The DWP has confirmed it is testing sharing PIP assessment reports with claimants before making a decision.

Mims Davies, DWP minister for disabled people, announced the move last month in response to a written question from Labour MP Marsha De Cordova.

Davies explained that:

“We are currently conducting a test to understand the impact of sharing assessment reports with PIP claimants by default. As part of the evaluation, we will gather insight from claimants to understand whether sharing the assessment report provides them with the opportunity to clarify evidence so that we can make the right decision as early as possible and improve trust and transparency in the decision-making process. Once the analysis of that insight is complete, we will consider next steps.”

Were easily disprovable errors made in your PIP assessment report?

Or were there outright falsehoods?

If so, would you have welcomed the chance to try to correct them and do you think it would have made any difference to the decision if you had done so?

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    Leigh · 8 days ago
    I don't know if it would of changed the outcome of my claim but when I got the report after I was refused PIP there were a lot of things that were lies and misconceptions and things that were assumed about my case. The assessor had taken a dislike to me from the start because I was kept waiting for over an hour before my interview ..so by the time she came to fetch me I was hyped up with stress which made me hungry upset & tense so she responded back in a snappy, hostile way. I had also taken out one hearing aid out due to severe itchy ear so was judged on this later on and I was also marked down because I had a dog , (even tho' someone else usually walked him)  and  I c
    At the end of the day if you get a hostile assessor you are stuffed so I am all for being able to see the report before final decisions are made. 
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    GJurenko · 10 days ago
    Were easily disprovable errors made in your PIP assessment report?

    Yes.

    Or were there outright falsehoods?

    Yes, 19 of them.

    If so, would you have welcomed the chance to try to correct them and do you think it would have made any difference to the decision if you had done so?

    I would have welcomed the chance to correct them. I doubt it would have made any difference.
    The DWP said the Assessor's evidence was their preferred evidence.

    The DWP did not send me a copy of the Assessment until after their Mandatory Reconsideration confirmed they were right and I was wrong.

    The DWP ignored all of our evidence, including independent medical evidence and so did the First Tier Tribunal (FTT). The Upper Tribunal Judge ruled that the FTT had made errors in law. We won another FTT and my daughter was awarded backdated lower rates of PIP. That took three and a half years and nearly broke me and my family.

    I went through an MP, having exhausted the DWP complaint procedures, through the Independent Case Examiner (ICE), to request the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman take up my complaint, which they did. They ruled that the DWP were guilty of maladministration but they were not going to do anything about it. That is against their own policy. PHSO should give feedback to the DWP, so that the DWP can address the PHSO findings. As the PHSO decision is final, then case closed. The DWP have got away with it. Guilty but no punishment.
    I have written to my MP to ask why the PHSO is not following it's own guidance. Who monitors the performance of the PHSO? This has taken another two years.

    What a shambles!
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    Hazel · 14 days ago
    I always get a copy of my report, I don't trust the assessors they lie and lie and lie again.  Even pointing the lies out at mandatory reconsideration does nothing and providing evidence.  They just believe the assessor and I always have to go to tribunal. I have won every time.  I hope by doing this they are not thinking about removing the mandatory reconsideration process as that would be awful for claimants who get it overturned at the point or are to scared to go to tribunal
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    Laura Richards · 15 days ago
    As a benefits adviser I always ask the clients to get a copy of the assessment report before I carry out a mandatory reconsideration. In many of them out and out lies have been recorded. Even pointing them out in the mandatory reconsideration makes no difference. I have seen some shocking cases
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    Mandy · 17 days ago
    Yes, there were outright falsehoods in my PIP assessment report the first time I applied for PIP. 1) that I could drive and how this proved I had no cognitive deficits when I am actually banned from driving due to my traumatic brain injury, 2) a detailed physical exam that never happened with bends and stretches, on a exam table that did not exist in the room, 3) that I attended alone, when my husband & carer were with me, 4) that I had no trouble carrying a purse when I don’t carry a purse, 5) that I bent over from standing and tied a shoelace when I was wearing slipons so that never happened. There was more that I can’t remember but it was too much to go line by line. 

