It really is some of the most unplesant pain you can get.
No – everyone who is rejected doesn’t get their money back because only a tiny percentage are actually able to appeal against the denial of their benefit; the Tories changed the law to make it extremel difficult for people with very few funds to last out the process.
It isn’t plastered over the mass-market news media because those organisations are run by billionaires who support the Conservatives.