PIP appeal?

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I've asked a question on here, so I hope I'm doing it right.
I went through the DLA to PIP assessment from September 2017 (when I filled in the form), and it took up until the middle of October 2018 to get to a Tribunal.

What annoys me greatly is the whole process took something like 14 months from start to finish (when they started paying me the money), and the Tribunal awarded me 8 points for the Mobility, but only 6 points for care, so I now only get the lowest award of PIP for mobility only, whereas when i was on DLA, I got both mobility and care at the lowest level. it was not a lot, but i was grateful to get something.

I now realise that they have basically scrapped the lowest award for care, and made the middle payment for care, the lowest. I am however very angry that I got awarded "0 points" again by the decision maker, forcing me to go all the way to a Tribunal, where I got 14 of the 16 points, I needed. If they had done their job properly in the first place, I may have had a chance of getting the care component as well, like I did with DLA.

I have thought about making a complaint, but is it actually worth it? I made a complaint about my last ESA assessment process, but i went all the way to ICE, and although they found in my favour on a couple of points, I've heard nothing from the DWP about what they are likely to do about it. it took nearly 2 years, and i'm just frustrated that nothing has actually happened.

I mean really what is the point of an "independent" service to deal with complaints, when they won't deal with policy issues that cause all the problems in the first place? It seems to me that this Government and the DWP put obstacles in your way to getting justice of any kind! Yes you can complain, but nothing ever seems to get done!

I don't like contacting the departments of the DWP unless i absolutely have to because it stresses me so much. I'm already going through the ESA claims farce again, and it's nearly 3 months since I sent in the last ESA50 form, and I still don't know what is going on with that. I'm going on the "no news is good news" principle at the moment.

Can you advise me if it's worth getting in touch with the disability department to explain themselves over why they gave me "0 points" again on an assessment, when the Tribunal then gave me 14 points out of the 16 I needed to qualify?

Thanks in advance.

Thank you, Gordon.

I didn't know that my name would show up in full as there are 2 boxes on the "profile" page, one as "username", and one as "name". I thought I had to use my full name in the space for "name", surely this should be made clearer?

I really don't see the point of complaining to the assessor. They all make up stories, exaggerate, and tell outright lies. i've been through this process enough to know this is true.

The thing is, there is a conflict of interest, here. The DWP have "decision makers" who base their findings on the "report" (fantasy usually) of the assessor (maximus, in this case I think), so it leaves me in a ridiculous situation. i see no point in complaining about the assessor, because it's still the DWP decisIon maker that gave me "0 points" in the end.

I think the whole process is an absolute disgrace, and there is no change of it being changed why this appalling Government is in charge. Unfortunately there is no evidence that a new Government wold change anything either. The whole system seems to be biased towards the DWP.

They want you to "fail"! Surely what they do to people should be classed as against the law? it should be a proper impartial decision in the first place, but the way they twist it, and make you jump through hoops all the way down the line just to get their own way, should be illegal. I'm completely sick of it!!!