Sending additional information to DWP

Hi All,

Well the post man has just been to deliver a large brown envelope through my letter box about an hour ago and inside is my much awaited PA4 consultation report which I requested on the 15th February.

I think this is pretty quick in terms of receiving the report in 5 days I requested it because during the time of my assessment I just knew from the start it wasn't really going very well.

The assessor didn't allow me or give me at least the opportunity to describe what I had initially put on the PIP2 form.

She was rushing too much and I felt she was not paying enough attention to me and I was told by her to only give her one or two worded answers. The whole duration of the assessment took about 55 minutes from start to end which hardly is not enough time for her to know me in that length time and of how my conditions effect me at the majority of the time. Her write up time on the report was also,coincidently 55 minutes. The assessor was a nurse.

Nevertheless, I have read the report and I am completely shocked as nearly all her comments in the boxes on each page are generic as it looks like she has just copied and pasted every comment into each box!

Page 4 is also missing! The whole report is shoddy and been typed up appallingly. It seems nothing in it relates to me on the PIP2 or addresses even half of my difficulties. But, however, the report is also contradictory where she has commented that she agrees with maybe two or three difficulties but in another box she has totally contradicted her own comment!

I haven't even received the decision yet but if the case manager agrees with the report there is no doubt I will be contesting with a MR......

Any advice will be greatly appreciated....

perfumeflower wrote: Hi All,

Well the post man has just been to deliver a large brown envelope through my letter box about an hour ago and inside is my much awaited PA4 consultation report which I requested on the 15th February.

I think this is pretty quick in terms of receiving the report in 5 days I requested it because during the time of my assessment I just knew from the start it wasn't really going very well.

The assessor didn't allow me or give me at least the opportunity to describe what I had initially put on the PIP2 form.

She was rushing too much and I felt she was not paying enough attention to me and I was told by her to only give her one or two worded answers. The whole duration of the assessment took about 55 minutes from start to end which hardly is not enough time for her to know me in that length time and of how my conditions effect me at the majority of the time. Her write up time on the report was also,coincidently 55 minutes. The assessor was a nurse.

Nevertheless, I have read the report and I am completely shocked as nearly all her comments in the boxes on each page are generic as it looks like she has just copied and pasted every comment into each box!

Page 4 is also missing! The whole report is shoddy and been typed up appallingly. It seems nothing in it relates to me on the PIP2 or addresses even half of my difficulties. But, however, the report is also contradictory where she has commented that she agrees with maybe two or three difficulties but in another box she has totally contradicted her own comment!

I haven't even received the decision yet but if the case manager agrees with the report there is no doubt I will be contesting with a MR......

Any advice will be greatly appreciated....

Hi pf,

This is not all unusual I'm afraid !!!

Yes, the answers may seem generic, as they use The PIPAT software programme to compile the PA4, and they do indeed copy and paste and use pre-designated phrases from drop-down menus !!

Have a look at my response to a similar query : Here.

I am afraid that there is little than you can do at this time until you receive the decision, or The PIP Case Manager (DM) rings you, (which would not be the norm) other than making a complaint to The Assessment Provider (AP) regarding the quality of their Assessor's report !!

Any complaint to The AP should be kept as a totally separate issue to an MR request if you receive an adverse decision.

I know at this time that PIP DM's do seem to be "Rubber Stamping" The AP's recommendations in the majority of cases, but we have heard from some members where they have not totally agreed with The PA4 recommendations.

As I tend to say, "Prepare for the worse and hope for the best" !!!!

Please keep us updated !!

bro58

I received a copy of my assessment today. There are numerous discrepanies that have affected the points. This includes her saying that I could reach behind my back with my right hand - but I didn't do this as I explained my arm is still and I have a shoulder inpingment which made it painful. She has also contradicted herself in several places and hasn't taken any note of my condition being variable when marking the descriptors despite making a note of it further up. I rang the dWP and they said I couldn't write to them about it because it couldn't be taken into account until after the decision has been made. Seems a waste of time and money. I should have enough other points if they go by her recommendation. It doesn't give you any faith in the system at all.

bro58 wrote:

perfumeflower wrote: Hi All,

Well the post man has just been to deliver a large brown envelope through my letter box about an hour ago and inside is my much awaited PA4 consultation report which I requested on the 15th February.

I think this is pretty quick in terms of receiving the report in 5 days I requested it because during the time of my assessment I just knew from the start it wasn't really going very well.

The assessor didn't allow me or give me at least the opportunity to describe what I had initially put on the PIP2 form.

She was rushing too much and I felt she was not paying enough attention to me and I was told by her to only give her one or two worded answers. The whole duration of the assessment took about 55 minutes from start to end which hardly is not enough time for her to know me in that length time and of how my conditions effect me at the majority of the time. Her write up time on the report was also,coincidently 55 minutes. The assessor was a nurse.

Nevertheless, I have read the report and I am completely shocked as nearly all her comments in the boxes on each page are generic as it looks like she has just copied and pasted every comment into each box!

