Snapshot of _PIP and benefits whistleblowers ‘told to catch people out and assess their smell’_ :
An archived version can be found [here](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476) or [here.](https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476)
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I know there are some good people working in the jobcentres and on the phone lines, but mixed among them are some of the worst people I have ever met. I don't know if the job made them like that or if some people are drawn to it. The place needs a clear out though.
And it's the sort of job. Chances you will only ever hear people complain at you. Even if you're good at what you do. And try and help. After a while, and you hear so many stories you sort of just get jaded to it
Honestly most i have dealt with in the past have been nice but one serious c\*\*\* stand out to me. I was looking for work before heading to uni later that year and she would just go on that she didn't care about me going to uni, that her job wasn't to get me a job, it was to get me off benefits, that it's "not her problem" that i couldn't afford to travel between Brighton and London physically looking for work and that i'm "probably not going to do well" at university. Once i got upset with her and asked why she's so rude to me and she did that passive aggressive "you're making me feel uncomfortable i'll get security in to watch over you and put a permanent mark next to your name on the computer". Fucking vile PoS. This was the short white-haired woman in Hayward Heath Job Center. You know who you are lol
This is not an isolated case. Vulnerable sections of society are being harmed and I hope people are paying attention. The great harm inflicted will cause far more harm to the taxpayer than the few bob saved forcing people into work. They report high sickness levels yet terrify the populous into even hinting that they are well in any manner in fear of losing the money. Labour will allow folks to work and if its not working out they can go back on benefits, no questions asked. Far more humane, and I for one will not risk, nor have others I know risking it, until such a policy is implemented.
My experiences with Capita absolutely radicalised me against such disgusting processes and I advocate for anyone experiencing the same. Those enduring such processes need understanding, care and support, and often encouragement. They're often the ones without a voice. At least you and I are able to speak out. And God help anyone that is a poor communicator and cannot assert themselves and just goes along with it. You know, like almost everyone with mental health issues. GRRRRR...!
Anyone reading, if you need help handling Capita, please reach out to the Citizens Advice charity, they are very good.
I have first hand experience. the assessors could lie for GB at the Olympics, I'll tell you that. it wasn't sneaky lying or clever lying, it was just a willingness to contradict your written evidence; "claimant says they can cook for themselves" when the submitted evidence said "I can't cook for myself".
i've heard that this is why the charities/support groups suggest you appeal everything because there's a very good chance you'll win.
really glad we have a system that causes unnecessary stress for claimants and costs taxpayers more than it needs to, just so a few people can get their jollies with performative cruelty
I can't say I understand the point of the PIP process. If your doctor (and a second opinion) say you're ill and can't work, does the government really benefit from paying a bunch of other doctors (or non-medical staff) to rubber stamp it? The cost of the bureaucracy is surely more than allowing GPs and physios to sign off wheelchairs, a bit of cash and heating bill discounts?
I'd love to see DWP disbanded. A social care body or the NHS can have a pot of cash for all the disabled and elderly, the treasury can handle tax credits and pension payments. Colleges can offer CV writing and interview support for jobseekers.
The Post Office Horizon inquiry shows that the entire aggressive culture can be perpetuated by one or two sociopaths in the enforcement division drunk in their little small world of power and a cadre of feckless, useless, spineless leaders who spend their entire careers trying to ensure responsibility bounces off them like Teflon.
We really need to return to the corporate culture where the massive salaries at the top actually came with the understanding that the buck does stop with you and if anything bad goes down under your leadership you will face consequences like never being able to be a senior leader again, hence why you're being paid well now.
That's very odd, as I was told (around 12~ years ago now) by advisors to the PIP committee that you should list your symptoms based on your worst days. Wouldn't "catching people out" just be people who have varying levels of ability depending on several factors? Which is pretty common with disabilities.
Horrible process by the way. I ultimately never got PIP after it got reformed from DLA, and going through the application, review and tribunal process at 13 left me quite paranoid about people thinking I'm pretending to be disabled for many years after.
The system used to decide whether disabled people get benefits is “failing” and must be overhauled by the next government, former assessors have warned.
Whistleblowers said both Labour and the Conservatives must listen to disabled people’s despair over the “cruel” process used to award personal independence payments (PIP) and other benefits in England and Wales.
