Up sh@t creak

[Carnation]

You make me laugh Buster, but you have to get in these people's heads! You also have to point out their liabilities for their decisions. Point out that your partner was made to feel nervous and uncomfortable. You know the sort of stuff. It's not lies, it's the truth!!!!

[MyNameIsTerry]

You know, that does sound like Magic

You probably made that old ladies day, Buster...she might have thought she had pulled a toy boy

I agree with Carnation, lay it bare. No, holding back in a very British way, lay it out how their decision affects you all.

[pulisa]

Unfortunately many people will now be trying to pull a fast one under the anxiety and depression mantle...which makes it all the more difficult for those with a genuine, life-affecting disability like your case, Buster.

[Carnation]

That's exactly why this has happened Pulisa.
As far as they are concerned, if you can walk and talk and can answer the questions rationally, then you can work. Their outcome of your present state is based solely on their very selective questions, which is unfair!
It can also be twisted around to sound more in their favour. You might say you attended a Wedding or even a funeral, so they put down that you socialise regularly!

[pulisa]

I do understand why they are trying to stop scroungers from abusing the system..because it has been abused obviously in the past. We just all suffer now from that legacy. "Anxiety and depression" covers such a wide spectrum but you can't have a one size fits all criteria and assessors have to be trained in detecting the whingers and malingerers from those genuinely in distress and incapacitated.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I do understand why they are trying to stop scroungers from abusing the system..because it has been abused obviously in the past. We just all suffer now from that legacy. "Anxiety and depression" covers such a wide spectrum but you can't have a one size fits all criteria and assessors have to be trained in detecting the whingers and malingerers from those genuinely in distress and incapacitated.

There's a question mark over whether that is the intention of these reviews. If they are intended to weed out the scroungers then the failure rate is high and suggests they are not fit for purpose.

How much money is wasted on appeals? But I guess it might be weighed up against how much is gained by saving on those people too afraid to challenge.

[Carnation]

Terry, that's exactly the point!
The rate is high for those that don't appeal for the plain fact that they are mentally unable to do this, especially victims on their own with no-one to help fight their battles.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Terry, that's exactly the point!
The rate is high for those that don't appeal for the plain fact that they are mentally unable to do this, especially victims on their own with no-one to help fight their battles.

I know I would find it challenging, it would up my anxiety for sure.

I wonder how hard it is for those more complex mental health disorders? And what of those going through periods of psychosis? I guess we have to hope they have family because not turning up because you've been sectioned will just be a tick in the box for sanctions and how could you get your head around following that up when you're struggling just to get by each day?

Imagine those coming out of hospital after self harm? It's scary to think how they could be treated by uncaring system. Thank god for charities & advocacy services.

[pulisa]

I know my daughter would be absolutely devastated if she were to lose her DLA/PIP. It would severely impact on her mental health and she would consider herself a fraud. She would believe the assessors.

I would be able to appeal on her behalf though but the psychological damage would have already been done. The result of the appeal would be irrelevant. It wouldn't be about the financial side of things-more the shame of being perceived as a fake.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I know my daughter would be absolutely devastated if she were to lose her DLA/PIP. It would severely impact on her mental health and she would consider herself a fraud. She would believe the assessors.

I would be able to appeal on her behalf though but the psychological damage would have already been done. The result of the appeal would be irrelevant. It wouldn't be about the financial side of things-more the shame of being perceived as a fake.

I would say I could imagine that, but I really couldn't. I'm sure many a doctor couldn't, not like you who understands her much better from years of observation and navigation of her conditions.

But I'm not sure they would care. They get paid and go home. I'm sure some do, law of averages and all that and these are people from the caring profession, but the kind that make up lies or do it just to make money when their ethics for being in caring occupations should be more important I don't care about any of those they see.

I am thinking the questioning alone would greatly upset your daughter as she would view it as questioning whether her behaviour was "right"?

---------- Post added at 02:00 ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 ----------

Hi guys , back home now , firstly thanks to all that have replied and offered advice and support , I know others will be in this position who don't feel they can ask and may get some help from this thread .
I've read quite a lot about the appeal process and the best way to go about it , I want to get this right so plenty of letters , the amount of people on Google who are saying the assessor lied about what had been said is unbelievable, on my partners letter there are at least three complete lies but the complaints process is a joke , the main problem with the Dwp is no one is accountable for the assessors actions , if plumber messed up and someone died because of his work he'd be locked up but if they say you are fit for work against doctors advice and you drop dead or kill yourself that's the end of it no one has to answer for it , it's almost impossible to make any complaints against them .
So you know I spend a lot of time pondering about people and the world we live in , I sat at the beach again this morning not wanting to come home , it crossed my mind that we talk on here but have no idea what people look like ( well most ) I could be sat saying morning to another member or having a chat and not even know , we all go about our days hiding our guilty secret , maybe the biker stood staring out to sea could have been bikermatt ok he have to be driven there in his leathers until he fixed up and back on the road , who knows where we all spend our days , the loonies are walking among us .
The other thing that I noticed is animals also like to stare out to sea maybe looking for the answers or maybe looking to see what I'm staring at .
Attached photo of ma dowg this morning , the other one was hiding behind me to keep warm and whining to go home .
Ta ta

Probably thinking can I play with those or eat them?

I look at our dog when he's staring into space and wonder what's going through his mind.

Maybe the sea represents some adventure or opportunity to start anew? I think people have always stared at it in wonder of the ages, it seems to get mentioned in that way as almost a godly thing in nature like a mountain would be.