    Every other PIP award has been records based with no in person assessment. I don’t think seeing it ahead of time would have helped me to be honest as I found the whole process overwhelming and confusing. I responded to the above during MR merely by asking had the assessor mixed me up with someone else? The outright falsehoods helped my case at Tribunal as I had legal representation from a charity who did both written and spoken information for the judges, and summarised the thousands of pages of medical evidence that DWP hadn’t seemed to have read. The tribunal did their own assessment and I was awarded PIP. 
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    Louise Anderson · 17 days ago
    This would massively help, in my case, incompetence from someone not being able to count to ten (the assessor awarded 10 points, but the decision maker couldn’t count, mistake was only noticed 18 weeks later, (waiting on the decision letter, then requesting assessors report), could have been avoided. 18 weeks of stress due to a typing error! So they called it!  
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    BirtyB · 18 days ago
    The cynical part of me wonders if they are doing this to filter out what would be very strong MR submissions. E.G. if the claimant doesn't respond with any concerns about the report will be ok to reduce or end the award. If the claimant responds with good rebuttal evidence decide to make the correct award. That way they would also be able to say that the MR requests for MRs have significantly reduced because of improvements they have made to the assessment process. In effect it is a pre MR MR. Whatever happened to the Health Professionals being meant to request evidence from the claimant's stated medical professionals involved in their care. I have gone through a DLA to PIP transition of my own, a PIP claim and a renewal for my partner and 2 PIP renewals for my neighbour. All of which required a MR and one Appeal. Not once was any medical evidence requested by a HP despite all medical professionals information being provided 
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    BirtyB · 18 days ago
    I wish. I have the unusual situation where I have completed a MR for a neighbour. The previous award was for standard daily living and enhanced mobility. This was changed to enhanced for both when I did the MR. At this renewal they sent in consultant letters and a copy of repeat prescriptions. Again the award was for standard daily living and enhanced mobility. However the Decision Maker has stated that they have changed the points recommended in the Health Professional's report using the reasoning that the claimant is not under a consultant specialist for muscular skeletal conditions or mental health. This is despite the prescriptions showing three different pain medications for muscular skeletal problems. The claimant has decided against any operations on their spine due to the dangers of anesthesia with their serious lung condition. The claimant telephoned PIP to notify that a MR would be submitted and requested a copy of the HP report at the same time. This was requested again 18 days later and still did not arrive. I submitted a MR along with copies of the medical records obtained from the claimant's GP, and stated that the HP report was still needed and that further submissions might be made when the report was received and studied. That was four weeks ago and the report has still not been received even though the claimant received a text two weeks ago saying that they had received the MR submission. The DM also used the old "you can drive so you must be able to do this and this" argument. Unbelievable 
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    Beeing · 18 days ago
    I think it would be a great idea, especially if it reduced the time taken for PIP reviews.  My daughter's view has been on-going since January last year and we are now at the appeal to tribunal stage.  My daughter is fifty two years old and was diagnosed as autistic last year following many years of social anxiety and chronic depression.  After several requests I recently received a copy of the assessor's notes and found quite a few oddities;  apparently my daughter is able to read and understand complex information (she isn't!) because she has a driving licence and could obviously understand complex intonation.  Only the test she took was in 1990 and seven years before the theory test was introduced.   No allowances were considered for her autism ie masking, psychological effects of the interview etc. and a review n eighteen months time was recommended in case her condition of autism improves   I could go on but I won't!   Suffice to say we could well have sorted out these discrepancies (deliberate perhaps) had there been an opportunity to review it sooner. 
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    Denzil · 18 days ago
    The DWP would have you ear your own vomit and then treat thar as a meal at the Savoy. Reporting this to claimants won't make any difference other than to upset claimants a little earlier. I've been fighting an appeal for 3 years. They don't want truth but government approval to act like barbarians.
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    Richard · 18 days ago
    I've never required this as always got top rates of DLA (Indefinite) and then PIP (10 years) as I submit hundreds of medical reports each time. However,  the way the DWP act these days I think it's an excellent idea. It would certainly depend on how fast they process these once you have to point out errors or lies.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jonathan, Cheshire · 18 days ago
    Yes in my experience if it shortens the loop of back and forth comments. I have had several pip assessments where sweeping assumptions are made to discredit my mobility by adding unproven things or minor comments as facts that support refusal or downgrading. I had a single trip with work where I was asked how I coped and mentioned a taxi and a difficult walk. That was reworded in the final document report as can walk where I can’t and on that occasion had exceptional help and support to do this one off. They love to pick a single or rare thing and make out it is the norm. I eventually gave up as it would have required a full tribunal to argue. My letters in reply ignored and the mandatory reconsideration pretty much the same as the first report. To be able to challenge inaccuracies or misinterpretations early would be an advantage. 
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    Cora · 18 days ago
    Yes, absolutely.  My latest pip assessment came back as eligible for basic only.  The report was filled with distortion/misquoting of things I had said in the interview,  Outright Lies throughout. 
    I was too ill to try to get things rectified
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Shirley Procter · 18 days ago
    In my first PIP assessment, my assessor decided how far I could walk, based on me lying on the sofa for the whole assessment. She ignored evidence from 3 consultants and my GP, as she knew best! She even said she would not physically examine me, as she could see that I was too exhausted and in too much pain!

