Assessment experience and a thanks.

First of all thanks to Gordon and anyone else who answered my previous posts for advice.

I previously got frustrated about being asked in yet again for another assessment and have went through the emotions of blaming DWP, GP's and the system in general and then something jumped out at me.

I received my re assessment form in mid August for ESA for which I am in the support group, I also get PIP at the lower mobility and higher for care component. Anyway I send it back in a timely fashion and then in late October get a letter from DWP telling me that I have to attend an assessment mid November. Okay, I was frustrated but thought hey ho we have to do it so I'll go as planned.

I then get a call from my GP surgery on the 2nd November telling me that they have returned a form they have been sent by DWP and asked me if I would like a copy. Yes, is the answer and it gets picked up and it matches everything exactly that I had put in my form and lists multiple answers about why I am unable to work in great detail, with only two conditions not affecting my ability to work with one I never knew about.

So I am wondering, why am I still being asked for an assessment. I look at the form DWP sent my GP and it is dated on a Sunday in mid October and tell the GP it MUST be sent back within five days.

Now, given the time frame and the pressure the GP service is under with so many locums, patients to see etc is five days really a reasonable amount of time? I don't think so personally and neither does my practice given the workload of GP's and the amount of these forms they receive. As the paractice manager said to me, one form can take the doctor anywhere between thirty and forty five minutes to complete and we receive dozens per day so that has to be weighed against how many patients can be seen it that time from the practice area.

Do DWP know that this is not a reasonable amount of time and thus use this as a way to get you in face to face? It would be interesting to know just what percentage of these forms sent out actually get returned within five days.I guess not many UK wide but likely higher in certain geographical areas where the GP service is under presuure.

It was plainly evident from my report that there was just no need for the face face where the assessor in her own words said to me " I only want to talk about this condition and I am not interested in anything else" or even other paperwork. The sad thing is she did not know anything about the condition and I had to point out to her where she was wrong which kind of annoyed her.

Only time will tell how my assessment went but once again many thanks for all the advice.

Maxi