After being awarded PIP previously at tribunal until June 2018, I was called in June 2017 for a reassessment. I stated nothing much had changed on my review form, except additional pain that didn't seem related was being investigated by the musculoskeletal team at my local hospital. I was told to attend an assessment, which I understand and was happy to do. My appointment was at 11am and I was called at 9am requesting I attend the appointment immediately. I had to refuse as I was in no position to leave the house due to my disability. I was asked several questions which I answered honestly regarding the aids I need to assist with daily living and how my condition affects me. I told her about the adaptations I have had to make to try and live a somewhat limited life. I offered a comprehensive list of all aids and why I needed them, which were noted. Some things were hard to talk about but I did, despite getting upset a few times. My assessor was a paramedic and although she stated she was 'qualified', I really don't think she had any idea about fibromyalgia and depression, how the two affect each other, and how unpredictable they can be. I told her how my employer offers me a huge amount of flexibility and support, and how this enables me to work an office job part time. She did a 30 second physical examination and I walked away feeling that I had said all I needed to, I checked she had listed everything and felt ok about how it had gone. 3 weeks later my award was terminated without notice and I was awarded zero points. On receiving a copy of the assessors report so I could request a mandatory reconsideration, it became clear as to why I was awarded zero points. Based on a (literally) 30 second physical examination she managed to write a half page description mentioning flexion, degrees, movement and mobility, all very scientific and not really understandable. For every one of the components I was applying for, she began her summary with 'although she indicates the use of aids...' then rambled on quoting from her scientific summary, finishing with 'therefore evidence suggests she does not need to use the aids to carry out this activity reliably and repeatedly'... she managed to decide all this because I walked slowly and painfully 10m into the assessment room, I could raise my arms for one second and touch the back of my neck, I could touch my fingers behind my lower back for one second and I could bend down sufficiently to touch my knees (but not my toes). She stated I could walk 'repeatedly and reliably' because I had 'normal knee flexion' and, because I shifted slightly in the chair to a more comfortable position, I was assessed as having normal grip. My ability to twist and bend was assessed as normal because I was seen to stand unaided from a chair. I believe that the assessor was not qualified to make sound judgement on a complex condition. The black and white approach she took would have only resulted in an award for someone completely parylised from the neck down. I have requested a mandatory reconsideration but the whole process sent me into a huge flare up and depressive state resulting in 4 weeks off work.

Both My wife and myself were forced to suffer severe harship when both our separate ESA payments were wrongly removed. It took years of appealing to re-gain our legally entitled amount of correct benefit. The DWP screamed down the phone on one call, to order her to withdraw her claim as she is not entitled to it. It was later awarded correctly. the period of unjust suffering and costs were years. We had the same problem with PIP and DLA, forced repeadedly through the appeal system. even today we are awaiting a referal back to first tier appeal after nearly appealing none stop since 2013, despite numerous upper tier, descisions judging dwp descisions unlawfull they continue to hound us, possibly due to our mental health issues, I have a difficulot personality which them seem to gleefully punnish me because of it. My wife suffers permanant metal health issues, partly from the abuse from DWP and ATOS.

I've been through both ESA and PIP assessments; I was luckier than most. I had relatively nice and compassionate assessors, and while I was denied PIP after the assessment, and sent in my mandatory reconsideration letter, a year later I phoned the DWP and they claimed they'd lost the letter. I was then given a tribunal date in December 2016, with the judge approving my PIP appeal, I waited around four months to get anything. It's not just that for many people, these assessments can be humiliating, degrading and dehumanising, it's that they are often being done by people with little to no knowledge of the medical conditions they're assessing people for. I've been lucky; a friend of mine, who's 64, was recently denied his current ESA claim, and for several weeks, left with no money. I've had to talk him out of suicide more than once, and he's not the only one. The most vulnerable people in this country are being punished for something that we didn't do; people are dying, killing themselves, or being evicted from their homes and made homeless. Add this to a growing problem of malnutrition from people not being able to afford food, and cuts to public services and the NHS, the Government seems to be throwing gas on an already burning blaze, and if something isn't done, and soon, they will no longer be able to placate people's anger at the injustice and cruelty of current policies.

I have been through the PIP assessment process twice. It was extremely stressful right from the start. The form often arrives late leaving little time to complete it. The applicant is then obliged to ring using the very expensive helpline to ask for an "extension". I could only complete a small section at a time and felt under enormous pressure. Then after waiting eight months I was given little notice and told that I had to travel to an assessment centre nearly an hour away, in a town that I am unfamiliar with. I was in an extremely anxious and fatigued state by the time I got there. I don't feel well enough to do outings at the best of times. I then had to answer questions for an hour sitting upright on a hard chair which caused me more pain and exhaustion. I need to spend most of my days lying down. The hcp admitted he didn't know much about ME. I was reduced to tears during the assessment as I was feeling so ill and humiliated by the process. I was not awarded the points that I deserved but was too ill to fight back. I live on my own and managing daily living pushes me beyond my limits . Two years later I reapplied and became so ill and stressed by the process that I had to get an advocate involved.. Again the assessment company ATOS were insisting that I travel to an appointment an hour away. I was offered this appointment with only four days notice. This time I refused to do this as I am too ill to travel that far and I needed to arrange for someone to be with me. I had to fight to get a home visit. It took me two weeks to get a letter from my doctor stating that I was too ill to travel. When I rang to explain the delay I was told that if I refused another appointment my claim would be cancelled. The stress of the situation caused me great upset and many sleepless nights. Eventually I was granted the home visit and I was given a correct decision. The decision maker rang and asked me why I hadn't challenged the previous decision. I told her that I was too ill to cope with it. I understand that the system has to be fair but it is too rigorous and lacking in any flexibility or compassion. I am educated to degree level and English is my first language, but as a very ill and disabled person I felt that I did not have the strength to cope with the process.