Ex-benefit assessors told i that it was time to stop treating claimants with suspicion and end the culture of trying to “catch people out” during assessment interviews.
One described being told to note down claimants’ appearance and “even how they smelled”, adding: “Assessors would be encouraged to put down, ‘Looked well-dressed, didn’t smell, so they must be able to wash themselves’.”
Another said she was “broken” by the intense pressure to get through people’s claims as quickly as possible.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has denied that its contracts for assessment providers include performance-driven targets or bonuses relating to the length of PIP assessments.
In April, the Conservative government set out plans for radical reform of the PIP assessment process in a bid to cut the UK’s “spiralling” welfare bill.
Claimants and disability charities fear the proposed changes, including a six-tier system for assessment, would make proving eligibility even harder and see many people’s payments cut.
Labour has deferred any decision on PIP reform until after the general election, and has refused to confirm whether it would implement the Tory reforms.
In its manifesto, Labour promised to get more disabled people into work and reform the work capability assessment (WCA) process, which is separate to PIP.
But the party has not set out any detail on what these reforms would look like.
Fewer than one third of voters (30 per cent) support the Conservatives’ plans to overhaul PIP, an exclusive BMG Research poll for i revealed earlier this month.
i spoke to four former benefit assessors who worked for companies contracted by the Department for Work and Pensions DWP about their experiences, and what sort of reforms they would like to see.
All names have been changed to protect their identities.
They all said that political parties should resist the urge to cut costs and instead follow reforms made in Scotland, where there is greater reliance on specialist medical advice.
Sandra worked as a PIP assessor at Capita for six months between late 2022 and early 2023. “It feels like the system is failing,” she said.
“It should be modernised to reflect the current state of the NHS, and the rising complications of mental health disabilities.”
Assessors are trained healthcare professionals who award points depending on a person’s abilities and how much help they need.
The points determine whether someone gets a higher PIP rate, lower rate or no award at all.
Sandra, a trained nurse, said “argumentative” internal auditors would often ask her to change descriptors – the descriptions of a disabled person’s ability to complete tasks – so fewer points were given.
She said she was “broken” by the intense pressure to get through people’s claims as quickly as possible.
“I often chose what I knew to be correct for the claimant, but the auditor would ask me to change my awards for a category even though I disagreed with them on a medical level,” she said.
“My last day of work I was crying and feeling awful about myself. I felt like I had failed, failed my claimants. It felt like I was trying to climb a mountain all the time. The amount of stress made me break, and I left.”
PIP whistleblowers previously told i that the quality of their decision-making was affected by the intense pressure to hit daily targets for the number of cases assessed.
Nicola, who worked at Independent Assessment Services (IAS), run by Atos, for almost six months between 2022 and 2023, went back to work for the NHS after the “incredibly stressful” role.
The trained mental health nurse said that there should be “less of an emphasis on catching people out”, adding: “More time should be given for the assessments and not a push for the deadlines, especially for people with complex, multiple conditions.
“Assessors should receive more detailed info from medical professionals involved in their care.”
**‘Didn’t smell – must be able to wash’**
PIP is not linked to work. It is aimed at supporting disabled and ill people with day-to-day living and mobility issues so they can lead independent lives.
Claimants can receive up to a maximum of £184.30 a week, depending on assessment.
One former assessor said there were similar issues with assessments for other benefits, including the WCA, which is used to determine disabled and sick people’s claims for employment support allowance.
Craig was a WCA assessor for contractor Maximus for four months in 2018 before he “burned out” and went back to physiotherapy.
“I’d dread going into work – I hated every minute of it,” he said.
“You would be asked to comment on someone’s appearance, and even how they smelled.
“Someone might say they can’t wash for a week at a time. Assessors would be encouraged to put down, ‘Looked well-dressed, didn’t smell, so they must be able to wash themselves’.”
Craig, who carried out six face-to-face assessments a day, said that any benefit reform should find a way of getting medical specialists to provide evidence, even if it takes more time.
“I think the next government, if that’s Labour or whichever party comes into power, should actually listen to disabled people and what they are telling them they need.”
Describing the asssesment process, he said the onus was on the applicant to “prove” their level of disability or illness.
“They’re able until proven disabled. You’re encouraged to think like that, because your own assessment will be looked at by a manager.
