Assessor caught telling lies. Can the report be written off?

Hi Gringo

Sadly your experience sounds all too familiar. My son's assessment, which was undertaken by a pharmacist, was brief but contained over 40 inaccuracies and errors. These ranged from simple things - like saying he told her he wore glasses for his eyesight (he has never worn glasses) - through what I generously think of 'mistakes' such as reporting a 15 minute bus journey as a 50 minute one - all the way to downright untrue, such as saying he didn't report any interrupted journeys when we recounted how he fainted on the platform one time when he got so overwhelmed! The report was completely full of these. I think the assessor had made her mind up before the assessment and written most of the report in advance.

You can complain about the report, I wish I had done so before you get the decision letter and this has, for some people, resulted in them cancelling and re-doing the assessment. However, definitely apply for a mandatory reconsideration.

Good luck, and do let us know how you get on!
Anji

I have written up a 28 page complaint - this is how ridiculous my sisters assessment report is.

It is being sent to the CDHA tomorrow - along with copies of the audio recording.

I have also discovered that despite having her assessment in April of this year, the assessor has used an ESA50 form, and medical evidence, from 2017 - SEVEN YEARS AGO!

That seven year old ESA50 contains medical conditions that my sister no longer has - and it excludes medical conditions that she has been diagnosed with within the past 3 or 4 years.

It is LUDICROUS that they have used an ESA50 from from 2017 to carry out an assessment in 2024.

Surely that alone is a breach of the legislation.

but I would not call her a liar - because you have no proof that they deliberately lied

I have been careful with my choice of wording at times, but where I have sufficient proof that she has lied, I have called her a liar - and I will not tone down my choice of words on those occasions.

For example, I asked the assessor, towards the end of the assessment, if, in the bundle of evidence that she had in front of her, she had documentary evidence of my sisters wheelchair.

She said yes.

However, having obtained copies of the evidence that she had in front of her, I can see that she had NO EVIDENCE related to my sisters wheelchair at all.

It is clear on that occasion that she lied - therefore, I have called her one. The audio recording I have is sufficient evidence to prove that she is a liar - therefore, I cannot be pursued for defamation.

She has also written my sisters supposed "personal statement" in her own words, and it is full of lies. She has used terms like "She said" or "she stated", when my sister never said anything of the sort.

Again, therefore, she has lied - and my audio recording clearly proves that.

It is indeed enraging when this happens. You open up to complete strangers & tell them things that you’d rather not. Then after going through all of that, they as good as call you, a liar. If the assessor said you’re OK with that or you can manage. I say that’s not what I said or meant, & go on to explain. In the PA4 the dog that I enjoy walking & the car that I drive daily was mentioned. The assessment has been recorded & there was no mention of this by either of us, because neither exist! Just keep pointing out that the assessments was recorded, this way you keep your dignity.