Being ex army i had a breakdown in 2011 when i was told I had severe PTSD,in June this year I had an assessment done this was the 3rd one this time by a nurse who either did not put stuff in the report that I had told her or manipulated certain things for the benefit of the DWP,i already had a letter from the DWP from a previous assessment which i gave to her which basicaly said i was a threat to human life and that the local authority and police had been notified,but no mention of it in the medical report..after i read the report i put a complaint into CHDA who said they would look into it,as it stated on the FAQ,s on the website i would be assessed by someone qualified in mental health to me this was not the case,even more worrying is CHDA stated PTSD does not cause aggression issue,s even though it is well documented in the NHS guidelines for diagnosing PTSD..as a result of a badly done report,my ESA was stopped,when i went to claim JSA i was told i could not claim as my aggression issue,s could cause problems ie saftey of job center staff and probably unable to meet the criteria,so i had no income at all for 2 months,only Durham county council helped by paying housing and council tax on a nil income basis,friends and family helped me out until the mandatory reconsideration came back placing me in the work related activity group,i now have to go to court in January 10th 2018 to see if i can get back into the support group..this whole experience has left me on the verge of suicide,makes me wonder why did i put up with the things i had to do in Northern Ireland or clearing bodies from mass war graves in Bosnia..i was proud to serve my country thinking i was making a difference but now i wish i had never bothered

I have been subjected to continuous ESA assessments, I have been mentally ill for over 45 years I had a suicidal episode this was made clear the day after speaking to the assessors I was treated as a joke. It is so very cruel, I will never be able to hold down any form of employment I am clinically depressed I have multiple personality disorders I suffer with dibilatating anxiety and this has been for over 45 years are these assesors miracle workers. I can not cope with another assesment asking questions like why am I not dead yet with all your suicidal thoughts and why do I not act on them. I have another assessment in two weeks I will be treated like an animal yet again I live in fear of these barbarians. I am in the Support Group.

1) Use basic common sense to just STOP demanding that we attend re-assessments when we have degenerative conditions that HURT when we even just TRY to get in the godamn car 2) So I have 14 debilitating conditions, attend hospital quarterly for LIFE for MANY chronic (which means lifelong!) debilitating illnesses of which evidence & proof from professors, consultants, health visitors & rheumatologists, to name just a few....Yet you deem it acceptable that even though at times I cannot physically get into a vehicle, I do not qualify for the enhanced Motability. 3) This is despite my contribution to society where for 17 years I worked 80 hours a week. It is soul destroying on its' own that I can now only 'manage' 6, which means I have NO QUALITY OF LIFE for the rest of that day 4) Despite help from the national charity of my primary condition with appealing, it was very obvious the decision had been made and nothing I could say would get through. As if having an invisible illness (and then some!) is bad enough, you get put down further. 5) The current procedure is just character assassination....very negative at that.

I have had 2 f2f as I wrote because I become more poorly and had my pip downgraded,I received polluted blood and am stage 2 cirrhosis,my life is completely destroyed and also suffer with cfs I have worked all my life until I became too ill and found benefits demeaning and distressing the situation I find myself in is through polluted blood

I have nerve damage in my left leg and the muscle as atrophied to the point where apart from walking I can't use it. The doctors were so concerned with the lack of mobility stregnth they thought I had motor neurons disease . As my condition has been 2 years I was advised to get a PIP assessment as I cannot do basic things that involve my legs. When the PIP assessment guy came round my house to assess me. No assessment took place he just spent 15mins telling how detailed and informed my application was. I asked him if he wanted to undertake any assessment physical or verbal and he said no that wasn't neccessarry. I took it upon myself to describe in detail what i cant do due my condition and how the symptoms impact my mobility including the fact I need to drive automatic car, climb stairs slowly on one leg, can't do anything that involves squating due to no stregnth and cant get in and out of my bath. The PIP score came back zero even in things I said I couldn't do. The assessment chap did nothing more than read my application ignore it and ignore my comments. No assessment took place - it was pointless and a waste of money and time for every obe involved. Meanwhile I struggle daily with my mobility

I was asked to do a 90 mile round trip for an assessment when moving from lifetime/indefinite length DLA while on active chemotherapy and vulnerable to infection. I had to involve the local CAB as I was told my GP’s evidence that I required a home assessment was not enough proof and I live alone and was too ill to deal with this myself at the time Just when an agreement to complete an assessment at home was finally reached I received a letter to say that an assessment was no longer required as enough evidence had been provided - all the stress I had gone through was for nothing. It seems the admin systems around the assessment process are not good, no one I phoned knew what evidence I needed to provide to be granted a home assessment and no one seemed to have the power to take a ‘common sense’ decision. I felt not believed and ‘guilty’ until ‘proven innocent’ which was a truly horrible feeling for someone with a genuine difficulty, who has worked in some capacity all their life despite severe disability, using an adapted Motability car to enable access to a workplace,