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Terminated PIP Telephone Assessment
- blacktulip-64
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1 month 1 day ago #295671 by blacktulip-64
Terminated PIP Telephone Assessment was created by blacktulip-64
Thank you for being here so I can ask you about the PIP assessment telephone interview I had today.
My original application was made in February of this year but has been much delayed firstly because I did not realise that the DWP does not start a claim unless you speak to them on the telephone. I get very anxious speaking on the telephone even with my family and I avoid it. The PIP form states that you can make a written application to get a form but that is not the case - I had to write a couple of times with long distance between letters due to my mental health and to no avail. Eventually I asked for help and an advocate helped me call to find out why my claim was delayed.
I was finally offered an appointment in September but this was cancelled on the day by the assessor and rescheduled for today. The appointment time was 10 am,but by 10.45 am the assessor had not called. We rang the DWP to be told that I had to call Ingeus. I was in the process of calling them and got a call from the assessor at 11 am. The assessor felt that an explanation for the lateness of her call was 'irrelevant'. By this time I was very distressed but also aware that I need to complete this assessment so I said yes to the assessment. It was a mistake because I was distressed and my advocate was also distressed because this was the second time that I had asked her to come and support me and it turns out that I will have to ask her again. Its all disrespectful of people's time and money
All in all it was a bad interview with the assessor repeatedly saying that the line was bad but we could hear her perfectly. She didn't listen to my responses and kept interrupting my answers and saying that the "DWP requires this information" and "we don't have a lot of time to complete this assessment". The assessor kept on asking hypothetical questions - is this usual. I found it confusing. The call cut out and then she called again and said that she was going to pass the call over to her manager because she "was struggling to get the information" the DWP needed. She cut us off again before we could respond to her comments about struggling.
I am very worried about the assessment that has been rescheduled for the end of the month.
I think what I am asking is, should I complain or wait until after my assessment. I apologise for this being so long.
Spoke to the manager and rescheduled the meeting for another day.
My original application was made in February of this year but has been much delayed firstly because I did not realise that the DWP does not start a claim unless you speak to them on the telephone. I get very anxious speaking on the telephone even with my family and I avoid it. The PIP form states that you can make a written application to get a form but that is not the case - I had to write a couple of times with long distance between letters due to my mental health and to no avail. Eventually I asked for help and an advocate helped me call to find out why my claim was delayed.
I was finally offered an appointment in September but this was cancelled on the day by the assessor and rescheduled for today. The appointment time was 10 am,but by 10.45 am the assessor had not called. We rang the DWP to be told that I had to call Ingeus. I was in the process of calling them and got a call from the assessor at 11 am. The assessor felt that an explanation for the lateness of her call was 'irrelevant'. By this time I was very distressed but also aware that I need to complete this assessment so I said yes to the assessment. It was a mistake because I was distressed and my advocate was also distressed because this was the second time that I had asked her to come and support me and it turns out that I will have to ask her again. Its all disrespectful of people's time and money
All in all it was a bad interview with the assessor repeatedly saying that the line was bad but we could hear her perfectly. She didn't listen to my responses and kept interrupting my answers and saying that the "DWP requires this information" and "we don't have a lot of time to complete this assessment". The assessor kept on asking hypothetical questions - is this usual. I found it confusing. The call cut out and then she called again and said that she was going to pass the call over to her manager because she "was struggling to get the information" the DWP needed. She cut us off again before we could respond to her comments about struggling.
I am very worried about the assessment that has been rescheduled for the end of the month.
I think what I am asking is, should I complain or wait until after my assessment. I apologise for this being so long.
Spoke to the manager and rescheduled the meeting for another day.
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- BIS
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4 weeks 2 days ago #295720 by BIS
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by BIS on topic Terminated PIP Telephone Assessment
Hi blacktulip-64
I'm sorry that you have had such a poor experience, but glad to hear that you have another appointment arranged. I agree with you that the assessment services rarely think about the impact their cancellations have on other people - unfortunately it happens quite often and causes stress to all.
Regarding whether you should complain now or later, I can't tell you what to do here, but you need to ask yourself whether you can take on more stress at the current time. If you can't, then the complaint can wait until later. Be aware that very few people get a satisfactory response to complaints. I'm not saying you shouldn't put one in - I actually think more people should complain than do - but you have to decide whether it is a priority.
If you have the energy - make sure that you have looked at the questions they may ask during an assessment. Yes, they do sometimes ask hypothetical questions - but you have the perfect right to say you can't answer. Don't let them bully you into answering something you don't understand.
BIS
I'm sorry that you have had such a poor experience, but glad to hear that you have another appointment arranged. I agree with you that the assessment services rarely think about the impact their cancellations have on other people - unfortunately it happens quite often and causes stress to all.
Regarding whether you should complain now or later, I can't tell you what to do here, but you need to ask yourself whether you can take on more stress at the current time. If you can't, then the complaint can wait until later. Be aware that very few people get a satisfactory response to complaints. I'm not saying you shouldn't put one in - I actually think more people should complain than do - but you have to decide whether it is a priority.
If you have the energy - make sure that you have looked at the questions they may ask during an assessment. Yes, they do sometimes ask hypothetical questions - but you have the perfect right to say you can't answer. Don't let them bully you into answering something you don't understand.
BIS
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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