PIP Interview

dreamdaisy
dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
edited 21. Aug 2019, 05:29 in Work and financial support
Well, it's been and gone. Basically I was repeating to her what I had written on my form so I suppose that offered continuity and confirmation. My main issue is with mobility but as the bulk of the form and interview focused on areas of lesser concern I think I can cheerfully prophesy my being refused. I repeatedly stressed that I was in continual pain, which any move aggravated and which the aids did little to mitigate, but as I can pass their arbitrary tests with 'ease' I am not confident in my higher rate DLA being transferred.

One thing I have never done is time myself for doing the day-to-day activities they wanted detailed: I start getting dressed then at some point I finish, I start peeling a carrot then at some point it's done. If you are due to be seen I advise timing how long some activities can take on both good and poorer days. I made sure to use my hand gel (stressing the immuno-suppression), mention one of the buzz words du jour - anxiety - and I had to move around a lot as the seating was woefully inadequate: I did the majority of the interview seated on my rollator as I am taller than 5'. Rollators offer temporary seating, they are not built with comfort in mind. :roll:

I don't envy them their role, I have very different difficulties to someone on the autistic spectrum or someone with Parkinsons but we are all lumped together. My assessor said she was a trained nurse and she was hampered by having her left arm in a sling due to a severely strained shoulder: we had a good chat about how ineffectual pain relief can be for chronic as opposed to acute conditions.

I purposely did not research the experiences of others as I did not want my view coloured by the experiences of people who are not me, do not have my conditions, history, attitudes and coping strategies. It was not unpleasant; yes it was tiring and stressful in some ways but my interlocutor was personable which helped. As is the norm I was there on time and we did not begin until 20 minutes later, apparently she was preparing herself. I call that rude and unprofessional and should I need or decide to go to appeal that will be mentioned as it caused me more physical discomfort than necessary. DD
Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Yesterday I receoved a letter from DWP. 'Oho,' I thought, 'Here we go.'

    It struck me it was a very thin letter so was fully prepared for the official version of 'No go sweetie, pee off and take your fake disability with you' but it wasn't. The letter told me that DWP had all the information they needed (I know, I had completed the form and was there at the interview) and would be making a decision regarding my claim (I know, that's what you're supposed to do).

    Having addressed me by name, and correctly used 'Yours sincerely' at the end it was 'signed' Office Manager. I think Mr and Mrs Manager could have been a little more creative in naming their beloved offspring, don't you?

    Mr DD reckoned the decision will arrive today but I am not so sure. This pointless communication a) no doubt fulfills a criteria of getting in touch within a certain time-frame (the usual target-driven pointless activity) and b) buys them extra time to catch up on the undoubted backlog of claims as they try to separate the bogus from the genuine. Idiots, morons and twerps: no, not the people administering this grossly flawed system, the people who 'designed' it. I feel for those in the front line of dispensing this uniquely flawed method of assessing the capabailities of the ill but in my heart-of-hearts am not sure if I could come up with anything better. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:

    Having addressed me by name, and correctly used 'Yours sincerely' at the end it was 'signed' Office Manager. I think Mr and Mrs Manager could have been a little more creative in naming their beloved offspring, don't you?


    :lol::lol::lol:

    Yes, thin letters can be scary when they're official. I think yours was probably saying 'We know we're slow but we're busy so please don't phone us.'

    I wish you a speedy thick letter, DD.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright