Form submitted November - 2nd assessment cancelled

We submitted my wifes PIP application early November.

Capita requested an assessment in December, which was changed - at our request - to a home visit in February.

That was cancelled on the day, and rescheduled for later this week.

Just had a call cancelling it again, with no new date yet given.

A few questions ...

1) what in the 56 pages we submitted was missing that they felt the need to have a F2F assessment in the first place.

2) How typical/atypical is this

3) How many times are Capita allowed to cancel before the case is referred back to the DWP for automatic approval

4) Is it worth contacting our MP yet. (Given I have little faith in them anyway).

I appreciate point (3) is a tad snarky, but asymmetry in law is a form of tyranny.

Hi MSH,

I am going to take your questions out of order -

2) This is pretty typical. You might want to have a look at this

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?view=topic&catid=10&id=107189

3) There is no limit to the amount of times the AP can cancel the assessment. A recommendation cannot be made to DWP until they have the information they believe they need.

1) I'm afraid your guess is as good as mine.

4) Yes, I think this might be a good time to make your MP aware of how you are being treated.

Contacting your MP

OK. Just closed the door on the Capita assessor.

1) It was a single person.
2) They had not got a copy of our 56 page submission. When they started asking questions that it would have answered, I just read off a PDF version on my tablet. My offer to print a copy was declined.
3) As far as I could tell, the questions were just a retread of what the PIP form stated ?
4) All answers we gave were in line with what was submitted.
5) Odd question about owning a mobile phone and primary use for texts or speech ???
6) Took down details of low vision certificate (which they had not seen, despite it being in the submission) as a response for the vision test
7) Upper body skeleto-muscular assessment was rudimentary ????

Assessor left saying that their recommendation would be for no need for further assessments as my wifes condition was unlikely to change for the better. The implication being the PIP award should be granted.

So, now we wait ....

Decision has just arrived today.

Enhanced Rate for Daily living. £83.10/week (18 points awarded)
Enhanced Rate for Mobility. £58.00/week (24 points awarded)

So ultimately no change from current situation of HIgher rate DLA.

Result - for now. However it's worth (my !) noting the scores alloted, as they don't all square with the information provided. For example, in "Communicating with others", we had stated truthfully that my wife can experience problems - scored at 0. For reading, they scored 2, despite the fact my wife struggles to read even with magnifiers and screens.

I will be studying the decision very carefully and noting which areas need to be bolstered in the event of a future (re) assessment. The lady who visited us said she would recommend no further assessments, as my wifes condition is clearly degenerative. But human trust is in short supply with this government and their lackeys.

That said, a massive THANK YOU to this forum, and all who have given their time and knowledge to help us. I hope everyone else has a successful outcome too.