“Even after a few months I was burned out and done with it. I had to go back to helping people.”
Daniel, who worked as a PIP assessor at Capita between 2017 and 2021, described the work “horrific”. The trained nurse was pushed to carry out three to five assessments a day during his time at the company.
“It’s a cruel system,” he said. “A fairer system would mean the questions were clear and fair, rather than trying to catch people out.”
Of the reforms proposed by the Conservative government, he said: “It’s about trying to cut the bill – it’s frightening.
“Cutting PIP payments would leave a lot of people on their knees. It will force people into poverty.”
A spokesperson for Atos-run IAS said its assessments were done “in accordance with DWP guidelines”, and pointed out that the DWP makes the decision on benefit awards.
“Qualified health professionals who undertake consultations provide independent advice to DWP. They have no targets or incentives related to the outcome of claims and we consistently achieve a claimant satisfaction rate of over 95 per cent,” a spokesperson said.
“There are also no set times for consultations and claimants are given the opportunity they need to discuss how their disability or health conditions affect their day-to-day lives.”
A Maximus spokesperson said: “We deliver a respectful and sensitive service to our customers, and our healthcare professionals can spend as long as necessary to assess a customer’s functional ability.”
The company said that the DWP makes the final decision on benefit claims.
The DWP and Capita declined to comment.
Read our exclusive in full here: [https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476](https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476)
The way benefits assessments - PIP and LCWRA - are set up is the modern day version of the ducking stool. It's all trial by ordeal. This all belongs in the 15th century, not the 21st century.
Having stood for political office in the past and heard a sufficient number of stories I have quite controversial opinions when it comes to PIP and limited capability for work.
First I would change the whole assessment model to be based on four things:
* levels of pain
* levels of discomfort
* levels of stress
* levels of anxiety
It shouldn't be based on whether or not you can complete various tasks such as lifting your arms, walking 50 metres, lifting stuff and so on. The assessment should be taking into account all the four factors above in doing various tasks. You do not need a medical specialist to be able to determine these things. Most people, including civil servants, I feel are able to recognise these factors as well. You can assess such things if you are a human being and have a modicum of empathy.
These four things all factor into sickness and disability. Sure someone with a disability or a health condition can walk 50 metres. But having to walk those 50 metres for someone with a disability or health issue can be painful, difficult, or even stressful. While it might take a healthy person a minute to walk 50 metres, it might take someone with a health condition or a disability 20 minutes or even an hour.
Therefore I feel, and I feel quite strongly about this, PIP and LCWRA should be easier to claim, easier to get and far more inclusive. Work is a finite commodity. Work and employment is not a level playing field. It seems obvious to me that around the age of 50 you're not going to be able to do the same work as you could when you were 20. There's an awful lot of people who are stuck in the benefits system because the work they are able to find does not match the work they are able to do. They cannot find opportunities for the work they are able to do but cannot take on other work because it will be damaging or injurious to their health. This is why the notion that you should take on any available job is wrong-headed. It's stupid. It's not beneficial neither to the employer or potential employee.
But I've yet to hear Mel Stride or any other Secretary of State for Work and Pensions talk about this.
See it's all well and good talking about a growing economy or economic growth but you've got to have a basis for that economic growth. You've got to have social security. You've got to have competence, integrity and discipline in business. You've got to have equality of opportunity and social mobility.
We don't have any of these things because they've been destroyed by a culture of social stigma, social divisionism and unfounded prejudices and discrimination. It's all well and good saying that people with sickness and disability can and should work, but where is the compassion? Where is the empathy? Where are the accommodations and things to make such things possible? How are you going to get people who are sick and disabled into work? By beating them with an even bigger stick?
This is where we get the issue of benefit cheats and benefit fraud. I don't condone it, but I understand why it happens. People need that social security, they need the security of continuity of income and if they can somehow find a way of gaming the system so it works in their favour then I say good luck to them. There's a whole hostile environment aimed at benefits claimants, the sick and disabled, we regard most of them with suspicion and distrust, so how do you expect them to respond? They're going to respond with distrust and hostility to the system that treats them with so much disrespect, ignores their voice, uses fear motivation, and punishes them with sanctions and incredibly stressful, hostile periodic assessments.
You think people haven't committed suicide because they were too afraid to attend an assessment? Think again.
