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FAILURE TO ATTEND PIP TELEPHONE ASSESSMENT
Claimants who fail to attend a PIP telephone assessment will face having their claim ended, in spite of the pandemic, the DWP revealed in its pre-Christmas edition of Touch base.When telephone assessments were introduced for PIP last March, the DWP said it would not to take any action against claimants who did not attend a scheduled assessment.
However, from the week commencing 14 December the DWP have warned that:
“PIP telephone assessment appointment letters will make it clear that claimants must attend their telephone appointment. FTA [Failure To Attend] action will apply, e.g. benefit may be stopped for those who have been issued with this letter and fail to attend without good reason.”
The DWP have said that no-one will have their support stopped without being contacted first to ask them to explain why they didn’t attend.
But if the claimant cannot show a good reason why they didn’t attend, or didn’t take part in, their assessment then their PIP is likely to be stopped.
There is a right of appeal against any such decision.
Worryingly, Benefits and Work has heard from claimants who never received a call from the assessor, in spite of waiting by their telephone at the correct time.
In some cases the assessor then claimed that they had repeatedly called the claimant but not received an answer.
For example, one member told us:
“Capita did not call. My appointment was at 11.45, I waited and no call was received. I phoned them at 1215hrs and was told that I had failed to attend for my assessment and that they had called 3 times!”
Another member told us:
“Appointment at 11.45am. Called capita at 12.05 an was told assessor had rang 3 times and no answer, no missed calls on my phone. I didn’t receive any and was told assessor no wrote no show . . .”
These are both claimants who, under the new procedures, would have faced the possibility of their claim being ended through absolutely no fault of their own.
There is detailed advice in our PIP claims guide on how to prepare for a telephone assessment, including how to ensure the assessor’s call isn’t blocked, what action to take if the call doesn’t arrive and how to obtain evidence from Capita and IAS (Atos) that will help to show whether any calls were actually made.
We have updated our PIP claims guide to warn about the change in DWP policy.
We strongly advise anyone with an upcoming PIP assessment to be fully prepared for the possibility that they may not get called, but still be blamed for having failed to attend their assessment.
My advice is: If this happens to you, then I suggest that you look through you telephone logs to check if the DWP health professional has actually made the call they claim to have. To do this just got to your telephone providers website, and log into your account. You will find all calls logged in there. Use this as evidence. when challenging DWP that no such call was made from them.
Joss
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joss i read that in my email today thats bad , so that they can get through their work load all they need to do is say they tried to phone you , what chance do claiments have . they always seem to try new tactics yet no missed called its very suspect ,
but they wouldn’t do that that would be unethical would they
Sadly martin it has been proven that this is what DWP are resorting too.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.i would have thought there would have been a lot more interest in this topic
This does not surprise me in the slightest. The whole PIP exercise was founded using malicious lies to bash the cripps who have the very NERVE to need help with mobility. Fight back as hard as you can. In one’s youth the only way to deal with bullying thugs was to hit them harder than they hit you. So try to do this, but figuratively – a more physical approach would no doubt bring out newly formed armed PIP response squads.
There is no question the PIP scheme is being mismanaged – for which it’s time someone was held to account. But the move from DLA to PIP was driven by the desire to address the legacy of the Thatcher era which put thousands of unemployed people on disability benefits to massage the unemployment figures. As usual a moderate aim became a monster when the civil service promised too much and it was handed over to a greedy and uncaring private sector to manage.
this post has been on here for 5 days , i think a very important and helpful yet a bit worrying for anyone waiting on a phone assessment.
Yet only 4 people have commented on it , it very strange . thats why i think it should be on the main page , it might be more helpful and maybe more will see it,
JS oh I did not know , I didn’t know they covered the recent topic of pip telephone assessors not actually phoning at appointment time and saying you missed the appointment.
So joss my apologies
Hi, I had very similar with apparent missed calls from PIP but nothing on my phone . They even wrote it on my report !! When questioned about it , the answer was because we have call guardian they don’t have time to say their name then wait for us to accept the call . Unbelievable
My PIP assessment was at 9:05am. I was sat by my phone with all my papers out ready from 8am.
9:50am…. still no call so called them. Apparently they called me at 9:05 and 9:10 and I failed to answer so my claim has been rejected and sent back to DWP.