    I’d have loved to see the report before their decision, so I could have pointed out her lies.

    They caved in just before the tribunal.

    I now support other people through the PIP process, and have seen assessors completely ignore evidence, lie, ignore what the claimant says in their reports, whilst being kind, friendly and appearing to understand what the claimant is saying. 

    I hate how DWP treats disabled people.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    mave · 18 days ago
    this I think could end up being a double edged sword, I have seen reports done by these people and been on the receiving end of them. They lie, outright with no compulsion if the report is contested are thier lies going to be acknowledged? The last judgement (it is a judgement not an assessment) that I was put through was done over the internet, it was delayed by an hour and when it did happen it was obvious from the background they were in thier own home, she sat there swilling coffee the whole time. At one point she kept going on about one of my medication dosage, I could not remember at that moment and said I had put everything on the form and supplied evidence via copies of my prescriptions. Still she kept going on about it until in the end I had to struggle to get up and fetch them. In her report she commented and I quote "was observed holding a medicine bottle" like what was that supposed to even mean? what bearing did it have on my conditions? It is going to get far worse when they move everyone to universal credit and they are getting rid of the support group. Not only are you going to be judged by someone with no medical background to gain the PIP but will have to go through it all over again, probably even worse, by some desk jockey to see if they can force you into doing a job that your disabilities would make you incapable of achieving. I doubt there is not one person on here who would not trade everything to enjoy good health and leading a normal life and work like others do. Yet we are treated like criminals and demonised for something we did not ask for and have no control over
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    Lynsey Charlton · 18 days ago
    I was denied Pip from my first initial application May 2019 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Zero points awarded.
    My second time was a telephone assessment which again I was not awarded but given 4 points. 
    I requested a sar through DWp which was only last year after being awarded on my 4th attempt in October 2023. 
    I was shocked that on my second assessment, ( telephone assessment) notes stated that I showed no signs of anxiety and maintained eye contact !!!. Wow I have no idea how that could happen over the phone. Notes also stated choose not to take any antidepressants  and made no attempts to  take up offers from my GP for counselling with there in-house  counsellor. I advised I was working with macMillian and this was ion my notes. I also advised was unable to take most antidepressants due to taken tamoxifen ( to prevent further cancers) which has a dangerous side effect with most antidepressants or counteracts the effects of a life saving drug. I actually never realised that one antidepressant which could be taken alongside tamoxifen that I had taken back in 2017/2018 was noted on my medical record that I was allergic. I was rejected for not taken antidepressants to manage my anxiety and made that choice myself to do so. 
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    Denise Edwards · 18 days ago
    My son had pip taken off him because he lost points on how he managed money. He said he remembered his council tax bill coming to his house !! As he has aspergers and adh he can add etc but has no ability to manage his money.  To have seen his assessments prior to decision would have allowed me to clarify his abilities better.
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    Janine · 18 days ago
    There were a few misrepresentations and I had taped the interview, so would have been able to prove, however I was already too distressed after I had already been messed around over a few months, so didn't feel able to take it any further after a decision had been made as it would have been too stressful! I would, however, have appreciated a chance to amend before it got to this stage. 
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    Carol w · 18 days ago
    I sent a lengthy and true pip renewal back. The lies told in my report have deeply affected my mental health to the point where I gave consent ending it all I am so sick of fighting a system that doesn't listen . I have many health issues the latest a stroke and still having to fight a system that is so very unfair 
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    borkwen · 18 days ago
    It is so obvious that it is not incompetence causing so many incorrect results but intentional fraud by th
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