PIP assessor - telephone interview yesterday

Just a bit of background - have had three appeals against refusal of DLA and PIP over the past 14 years, one of which was to an Upper Tier Tribubal, and I have won them all, on my own with help from this wonderful website!

I had a telephone review yesterday with a PIP assessor which last about 90 minutes. I recorded all of it, just in case. However, this experience was quite unlike any assessment I’ve had before, and at the end of it, the assessor said that usual line of he doesn’t make the decisions, the DWP does etc etc. he then literally said “but based on your complex medical conditions and daily issues and problems, there would not be a reduction in my benefits”. Has anyone else had anything similar? He did really ask different questions to those I’ve had before and actually got me to think outside of the box when answering his questions! At the end, he informed me that he had a cousin with the same rare genetic condition I had, which surprised me as most health professionals don’t know anything about it, and informed me he was a mental health nurse.

Thing is, I’m usually very cynical of very helpful and friendly assessors due to my previous poor experiences with the system in general, but this was the complete opposite. Has anyone else had similar and how on earth could he confirm I wouldn’t be getting any reduction in my PIP although the DWP make the decisions? I don’t want to get hopeful, as I have spent the last 12 years fighting for my payments as it is, I’ve almost spent more time without PIP or DLA than with it, although at appeal, I have always won.

Any insight into my experience would be greatly appreciated, as I am swinging wildly between happy and hopeful to cynical and starting to get my paperwork ready for an MR in a few weeks time!

Thank you 😊

Dear Zakana, I would still request the PA4 to make sure the assessor has written you up consistently with the way they spoke to you. Better get it and not need an MR than not get it... etc
Best wishes, fellow rare genetic condition owner,
Denby

I hope to at least keep what I currently have, enhanced mobility and standard care, I’ll update as soon as I get the dreaded envelope! Thanks for replying, it is most appreciated!

Thanks you, defo going to get my ducks in a row, and get the assessors report, every time I have had an assessment, I’ve done this, I’m hoping this time it’s just a precaution, I have no idea how the assessor could know that my award wouldn’t be reduced at least, especially when he had just said beforehand the usual spiel about the DWP making the decision, not him!

I’ll post again in here once I get the dreaded letter and thanks for your support. My genetic condition is Ehlers Danlos Syndrone hypermobility type, plus a whole host of other conditions, all of which have come on since age 40, including epilepsy!


Thanks to everyone here for your help and support!

Zakana, just a shout out to another 'Zebra' ie Ehlers Danlos hypermobility person [See EDS UK]. Such an invisible disability and so many 'comorbidities' and so medics-not-trained-in-it! Which is pretty bad considering it's now being found to be not all that rare. But of course the majority of people with impactful symptoms are female, that couldn't possibly have anything to do with it could it!?