Notorious lying UK benefit assessors for the DWP caught on tape

[Countrygirl]

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...d-near-fatal-attacks-overdoses-and-blackouts/

Recordings prove PIP report ignored near-fatal attacks, overdoses and blackouts
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BY JOHN PRING ON AUGUST 10, 2017BENEFITS AND POVERTY
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A nurse failed to mention a disabled woman’s near-fatal asthma attacks, accidental overdoses and repeated blackouts, in one of the clearest examples yet of a dishonest benefits assessment report, secret recordings have revealed.

A video recording of the assessment also shows that the nurse lied about the way disabled activist Catherine Scarlett made her way from a stairlift to a reclining chair to begin the assessment.

Scarlett had been so distrustful of the personal independence payment (PIP) system that she made both video and audio recordings of her face-to-face assessment, which was carried out at her home in Yorkshire in May.

She says the recordings and assessment report prove she was right to do so.

They show how the nurse – employed by the government contractor Atos Healthcare – repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of what she was told by Scarlett.

This allowed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to lower her entitlement from the enhanced rate to just the standard rate for the daily living element of PIP, although she was allowed to stay on the enhanced rate for mobility.

At one point, Scarlett is heard on the recording telling the nurse that on several occasions she had accidentally double-dosed the powerful opioid pain medication Tramadol, but the nurse translates that in her written report as “occasionally forgets to take her medication”.

Scarlett also tells the nurse that she cannot read for long periods “because I black out”, but this ends up in the report as “she can read although she doesn’t read for long due to concentration”.

When Scarlett describes how she has previously experienced “near-fatal asthma attacks”, the nurse writes this up in her report as episodes of being “wheezy and short of breath”, which “comes and goes”.

Open the link for the rest of the article.

 

[TiredSam]

I'd like to place five pounds on the "bad apple" defence please.

 

[Sean]

I wish I could say I am surprised.

No way this is an isolated or incidental case. This is the inevitable and predictable (and predicted) outcome of the assessment process implemented by the government, in particular the requirement for the assessment staff to meet arbitrary quotas.

It is set up entirely and deliberately so the government can try to avoid responsibility for the resulting human carnage wreaked by the government's policies.

The nurse has to take her share of the blame. But the real villains are the government for the demands they place on the assessment staff and the punishments for them if they don't meet the arbitrary quotas.

The whole things stinks.

 

[Skippa]

Can comfirm my ESA assessor, a nurse by trade, blatantly ignored anything I said that didn't fit her narrative.

Things that were rather important that I mentioned AND wrote on my form were simply ignored, no rhyme or reason, just not taken into consideration.

She also stepped above and beyond her remit several times, one of which went something like:

Her: and are you on any medication for this particular condition?
Me: yes these (pointed to a box of pills I had on the table)
Her: No they are not for condition xyz they are for something else.
Me: No, the doctor prescribed these for wh-
Her: No, they're not, I know exactly what these are for a doctor wouldn't prescibe them for xyz
(A nurse denying my GP grrr)
Me: oh, ok then
My GF: but-
Her: can I just move on I haven't got long because we're behind today.

The entire mental section didn't get filled in or mentioned at all, even though I talked (or tried to) about it and had several pages about it with my form.

Total shambles, all obviously aimed at failing me no matter what. So blatantly obvious.

She also claimed to be an expert on ME/CFS and lectured me about preferred terms etc.

 

[ScottTriGuy]

Scarlett had been so distrustful of the personal independence payment (PIP) system that she made both video and audio recordings...

Good for her.

Everyone living with ME should be recording encounters with health workers. Unless and until the worker has proven they will not harm them physically, psychologically and/or financially.

I believe in some states in the US, police officers wear cameras and this has dramatically decreased police violence against the public.

In both contexts, health care workers and police officers, have a huge amount of power to affect the future on another's life.

 

[Invisible Woman]

She also claimed to be an expert on ME/CFS and lectured me about preferred terms etc.

So she didn't have time to let you answer her questions because she was running behind yet she had plenty of time to lecture you which is beyond her remit.

Also they claim that these assessments are specifically to assess how your life is impaired rather than the diagnosis. So again lecturing you in general about ME is beyond the remit of the assessment.

And then you're expected to believe there is no agenda.

 

[Invisible Woman]

Everyone living with ME should be recording encounters with health workers. Unless and until the worker has proven they will not harm them physically, psychologically and/or financially.

You are so right and this is exactly why claimants are warned of dire consequences of secretly recording your assessment. If they catch you the assessment may be terminated - I think they can impose sanctions as well (maybe someone who has up to date info could confirm?).

 

[John Mac]

Her: and are you on any medication for this particular condition?
Me: yes these (pointed to a box of pills I had on the table)
Her: No they are not for condition xyz they are for something else.
Me: No, the doctor prescribed these for wh-
Her: No, they're not, I know exactly what these are for a doctor wouldn't prescibe them for xyz

That is almost a word for word copy of what was said at my PIP assessment 2 weeks ago.
I'm on 30mg of Amitriptiline to help me sleep (can't without them) and was baffled when she insisted I was taking them for something else. It left me baffled. But now it looks as though they are instructed to say this.

 

[Snowdrop]

Good for her.

Everyone living with ME should be recording encounters with health workers. Unless and until the worker has proven they will not harm them physically, psychologically and/or financially.

I believe in some states in the US, police officers wear cameras and this has dramatically decreased police violence against the public.

In both contexts, health care workers and police officers, have a huge amount of power to affect the future on another's life.

And I wouldn't consider any potential illegality a reason to not record. Any recordings would not be considered legal evidence in most countries I expect (I could be wrong) but it doesn't matter. The players in gov't and their various bureaucratic arms will not want to look like they are bad people training people to act badly and harming others in the process. Handing over recordings to media or just posting them is quite useful toward exposing this horrible situation.

 

[Wonko]

@Snowdrop
It's not illegal to record without consent.
What stopped me was that, if caught, the assessment is terminated and your claim is returned to the DWP for non compliance, which pretty much always results in a claim being closed and hence no benefits being awarded.

Of course given what happened where my claim was closed anyway due to the report of a dodgy assessor......never again will I not record.

 

[bombsh3ll]

I would definitely find some way of recording any such assessment, and also have a witness present if possible.