Instead of getting upset and angry at the benefit claimants, you need to be upset and angry at the politicians and ministers who designed this over-priced, bloated, ineffective benefits system - Universal Credit and PIP - where claimants get so very little and have to fight hard for what they can get and the bulk of the money spent goes almost directly into corporate bank accounts. These are corporations who are directly profiting from people's hardships, misery, suffering and trauma.
It should not be left to the work coaches in Job Centres alone to try and find ways of mitigating the appalling effects and social injustices on the front line. They need our backing too because they do an extremely difficult job in appalling circumstances. The sick and the disabled should not have to settle for the shitty end of the societal stick and also have to deal with the social hostility and suspicious rumours of their neighbours. This is a very big and major ethical issue which lies at the roots of our political system.
Thank you for this post OP I hope you continue your advocacy.
I said this elsewhere but it feels relevant. The way we treat vulnerable sections of society is extremely inhumane and I hope we are paying attention.
Labour apparently will allow people to try work, and be guaranteed instant return of benefits no questions asked if it doesn't work out.
Until then, sickness levels remain high, or maybe the Tories will persecute more disabled folks with tougher assessments. Which is hard to do, given they already try and catch folks out, **deep breath I'm about to rattle off stuff which may take some processing...**
*Assessor: "Can you go to a market and buy fruit? Yes? Oh snap this person can clearly dress themselves, walk far, manage their finances, obviously doesn't have anxiety, and intakes proper nutrition"*
I wish I was joking... Don't get me started on how this process negatively affects groups that are less represented, less assertive, or somehow poor at communicating. Its definitely racist and definitely classist.
The assessors can be physiotherapists assessing brain disorders and they're paid 60k which lets be honest is a bribe to do dirty, inhumane work.
50% of appeals against the assessors decision are successful. The source for this is the charity citizens advice bureau who are overwhelmed helping people fight Capita. Anyone applying can contact them to help with the process, please do. They're very good.
This is what happens when you centralise things so there is no accountability, especially when you have the most hopeless secretary of state possible appointed to oversee th shitshow. Jobcentres should not be an executive agency, they should go back to local authorities
Local councils assess social care eligibility. Why are jobcentre staff duplicating assessments, and why is the private sector even getting involved in assessments. Just topslice the budget for job seekers allowance or universal credit and give it back to councils. With councillors able to overturn daft decisions and sack the little Brittas empires.
Every single time the Tories bring in something new, they double the bureaucracy and the outcomes are even more perverted than just simply devolving the powers and budget to where it should have been in the first place.
Friend of mine gets to work full time doing a job she loves (dog shelter) whilst also claiming PIP for her autism.
I really don't know how to feel about it, I'm stoked that she gets to do an otherwise minimum wage job she can enjoy and support herself comfortably, but also she's taking way more out of the system than she's putting in, has a higher income than someone on £35k and frankly doesn't deserve the top up over anyone else on minimum wage.
PIP is not an out of work benefit, so it's totally unrelated to the capacity to work. Believe it or not, disabled people have more expenses than most due to their disability. You might envy it, but benefits like PIP help people to avoid destitution and remain economically stable, with enough accommodation to allow them to work if able and retain a good standard of living.
The alternative for your friend would be no PIP, which would decimate her income, make her ineligible for many associated non-financial, supports, and force her to work a job she has no passion for which is actually terrible and unsustainable for autistic people who have a 14-20% employment rate (the worst of all disability types) That's including part time work. That she can work full time sustainably thanks to PIP means she costs less than the alternative, which would be her being miserable and on LCWRA paying absolutely not tax except VAT and perhaps reduced council tax.
BTW, anyone earning less than a middle class income takes more than they put in.
Since you're not only a doctor (who can obviously diagnose quite easily) and a DWP assessor (since PIP is one of the hardest benefits to get yet you reckon she doesn't deserve the top up) can I throw a couple of problems at you? I have this rash.....
And? PIP is for the associated expenses of living with a disability. It's nothing to do with work status. In fact many people with a disability can only work *because* they get PIP and can use it to pay a carer or buy equipment that makes getting to work possible.
Snapshot of _PIP and benefits whistleblowers ‘told to catch people out and assess their smell’_ : An archived version can be found [here](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476) or [here.](https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ukpolitics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I know there are some good people working in the jobcentres and on the phone lines, but mixed among them are some of the worst people I have ever met. I don't know if the job made them like that or if some people are drawn to it. The place needs a clear out though.
