PIP application turned down for missed appointment

Gordon.

Thank you for your advice, we really appreciate your help. We didn’t know that we could make a new claim, so we will ask about that.

We have started the MR but we may have to wait up to six weeks depending on the workload.

I will see what we can do about submitting a new claim, if that doesn’t work out then we wait for the MR decision

I spoke to Capita to find out why they lied about the missed appointment. The case was closed because they waited for 15 minutes and they had the door colour. I told them that I could give a better description if I used street view on google maps. It's very clear that capita are lying and they don’t like being questioned.

Thank you for your help, we really appreciate it. We will let you know how we get on.

Regards

James

Dear James,
I strongly suggest that you contact your MP about this & Frank Fields chair of the select committee. Your case is not an isolated incident. There are at least 3 recently on this forum. I am incensed that people who are known to be vulnerable & disabled are still being treated in this disgraceful way. This is clearly an offence under the Fraud Act. If you can discover the assessor's name or even gender (they are NOT health specialists!) I would inform them that they are committing an offence. Do you feel strong enough to make a complaint to the police?

What next : not only have to record assessments with amateur equipment but install CCTV to prove these people are dishonest & fraudulent. I believe there is a app/hive thing you can have on your phone linked to your door now?
Your letter is so transparently genuine.
A MR might take months: as Gordon advises please hit them with another PIP application straight away. I assume you have copies of the form & evidence so hopefully you can just copy it out again without your friend having to get so emotionally involved with it ? A character reference from a vicar, teacher, magistrate etc. attesting to your obvious integrity might also help. I take it you don't live in a street with cctv?
With best wishes

P.S If you have an iphone you can use its locator to prove you were there at the time.
I have just checked my home on street view, the photo is over 2 years old & there are subtle differences to the door, light & porch!
It is obviously worth phoning Capita on a landline at the exact appointment time of a home visit to verify your whereabouts.
It is quite unreasonable to allege that a MS sufferer on higher rate care & mobility assessed as needing a home appointment, would not be at home at the time of appointment.
I would follow up any phone calls with a letter.

Hi.

Thank you for the replies. It has been so frustrating dealing with capita and the Dwp, I am astonished at the lack of care or understanding. I mentioned the timeline on both of our phones which proved that Helen didn’t leave the house all day, as well as my drive home.
I couldn’t understand why their description was very vague when describing the front of the bungalow. All of the bungalows look the same in this grove, so the obvious difference is the two large refuse bins with the numbers on the front.
You can’t miss them so they should have been on the description of the property for a meeting of this importance. On google earth the bins are on show but on street view there are no bins. Street view is over 3 years old because Helen’s old motability car is parked up which was changed in July 2015. I never thought that they would be so blatant but they didn’t ring any of the phone numbers we provided.
If this is what they are doing then it is fraud and they should be done for it. I have seriously thought about contacting an Mp and maybe the newspapers. Helen is worried that if we create too much trouble then she will end up with nothing.
I asked about raising a new PIP application but I was told that it takes about 12 weeks so it’s pointless in their eyes but I am still going to pursue it.
I have photocopies of the original paperwork and I had the foresight to put all the extra information for each question onto word so I can always add to it when needed.

Thank you for all your help, we really appreciate the advice.

Dear James,
I had to get my MP involved over my DLA to PIP. IT did at least ensure the assessment was done correctly & safeguarding procedures followed.
All DWP care about is reducing the number of people receiving benefits, even if they are entitled to them & have paid National Insurance contributions all their life. I consider living with my disabilities really HARD WORK all day & night, every day, there's no days off or holidays from it trying to keep as well as I can & not be a burden. I don't expect to live long enough to draw a state pension.

I don't think it will aggravate DWP to contact your MP & Frank Fields, it may prompt them to reconsider (especially if you can supply proof of your whereabouts: phone records etc). I think the Commons Select Commitee needs to know that Capita assessors are not only not turning up to appointments but are blatantly lying. Your girlfriend stands to loose the car!

If you speak to DWP you need to insist on a call back from a case manager & record the conversation on phone.They cannot be trusted.( The call clerks are at best badly trained.)
I'm afraid you have to fight these bullies & be confident that you will get there in the end.
The MS Society has just published a report about the harmful effect of all these assessments.
I think they may also have some influence, Director of External Affairs is Genevieve Edwards.

It is a very small consolation but at least there is a chance of a better assessor with a new assessment rather than the lying scumbag.
Best wishes

I thought I would give an update to the ongoing claim. I can’t believe it’s been a year but it has been one of the worst years that I can remember. I have been pushing to get some justice for Helen because the DWP have made her life hell. They have refused to back down no matter how much evidence that we have produced. We tried to start a new claim on3 separate occasions and we were told that this would just delay the whole process. The mandatory reconsideration was the same result so it had to go to a tribunal.

I was told by Helen’s family that I needed to back off from pushing the DWP because I could be the reason why this was going wrong. On top of that I have been at risk twice in the last 9 months. This is why I haven’t replied before now.

I have tried to get our local mp involved at least twice but there was no response up till now. Helen has been ill and we think she has relapsed a few times. Her pain is getting worse and the MS nurse has pushed for counselling because she cries everyday.

I have managed to get Motability to extend the lease right up to the date of the hearing. When I explained the mess they thought she would win and they would receive the back pay from the award.

The hearing was on the 14th March, which was 2 days over a year from the original assessment. I took Helen to the hearing and it was awful because there was no parking close to the court in Birmingham City centre. I dropped her off before I parked up about 8 mins walk away. Helen was crying again when we went in, which wasn’t a great impression.

The judge decided that we had proved beyond doubt that we were at home but they thought the assessor went to the wrong address. There was no way that the case should have got this far without an assessment, and they asked for an assessment ASAP because of the car.

We are now back to waiting for an assessment and the DWP will only pay back the money lost if we get enough points. The Motability has reached their limit and the car goes back on Friday. I have sent a big complaint to both of our local MPs and to Frank Fields.

We are just praying that the DWP will back down but I can’t see it. I am worried that once the car goes back then the DWP could refuse to pay back the losses and Helen will have to lose the car for months. She has lost full mobility and care component as well as a third of here EESA. No one could lose nearly £600 a month without being pushed to the brink. Her mother has used some of her life savings to help her financially.

I hope we get some good news soon.