Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

The fact is that all these wrong decisions are costing the taxpayer a fortune (it costs a few hundred pounds for each case to go to a tribunal) and is greatly upsetting to vulnerable people and their carers.

The first stage of the appeals process is to ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration. This is where the DWP are supposed to look at the case afresh and correct any bad decisions.

However, it's been revealed that staff have been set targets to uphold the original decision. Therefore, in the majority of cases, a Mandatory​ Reconsideration will always uphold the original decision- a total waste of everybody's time.

However, as Taf has found, the majority of appeals are won at tribunal.

My own PIP is to be reassessed and because of the problems above, I've had to have the form completed by a lawyer specialising in benefit law.

It really shouldn't be like this.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

A clerk told me that my MR request letter was the most concise and accurate he had seen, and that it made the original award letter and assessor's report look like a pack of lies despite all the evidence they had. He said it was par for the course with Capita, but complaints by both claimants and bodies like CAB were being rebuffed as soon as they were raised.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

IT is disgraceful how some people are being treated a friend of mine who has severe mental health problems ,lost her DLA for a year before she was sent for waiting for PIP assessment, she was then granted it for 3 years but the year she waited was included in this ,which she got back money. This was last year then they asked her to go in front of a nurse to see if she can work that was 3 months ago and she is waiting the outcome. They say they can call them in at anytime, No wonder she has mental health issues and depression, I know there are plenty Dodgers on the books who just want to take money all the time and have nothing wrong with them, but it is the people who need the care most that get knocked about .

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

Lone parents with children under two have won a court battle to prevent them being affected by the Benefit Cap. The Government says it will appeal.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

If perfectly able people didn't abuse the system, there'd be no need or justification for checks and assessments. Just because some people claim to be disabled doesn't mean they are. Maybe those folks who're angry about assessments ought to also to be angry about the serial malingerers and cheats we all know exist. They are the reason genuine people are made to jump through hoops to claim benefits and shame on them not the people who're trying to prevent the abuse.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

The Governments own figures believe that there is less than half a percent of fraud within the DLA/PIP system.

Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with taking steps that the correct amount of money is going to the right people.

The way to do this isn't by letting private companies milk the taxpayer for shoddy assessments that aren't fit for purpose, repeatedly testing and retesting people like your son who will never get better etc etc.

Perhaps we ought to repeatedly check MP expense claims again and again.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

A person I know on a PIP related forum was told her assessment was going to be recorded by DWP-Capita. Normally you have to provide your own equipment, ensure the assessor is willing to be recorded, and hand one copy to the assessor at the end of the session.

But this session was recorded without the assessor's knowledge.

The assessor gave a very bad report, the recording was checked and played to him/her, and the whole report changed to reflect reality, not the lies, omissions and incorrect assumptions she/he had made.

Will this tactic be repeated to keep the assessors truthful? They won't say...

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

great news taf :)

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

How about we kill two birds with one stone we cease using these thoroughly discredited and completely ineffectual private company's to do the assessments and hand them over to the NHS who then charge the DWP a fee for each assessment. NHS gets more cash and the DWP gets a true report on a persons illness and effects on daily life so has to spend less time and resources cleaning up the mess the private company's constantly make. Only reason i can see the DWP wouldn't want this is because they couldn't issue quotas to NHS doctors as they do to the current company's though yes i know officially the DWP doesn't have quotas to be failed but unofficially everyone knows they do.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

They won't do that Rizzy as its a good idea which would get wide support and those at the top don't like good ideas that cost less and have less chaos , misery and less financial mess to pick up and one gets a very true picture of ones health and its effects on their daily lives.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

Half this forum see to be claiming DLA/PIP. I'm sure the are all genuine, but its interesting how many castigate anyone else that might be in need, or have the temerity to claim as they must be 'malingerers and cheats'.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

Why should we not all be genuine? as perhaps you want to walk a mile in many of our shoes? and then you might realise many of our disabilities and illnesses that give us considerable impairments and thus many of us have considerable daily living and mobility needs because of that.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

I did say you were all genuine Den. It's those that have a go a benefit claimants, but claim themselves. The amount of DLA fraud is very low.

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

to be fair you can get sound advice on how to swing a decent claim ;)

Re: Worrying news for ESA claimants converting from DLA to PIP.
 

Far too sensible.

Also how can ministers offload government money to private individuals without outsourcing?

The absolute biggest weakness of the assessment system is how the DWP and the NHS dont work together. Even if consultant names are supplied they are rarely contacted by the DWP.