Page 4 is also missing! The whole report is shoddy and been typed up appallingly. It seems nothing in it relates to me on the PIP2 or addresses even half of my difficulties. But, however, the report is also contradictory where she has commented that she agrees with maybe two or three difficulties but in another box she has totally contradicted her own comment!

I haven't even received the decision yet but if the case manager agrees with the report there is no doubt I will be contesting with a MR......

Any advice will be greatly appreciated....

Hi pf,

This is not all unusual I'm afraid !!!

Yes, the answers may seem generic, as they use The PIPAT software programme to compile the PA4, and they do indeed copy and paste and use pre-designated phrases from drop-down menus !!

Have a look at my response to a similar query : Here.

I am afraid that there is little than you can do at this time until you receive the decision, or The PIP Case Manager (DM) rings you, (which would not be the norm) other than making a complaint to The Assessment Provider (AP) regarding the quality of their Assessor's report !!

Any complaint to The AP should be kept as a totally separate issue to an MR request if you receive an adverse decision.

I know at this time that PIP DM's do seem to be "Rubber Stamping" The AP's recommendations in the majority of cases, but we have heard from some members where they have not totally agreed with The PA4 recommendations.

As I tend to say, "Prepare for the worse and hope for the best" !!!!

Please keep us updated !!

bro58

Hi Bro,

Many thanks for your reply.

Yes I will wait until the decision is made before I do anything else.

I wasn't aware they actually copy and paste and use predesignated phrases from the same software. How can this even be accurate and apply to all claimants using and applying the same words and comments?. If that is the case, are we all not being assessed as being put in the same box as it were?

All claims need to be based on each individual's circumstances, not following a generic pattern. Seems a very flawed system. So I guess some, if not all claimants will relate to my post below.

Anyway...I have just been scanning the whole 28 page report so that it will be ready for me to refer and comment to later on if I need to...

I think my scanner wants to blow up ...

One thing I forgot to say ( poor memory is one of my conditions) what would "being above average build" have any bearing to the claim? and she commented that it took my husband, who drove me to the assessment, 70 minutes to arrive. How would she know that? as I was not aware that I even told her?

And she wrote "I am presently on sick off" (?!)

And she wrote "she attended a mainstream school and left school at 16 years of age without qualification (note no plural) and she never went back to school"

And......she was amazingly, able to observe my mental and physical state in the space of 55 minutes by making the following assumptions...(please read carefully as some replies will need you to possess a sense of humour)

Does not 'appear' tired - quite the contrary
Well kempt, neatly dressed -(I am hardly going to arrive to the assessment dirty and smelly)
Above average build - (eh?)
Normal facial expression - (another eh?) - did she want me to make funny faces? maybe if I stuck my tongue out at her would that suffice?
Interaction normal, not restless or withdrawn - assumption
Adequate rapport -I am not really there to build a rapport with an assessor?...
Adequate eye contact - I may have health conditions, but that doesn't stop me from possessing manners.But I also think adequate eye contact with someone else can show them how you are really feeling - if that makes any sense-obviously didn't work in my case.
Behaved normally,not hostile - There may have been an outbreak of fisticuffs between me and the assessor,but fortunately thought against that.
Did not require prompting - to bear in mind,she didn't actually ask me anything that required prompting...certainly not in those 55 minutes...
Speech is normal- I was inclined to guzzle a bottle of whisky before my assessment but I didn't want to be slurring and hiccuping during my assessment.
Adequate general memory and concentration - The only thing she asked me to do was demonstrate my maths skills-take away 70p from a £1...this task doesn't show how my poor memory effects me..forgetting my handbag in public places,forgetting important documents at the post office,forgetting to pay important bills,forgetting familiar routes, forgetting my house-keys,forgetting to take medication,forgetting to turn the oven off etc.....I could go on and on....
Orientated in time, place and person -I obviously knew I was at the assessment...but more of the above..
Had good insight into their illness - well, yes I do indeed have a good insight to my illnesses as I have had to live with them for a good few years..it's a shame that the assessor doesn't.

Jeanette wrote: I received a copy of my assessment today. There are numerous discrepanies that have affected the points. This includes her saying that I could reach behind my back with my right hand - but I didn't do this as I explained my arm is still and I have a shoulder inpingment which made it painful. She has also contradicted herself in several places and hasn't taken any note of my condition being variable when marking the descriptors despite making a note of it further up. I rang the dWP and they said I couldn't write to them about it because it couldn't be taken into account until after the decision has been made. Seems a waste of time and money. I should have enough other points if they go by her recommendation. It doesn't give you any faith in the system at all.

Hi Jeanette,

Good lord, your assessor sounds just like my assessor. Word from word...missing out crucial information. I wonder if they are one and the same.

I have this horrible vision they have a (PLC) Production Line of Clones of exactly identical assessors being churned out one after the other....

I have received my report this morning too and am far from happy with it.

But I will await the decision before taking further steps if I need to.....





PF x