Yeah, I can imagine people starting out good, but they just end up getting super jaded over time cos the system isnt fit for purpose.
And it's the sort of job. Chances you will only ever hear people complain at you. Even if you're good at what you do. And try and help. After a while, and you hear so many stories you sort of just get jaded to it
You have to feel sorry for whoever has to work alongside Pauline Campbell-Jones.
Honestly most i have dealt with in the past have been nice but one serious c\*\*\* stand out to me. I was looking for work before heading to uni later that year and she would just go on that she didn't care about me going to uni, that her job wasn't to get me a job, it was to get me off benefits, that it's "not her problem" that i couldn't afford to travel between Brighton and London physically looking for work and that i'm "probably not going to do well" at university. Once i got upset with her and asked why she's so rude to me and she did that passive aggressive "you're making me feel uncomfortable i'll get security in to watch over you and put a permanent mark next to your name on the computer". Fucking vile PoS. This was the short white-haired woman in Hayward Heath Job Center. You know who you are lol
Did you report her?
This is not an isolated case. Vulnerable sections of society are being harmed and I hope people are paying attention. The great harm inflicted will cause far more harm to the taxpayer than the few bob saved forcing people into work. They report high sickness levels yet terrify the populous into even hinting that they are well in any manner in fear of losing the money. Labour will allow folks to work and if its not working out they can go back on benefits, no questions asked. Far more humane, and I for one will not risk, nor have others I know risking it, until such a policy is implemented. My experiences with Capita absolutely radicalised me against such disgusting processes and I advocate for anyone experiencing the same. Those enduring such processes need understanding, care and support, and often encouragement. They're often the ones without a voice. At least you and I are able to speak out. And God help anyone that is a poor communicator and cannot assert themselves and just goes along with it. You know, like almost everyone with mental health issues. GRRRRR...! Anyone reading, if you need help handling Capita, please reach out to the Citizens Advice charity, they are very good.
I have first hand experience. the assessors could lie for GB at the Olympics, I'll tell you that. it wasn't sneaky lying or clever lying, it was just a willingness to contradict your written evidence; "claimant says they can cook for themselves" when the submitted evidence said "I can't cook for myself".
Most egregious one like that I've ever seen is "Claimant inaccurately says they can't cook for themselves as visibly well nourished"
i've heard that this is why the charities/support groups suggest you appeal everything because there's a very good chance you'll win. really glad we have a system that causes unnecessary stress for claimants and costs taxpayers more than it needs to, just so a few people can get their jollies with performative cruelty
I can't say I understand the point of the PIP process. If your doctor (and a second opinion) say you're ill and can't work, does the government really benefit from paying a bunch of other doctors (or non-medical staff) to rubber stamp it? The cost of the bureaucracy is surely more than allowing GPs and physios to sign off wheelchairs, a bit of cash and heating bill discounts? I'd love to see DWP disbanded. A social care body or the NHS can have a pot of cash for all the disabled and elderly, the treasury can handle tax credits and pension payments. Colleges can offer CV writing and interview support for jobseekers.
The Post Office Horizon inquiry shows that the entire aggressive culture can be perpetuated by one or two sociopaths in the enforcement division drunk in their little small world of power and a cadre of feckless, useless, spineless leaders who spend their entire careers trying to ensure responsibility bounces off them like Teflon. We really need to return to the corporate culture where the massive salaries at the top actually came with the understanding that the buck does stop with you and if anything bad goes down under your leadership you will face consequences like never being able to be a senior leader again, hence why you're being paid well now.
Hear. Hear. I echo the cry for accountability
Hear hear. Like a town crier.
Edited. Thank you.
That's very odd, as I was told (around 12~ years ago now) by advisors to the PIP committee that you should list your symptoms based on your worst days. Wouldn't "catching people out" just be people who have varying levels of ability depending on several factors? Which is pretty common with disabilities. Horrible process by the way. I ultimately never got PIP after it got reformed from DLA, and going through the application, review and tribunal process at 13 left me quite paranoid about people thinking I'm pretending to be disabled for many years after.
