https://dpac.uk.net/2019/10/its-time-to-put-pip-assessments-ontherecord/
Campaign video and pictures have been released on Sheffield DPAC Facebook and Twitter pages at 12noon on Monday 28 October.
#OnTheRecord : DPAC Sheffield Launch New Service To Help PIP Claimants
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) Sheffield have launched a new service, backed by Disability Sheffield, to keep Personal Independent Payment (PIP) assessments ‘On The Record’; their campaign was launched at Disability Sheffield’s office in Sheffield city centre last week and will provide disabled claimants with kit they can use to record their PIP assessments.
The assessments are performed by private contractors Atos and Capita but claimants say they do not reflect their condition accurately. Following face-to-face assessments claimants can ask for a written report, which thousands of PIP claimants say frequently bares little or no relation to the face-to-face assessment; this results in the DWP drastically cutting or even taking away people’s payments entirely.
People have the right to record their assessments but rarely do the DWP or the private contractors provide suitable equipment. The DPAC Sheffield kit comes as two portable, PAT tested cassette recorders with blank cassette tapes and a 2-gang extension cord in an aluminium case; strict DWP rules prevent people from using modern electronic recording devices such as mobile phone voice recorders.
John from Sheffield is the first person to use the new kit. John, who appears in the DPAC Sheffield online campaign video, said, “I am much happier knowing that there will be an accurate record of what has been said in the meeting, knowing that it cannot be changed in any way. I feel so much safer having the recording kit with me, I encourage anybody going for an assessment in Sheffield to get in touch with DPAC Sheffield to loan a recording kit”
DPAC Sheffield launched a Just Giving campaign earlier this year to raise funds for the kits; David Hayes of DPAC Sheffield said, “We would like to thank everyone who gave so generously to the ‘On The Record’ fund; we feel that this new service will relieve people claiming PIP of a lot of stress and anxiety by knowing they have an accurate audio recording of their PIP assessments, we will continue to raise funds for more kids until legislation is introduced how to record all PIP assessments”
The success rate for PIP and ESA appeals has now reached 75% per, according to new Ministry of Justice (MoJ) statistics.
“Some 16,337 appeals overturned a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision between January and March 2019- the highest ever in a three-month period.
A benefits assessor told a disabled woman to ignore “irrelevant” information about a suicide attempt, shoved her son after he was asked to halt the assessment, challenged him to a fight, and then damaged their house as he left. (Source Disability news service -John Pring 24 October 2019)