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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Disability benefits  →  Thread

Great Submission from SSWP

John Birks
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Welfare Rights and Debt Advice - Stockport Council

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Fabulous initial submission explaining what the PIP is.

“Personal Independence Payment provides a cash contribution towards the additional costs faced by disabled people as a result of needs arising from a health condition or impairment. The Department considered whether it would be possible for the Personal Independence Payment assessment to assess the actual extra costs incurred by an individual. However, it was felt that doing so would create a very complicated and lengthy assessment, which would be both subjective and inconsistent, going against the aims of the new benefit. The Department instead decided that the most effective means of determining entitlement would be to consider a proxy for the impact and additional costs arising from disability.

The PIP assessment therefore focuses on assessing an individual’s ability to participate, defining ‘participation’ as ‘involvement in life situations’. The criteria are focused on outcomes and the impact of a health condition or impairment on an individual’s ability to carry out a range of activities which are fundamental to everyday life. It would not be practical for the assessment to take account of the impact of a health condition or impairment on all everyday activities, nor to seek to include all possible areas .where extra costs may be generated. This would lead to over-complexity and be challenging for consistency, administration and the time needed for assessments. Instead the assessment considers a series of key activities that cumulatively act as a proxy and so seeks to identify those individuals who are likely to have the highest level of need. There are ten daily living activities and two mobility activities.”

Mixing up Parliament and the Department aside it’s the best opening gambit I’ve seen for some time.

Pity the appeal is for a failing to attend an assessment…...

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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Oh dear. Would be even more bewildering/amusing if the FTA was because the claimant couldn’t afford to.

John Birks
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It is a RA one.

It get’s more curious as they’ve left the medical evidence submitted out (and destroyed it) as they say it didn’t relate to the claimant.

I’ve reviewed the file and it’s definitely him what is on the form. Sent in proper like it were.

nevip
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Welfare rights adviser - Sefton Council, Liverpool

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Stop laughing at the back!

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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Absolutely consider it my role in life to laugh at the back. Often at the front too.

John’s opening post should perhaps be what a claimant gets when invited to convert from DLA but has no place in a sub. What a waste of ink, paper and time.

John Birks
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Oh I have a much better one if you want a laugh.

OP of DLA 2011 > 2015 - non-disclosure by severely mentally ill claimant that she had been admitted to a secure hospital 2011.

Appealed hoping to use EA and MCA post B. 

Appeal papers have a renewal claim from 2012 with the hospital as the address, ticked as completed by someone as claimant lacks capacity, signed and completed by psychiatrist.

But still the claimant Failed To Disclose a ‘relevant change of circs.’

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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Worth a very very deep sigh!

From the other side
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Extract from an ESA case ” the Health Care Professional’s report is not a detailed record of what was discussed at the interview”  so what is it then??

John Birks
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Welfare Rights and Debt Advice - Stockport Council

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Are four letter words excluded?

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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Just enjoying a letter from ATOS/IAS.

We can’t avoid stressing your client and their known MH issues by sending correspondence to only you because we share a computer system with DWP (!) and their letters can only go to the claimant or appointee.

We can’t note your clients need for a home-visit as a reasonable adjustment in consequence of their long-standing known problem with leaving the home and social engagement (the things for which they in part get ESA and PIP) because each referral is a separate case. DWP may ask for an assessment and they may be asked to attend again.

Now, where shall I start…