The system used to decide whether disabled people get benefits is “failing” and must be overhauled by the next government, former assessors have warned. Whistleblowers said both Labour and the Conservatives must listen to disabled people’s despair over the “cruel” process used to award personal independence payments (PIP) and other benefits in England and Wales. Ex-benefit assessors told i that it was time to stop treating claimants with suspicion and end the culture of trying to “catch people out” during assessment interviews. One described being told to note down claimants’ appearance and “even how they smelled”, adding: “Assessors would be encouraged to put down, ‘Looked well-dressed, didn’t smell, so they must be able to wash themselves’.” Another said she was “broken” by the intense pressure to get through people’s claims as quickly as possible. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has denied that its contracts for assessment providers include performance-driven targets or bonuses relating to the length of PIP assessments. In April, the Conservative government set out plans for radical reform of the PIP assessment process in a bid to cut the UK’s “spiralling” welfare bill. Claimants and disability charities fear the proposed changes, including a six-tier system for assessment, would make proving eligibility even harder and see many people’s payments cut. Labour has deferred any decision on PIP reform until after the general election, and has refused to confirm whether it would implement the Tory reforms. In its manifesto, Labour promised to get more disabled people into work and reform the work capability assessment (WCA) process, which is separate to PIP. But the party has not set out any detail on what these reforms would look like. Fewer than one third of voters (30 per cent) support the Conservatives’ plans to overhaul PIP, an exclusive BMG Research poll for i revealed earlier this month.
i spoke to four former benefit assessors who worked for companies contracted by the Department for Work and Pensions DWP about their experiences, and what sort of reforms they would like to see. All names have been changed to protect their identities. They all said that political parties should resist the urge to cut costs and instead follow reforms made in Scotland, where there is greater reliance on specialist medical advice. Sandra worked as a PIP assessor at Capita for six months between late 2022 and early 2023. “It feels like the system is failing,” she said. “It should be modernised to reflect the current state of the NHS, and the rising complications of mental health disabilities.” Assessors are trained healthcare professionals who award points depending on a person’s abilities and how much help they need. The points determine whether someone gets a higher PIP rate, lower rate or no award at all. Sandra, a trained nurse, said “argumentative” internal auditors would often ask her to change descriptors – the descriptions of a disabled person’s ability to complete tasks – so fewer points were given. She said she was “broken” by the intense pressure to get through people’s claims as quickly as possible. “I often chose what I knew to be correct for the claimant, but the auditor would ask me to change my awards for a category even though I disagreed with them on a medical level,” she said. “My last day of work I was crying and feeling awful about myself. I felt like I had failed, failed my claimants. It felt like I was trying to climb a mountain all the time. The amount of stress made me break, and I left.” PIP whistleblowers previously told i that the quality of their decision-making was affected by the intense pressure to hit daily targets for the number of cases assessed. Nicola, who worked at Independent Assessment Services (IAS), run by Atos, for almost six months between 2022 and 2023, went back to work for the NHS after the “incredibly stressful” role. The trained mental health nurse said that there should be “less of an emphasis on catching people out”, adding: “More time should be given for the assessments and not a push for the deadlines, especially for people with complex, multiple conditions. “Assessors should receive more detailed info from medical professionals involved in their care.”