My call history proves that no attempted to call me. I had full signal and checked my phone settings, I don’t have any blocked numbers and unknown / withheld callers can ring me perfectly fine. I’ve been well and truly shafted!Hi Sharon
This is being reported more and more with PIP telephone assessments. Phone you DWP and let them know about this. Also advice them your telephone logs back you side up that assessor is lying. In fact Put it in writing to them as well. If you can get a copy of you phones logs from your telephone company, all the better.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Did same to me no call , I phone after an hour told me tryed3 times gave me times , I phone Dwp and got told been returned to then time they said was 6 minutes before allegedly 3 call criminal</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>They’ve done exactly the same thing to me today. I was told I must phone back in 5 working days!</p>
I should have had a face to face a week ago but they telephoned that morning cancelling due to the assessor being sent home ill. A few minutes later I received another telephone call saying my assessment would now be done over the telephone and a date was set for today at 10:30 am and I’ve received NO telephone call so I phoned the number on my letter. The lady asked if my phone accepted private numbers to which I replied yes and that they had phoned me a few times and I had accepted the calls! now I’m worried but if they claim they tried to telephone me and I didn’t answer I will be contacting my MP.
Hi Dawn, This is being reported more and more with PIP telephone assessments. Phone you DWP and let them know about this. Also advice them your telephone logs back you side up that assessor is lying. In fact Put it in writing to them as well. If you can get a copy of you phones logs from your telephone company, all the better.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.Hi Dawn Was going to say the same as Joss but he beat me to it. Must add, though, that writing to MP is a really good idea. Had a similar problem with DHS concerning DLA. They simply would not answer any communication in writing. Wouldn’t even tell us who was in charge of me case. Letter to MP got a result in less than a week.
Just had the same to me and my daughter, I act on her behalf.
Sat here from 8:15am with my asd daughter for a 9am call, no call!! Rang them from a different phone at 9:45am to tell me I missed two calls at 9:01am, absolute lies!! I had two missed no caller ID yesterday when I was working.. which I mentioned and he said oh Yh they tried to call you yesterday for a prep.. so it’s clear they can get through just didn’t bother today. So angry and upset.. took this day off work especially
@jenny Tennant Sorry to hear this jenny. As I have said to other, get a copy of your phone logs and write to DWP and challenge them on this. Also let your MP know about this.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.
I am the same I waited over 40min for my call I didn’t come when I rang them they said I was called 3 time and failed to answer I told them that was lies as I sat by my phone waiting on the call they told me my claim had been sent back and there nothing can be done I advised them they can check my. Phone log and phone provide I was then told I should have rang them within 10 minutes of not receiving a call this was 3 months ago and I still haven’t heard nothing at all when I ring they say there’s no update and won’t even say if it’s been returned
@Diane Sorry to say, this is a well documented thing with the DWP.
Sorry to hear this Diane. As I have said to other, get a copy of your phone logs and write to DWP and challenge them on this. Also let your MP know about this.
Also, always write to DWP rather than phone. That way you have logs of your communication with them. They then have to answer you in writing. Contact your MP, go to one of his surgery’s.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.
I think it’s worth noting that the DWP are only doing what they have been instructed to do by the UK government. Just as Capita and ATOS were instructed to kick people off benefits by any means including outright lies.
I worked for Jobcentre in 2010/11 and sadly witnessed the change that the incoming government imposed. The emphasis went from trying to help people to trying to issue sanctions and make life as difficult as possible.
This has just happened to me. Was supposed to get a call at 1:30pm it hits 2:20pm and nothing. I call them and say I’ve waited nearly an early to be told they have apparently called me 4 times. She says there is nothing she can do but send it back to DWP. Absolutely disgraceful, I asked to complain and she said she’s sending out a form but on the DWP now as will be sent straight to the back of the queue otherwise. How are they getting away with it.
This also just happened to me. Call was due at 10.30am, sat by the phone with paperwork. At 11.38 I call them asking why they haven’t called. They also claimed to have called 3 times. I have been waiting since May 2021 and am beyond furious!
I called them to inform them that I needed them to come to me to do the assessment. Three weeks later two ladies (one a paramedic and the other a mental health Nurse showed up. I have to admit that both were very nice, one even made me a nice cup of tea!
As they were departing the paramedic said in a quiet whisper to me “I’m not supposed to do this but don’t worry Graeme you will be approved”
I’m never slow to complain if I’m unhappy with something similarly i always try to be positive when the service I have received has been good so in this instance I’m not gonna lie to you it was a good experience for me from beginning to end.
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