PIP claimants: don’t believe DWP reps – you CAN have a witness in telephone assessments
Here’s some good news – unless you’re a DWP Personal Independence Payment advisor:
The Minister for Disabled People, Justin Tomlinson, has confirmed that PIP claimants have the right to have someone else sitting in on their telephone assessment.
He told the Commons Work and Pensions Committee on April 23: “If you are having a telephone assessment, we are allowing your friend, family, trusted partner to be part of that process which is something we introduced a few years ago for face-to-face assessments which has made a huge difference to the quality of the outcome of the assessments.”
The website Benefits and Work has reported that PIP claimants have been told that nobody else can take part – even when they can’t speak for themselves.
Well, now we’ve had it from the minister.
If anybody from the DWP tries to tell you otherwise, they’re wrong and you can demand the extra participant.
Source: Minister confirms right to have someone join you for PIP assessment call
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
We been here before the dwp are a bunch of liars but also remember that recording it so that one can hear whot was said but don’t say it’s against the law has we had this out earlier on when a Scottish judge said it was ok to listen to way back when all this crap started with this Christian lot or not
It clearly states in the assessment letter that you CAN record the interview BUT only on a recorder which allows you to leave a copy of the record with the assessor: apart from an old twin tape recorder, now obsolete, how exactly is one supposed to accomplish that?
My memory is impaired and I wanted to record the meeting but could find no way of doing so that met the ridiculous terms set by the DWP.
My question would be WHY DON’T THEY RECORD EVERY INTERVIEW? Then there would be no ambiguity, every one will know how the interview played out and there would be little need for re – assessment, there would be no doubt about who said, or didn’t say, what.
I’m surprised, in this era of almost constant surveillance, that this option is not available to anyone who requests it.
You can use any smart phone and email them a copy of the file. As long as you have offered it doesn’t matter if they accept.
I hv been.waiting since Oct 2019 for pip approval. I have serious Osteoarthritis which is the worst level (4). I have a registered care worker, yet PIP have declined my request and now waiting for appointment with tribunal. My assesment results were made up as if they belong to someone else. A cruel system to say the least.
Hi Mohammed. I too was awaiting tribunal after being denied pip for a very similar complaint to yours. In February this year which was almost a year from my initial application I received a call from DWP saying another assessor had looked at my claim and decided I should be awarded pip on condition I didn’t continue to tribunal nor make further appeals.
That’s another PIP-related story! They’re not allowed to make these offers so you can still go to tribunal/appeal if you like. I bet they offered you a lower amount.
I was hopeing for a back dat on my daughter becuse we were turned down 2 tris befor with stayment she had no help to do it . She was tested at 8years old i 1st tryed qhen she was 11 then againg when she was 14
I have been waiting for work assessment from the DWP 4 the last year now because I had asked for the interview to be recorded which I had been told was OK only to get back to me 1 hr later 2 say machines are broken and r being repaired! I have asked several times to get the nessary appointment to go ahead with the recording equipment but it’s still not working properly (after 9 months)!! Job centre said that I was fit for work against doctors advice n I was ill n fell off a roof n fractured my eye socket. The job centre completely denied saying that I was fit for work. Told me 2 get pip n seen by a nurse who hadn’t a clue what my condition was just wrote a bag of lies from the start 2 finish! Am so far still waiting for the appeal to start been over the stated time
I recieved a letter from the only a week ago which was dated a month ago demanding a sum of nearly £600. I have no clue why? I was on universal credits for a few months but this was some time ago. However because I received the letter so late it’s now technically at the next stage of where they try to collect money or to get in contact with my employer to deduct it from my wages.
I can not get hold of them guessing because of this covid 19 and no one at work.
The letter is so vague and doesn’t actually tell me why I owe it to them neither have I received any other letters from them in the past.
Was such a shock to receive this letter.
Did you keep the envelope, with the postmark on it? Proof of when it came to you.
Someone needs to tell Capita that. My friend has literally been coerced into doing his pip review phone assessment alone because they couldnt6get the technology to work to add me to the call. He’s autistic along with mental and physical health issues. Was told if he didnt do it it’d go back to the DWP as a “did not attend”