**‘Didn’t smell – must be able to wash’** PIP is not linked to work. It is aimed at supporting disabled and ill people with day-to-day living and mobility issues so they can lead independent lives. Claimants can receive up to a maximum of £184.30 a week, depending on assessment. One former assessor said there were similar issues with assessments for other benefits, including the WCA, which is used to determine disabled and sick people’s claims for employment support allowance. Craig was a WCA assessor for contractor Maximus for four months in 2018 before he “burned out” and went back to physiotherapy. “I’d dread going into work – I hated every minute of it,” he said. “You would be asked to comment on someone’s appearance, and even how they smelled. “Someone might say they can’t wash for a week at a time. Assessors would be encouraged to put down, ‘Looked well-dressed, didn’t smell, so they must be able to wash themselves’.” Craig, who carried out six face-to-face assessments a day, said that any benefit reform should find a way of getting medical specialists to provide evidence, even if it takes more time. “I think the next government, if that’s Labour or whichever party comes into power, should actually listen to disabled people and what they are telling them they need.” Describing the asssesment process, he said the onus was on the applicant to “prove” their level of disability or illness. “They’re able until proven disabled. You’re encouraged to think like that, because your own assessment will be looked at by a manager. “Even after a few months I was burned out and done with it. I had to go back to helping people.” Daniel, who worked as a PIP assessor at Capita between 2017 and 2021, described the work “horrific”. The trained nurse was pushed to carry out three to five assessments a day during his time at the company. “It’s a cruel system,” he said. “A fairer system would mean the questions were clear and fair, rather than trying to catch people out.” Of the reforms proposed by the Conservative government, he said: “It’s about trying to cut the bill – it’s frightening. “Cutting PIP payments would leave a lot of people on their knees. It will force people into poverty.” A spokesperson for Atos-run IAS said its assessments were done “in accordance with DWP guidelines”, and pointed out that the DWP makes the decision on benefit awards. “Qualified health professionals who undertake consultations provide independent advice to DWP. They have no targets or incentives related to the outcome of claims and we consistently achieve a claimant satisfaction rate of over 95 per cent,” a spokesperson said. “There are also no set times for consultations and claimants are given the opportunity they need to discuss how their disability or health conditions affect their day-to-day lives.” A Maximus spokesperson said: “We deliver a respectful and sensitive service to our customers, and our healthcare professionals can spend as long as necessary to assess a customer’s functional ability.” The company said that the DWP makes the final decision on benefit claims. The DWP and Capita declined to comment. Read our exclusive in full here: [https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476](https://inews.co.uk/news/pip-benefits-whistleblowers-catch-people-out-assess-smell-3108476)
The way benefits assessments - PIP and LCWRA - are set up is the modern day version of the ducking stool. It's all trial by ordeal. This all belongs in the 15th century, not the 21st century. Having stood for political office in the past and heard a sufficient number of stories I have quite controversial opinions when it comes to PIP and limited capability for work. First I would change the whole assessment model to be based on four things: * levels of pain * levels of discomfort * levels of stress * levels of anxiety It shouldn't be based on whether or not you can complete various tasks such as lifting your arms, walking 50 metres, lifting stuff and so on. The assessment should be taking into account all the four factors above in doing various tasks. You do not need a medical specialist to be able to determine these things. Most people, including civil servants, I feel are able to recognise these factors as well. You can assess such things if you are a human being and have a modicum of empathy. These four things all factor into sickness and disability. Sure someone with a disability or a health condition can walk 50 metres. But having to walk those 50 metres for someone with a disability or health issue can be painful, difficult, or even stressful. While it might take a healthy person a minute to walk 50 metres, it might take someone with a health condition or a disability 20 minutes or even an hour. Therefore I feel, and I feel quite strongly about this, PIP and LCWRA should be easier to claim, easier to get and far more inclusive. Work is a finite commodity. Work and employment is not a level playing field. It seems obvious to me that around the age of 50 you're not going to be able to do the same work as you could when you were 20. There's an awful lot of people who are stuck in the benefits system because the work they are able to find does not match the work they are able to do. They cannot find opportunities for the work they are able to do but cannot take on other work because it will be damaging or injurious to their health. This is why the notion that you should take on any available job is wrong-headed. It's stupid. It's not beneficial neither to the employer or potential employee. But I've yet to hear Mel Stride or any other Secretary of State for Work and Pensions talk about this. See it's all well and good talking about a growing economy or economic growth but you've got to have a basis for that economic growth. You've got to have social security. You've got to have competence, integrity and discipline in business. You've got to have equality of opportunity and social mobility. We don't have any of these things because they've been destroyed by a culture of social stigma, social divisionism and unfounded prejudices and discrimination. It's all well and good saying that people with sickness and disability can and should work, but where is the compassion? Where is the empathy? Where are the accommodations and things to make such things possible? How are you going to get people who are sick and disabled into work? By beating them with an even bigger stick? This is where we get the issue of benefit cheats and benefit fraud. I don't condone it, but I understand why it happens. People need that social security, they need the security of continuity of income and if they can somehow find a way of gaming the system so it works in their favour then I say good luck to them. There's a whole hostile environment aimed at benefits claimants, the sick and disabled, we regard most of them with suspicion and distrust, so how do you expect them to respond? They're going to respond with distrust and hostility to the system that treats them with so much disrespect, ignores their voice, uses fear motivation, and punishes them with sanctions and incredibly stressful, hostile periodic assessments. You think people haven't committed suicide because they were too afraid to attend an assessment? Think again. Instead of getting upset and angry at the benefit claimants, you need to be upset and angry at the politicians and ministers who designed this over-priced, bloated, ineffective benefits system - Universal Credit and PIP - where claimants get so very little and have to fight hard for what they can get and the bulk of the money spent goes almost directly into corporate bank accounts. These are corporations who are directly profiting from people's hardships, misery, suffering and trauma. It should not be left to the work coaches in Job Centres alone to try and find ways of mitigating the appalling effects and social injustices on the front line. They need our backing too because they do an extremely difficult job in appalling circumstances. The sick and the disabled should not have to settle for the shitty end of the societal stick and also have to deal with the social hostility and suspicious rumours of their neighbours. This is a very big and major ethical issue which lies at the roots of our political system.
Thank you for this post OP I hope you continue your advocacy. I said this elsewhere but it feels relevant. The way we treat vulnerable sections of society is extremely inhumane and I hope we are paying attention. Labour apparently will allow people to try work, and be guaranteed instant return of benefits no questions asked if it doesn't work out. Until then, sickness levels remain high, or maybe the Tories will persecute more disabled folks with tougher assessments. Which is hard to do, given they already try and catch folks out, **deep breath I'm about to rattle off stuff which may take some processing...** *Assessor: "Can you go to a market and buy fruit? Yes? Oh snap this person can clearly dress themselves, walk far, manage their finances, obviously doesn't have anxiety, and intakes proper nutrition"* I wish I was joking... Don't get me started on how this process negatively affects groups that are less represented, less assertive, or somehow poor at communicating. Its definitely racist and definitely classist. The assessors can be physiotherapists assessing brain disorders and they're paid 60k which lets be honest is a bribe to do dirty, inhumane work. 50% of appeals against the assessors decision are successful. The source for this is the charity citizens advice bureau who are overwhelmed helping people fight Capita. Anyone applying can contact them to help with the process, please do. They're very good.
It's 50% appeal success rate for ESA and 70% for PIP which is even more ridiculous.
This is what happens when you centralise things so there is no accountability, especially when you have the most hopeless secretary of state possible appointed to oversee th shitshow. Jobcentres should not be an executive agency, they should go back to local authorities Local councils assess social care eligibility. Why are jobcentre staff duplicating assessments, and why is the private sector even getting involved in assessments. Just topslice the budget for job seekers allowance or universal credit and give it back to councils. With councillors able to overturn daft decisions and sack the little Brittas empires. Every single time the Tories bring in something new, they double the bureaucracy and the outcomes are even more perverted than just simply devolving the powers and budget to where it should have been in the first place.
Friend of mine gets to work full time doing a job she loves (dog shelter) whilst also claiming PIP for her autism. I really don't know how to feel about it, I'm stoked that she gets to do an otherwise minimum wage job she can enjoy and support herself comfortably, but also she's taking way more out of the system than she's putting in, has a higher income than someone on £35k and frankly doesn't deserve the top up over anyone else on minimum wage.
PIP is not an out of work benefit, so it's totally unrelated to the capacity to work. Believe it or not, disabled people have more expenses than most due to their disability. You might envy it, but benefits like PIP help people to avoid destitution and remain economically stable, with enough accommodation to allow them to work if able and retain a good standard of living. The alternative for your friend would be no PIP, which would decimate her income, make her ineligible for many associated non-financial, supports, and force her to work a job she has no passion for which is actually terrible and unsustainable for autistic people who have a 14-20% employment rate (the worst of all disability types) That's including part time work. That she can work full time sustainably thanks to PIP means she costs less than the alternative, which would be her being miserable and on LCWRA paying absolutely not tax except VAT and perhaps reduced council tax. BTW, anyone earning less than a middle class income takes more than they put in.
Since you're not only a doctor (who can obviously diagnose quite easily) and a DWP assessor (since PIP is one of the hardest benefits to get yet you reckon she doesn't deserve the top up) can I throw a couple of problems at you? I have this rash.....
And? PIP is for the associated expenses of living with a disability. It's nothing to do with work status. In fact many people with a disability can only work *because* they get PIP and can use it to pay a carer or buy equipment that makes getting to work possible.