0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welfare reform has arrived here.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07It's time to say goodbye to Disability Living Allowance,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11and hello to PIP, the new Personal Independence Payment.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Good afternoon. You're through to the independent helpline.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17More than 100,000 people are being reassessed
0:00:17 > 0:00:21as they move across to the new benefit. Many are losing out.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24We're seeing clients who had DLA for life being
0:00:24 > 0:00:26reduced down to nothing.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The title is Personal Independence Payment,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and by taking away my car,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36they were taking away my ability to have a little bit of independence.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40But those behind the changes say the new benefit is working.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It is light years better than the old benefit.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45We are getting more money to the right people.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47And that is a good thing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Capita is the private company managing the switchover.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But how transparent are their assessments?
0:00:54 > 0:00:56And what if some are wrong?
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I thought, no, this must be some kind of mistake.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02There were a lot of inaccuracies.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Tonight, Spotlight can reveal growing concerns that,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09on occasion, Capita have been changing or, as they call it,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12auditing their assessments, before submitting them
0:01:12 > 0:01:16to those deciding whether claimants should get the benefits or not.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18What this says is that either their words were twisted
0:01:18 > 0:01:21or some of the things in the assessment were fabricated.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Thousands of people are now challenging their decisions,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26but who is challenging Capita?
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Certainly, Capita should be called before the committee
0:01:29 > 0:01:32for scrutiny in terms of the assessments that they provide.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00This is Martin Murtagh.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04He's 66 and lives in sheltered housing in north Belfast.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07His family have been devastated by dementia.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Two of his sisters have already died due to the illness.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13A third is in a nursing home.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17It was so sad, and I usually break down when I talk about it.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21I don't know how I haven't broken down. I can still see them.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I can still see them, as if they're sitting there.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27I don't want to forget them.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30In Martin's home, labels have been put up to help him to remember
0:02:30 > 0:02:32to do things,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35because now Martin has been diagnosed with dementia as well.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Martin's sons take it in turn to look after him, but after seeing
0:02:41 > 0:02:44the rapid decline of their three aunts,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46they are worried about what lies ahead.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Me and my three brothers, we all try and come down,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55try and... We take turns staying or cooking or helping my father out.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I mean, it's all you can do, really, isn't it?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Be there for your family in their time of need.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I know it's going to get worse, but there's nothing I can do about it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Under the old system, Martin was on lifetime DLA.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10He has now been reassessed under the new system, PIP.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Personal Independence Payment is much harder to get than DLA,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17because it places less importance on your diagnosis.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Instead, what counts is how well you can function on a day-to-day basis.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Martin comes along to this dementia support group once a week.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I'm Lil, and I have dementia.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I'm Martin, I have dementia.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Through submitting a freedom of information request,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Spotlight has discovered that more than 125,000 people
0:03:39 > 0:03:42across Northern Ireland will have to be reassessed
0:03:42 > 0:03:45to see if they are still eligible for benefits.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Campaigners think those with dementia shouldn't have to go
0:03:48 > 0:03:51through the process of being reassessed,
0:03:51 > 0:03:52but almost all of them will.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57There's nobody around this table here trying to fool the system.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01We have dementia. Dementia, at some stage, is going to kill us.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Most of this group are due to have their benefits reassessed,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06but because they look physically healthy,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09some are now frightened to leave the house.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Some of our members are now feeling that they're too scared to
0:04:11 > 0:04:14go out over the door
0:04:14 > 0:04:16because somebody might shop them in
0:04:16 > 0:04:18for just going out and living their lives,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and it's an extra stress and it's an extra worry
0:04:21 > 0:04:23to burden our members with.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I'll just move this round for you.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Martin is starting to go through the reassessment process.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34His family has found the paperwork very difficult.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Some of the questions on it about the toilet,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41about the shower, about the dressing, the cooking,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44well, they must know if you've got dementia,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48or any sort of illness that you're diagnosed with,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51that you can't do these things.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55As part of the process, an assessor came to his home.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59He asked me, "Could you touch your toes?"
0:04:59 > 0:05:01He said, "What about the toilet?"
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Martin answered it - he takes me to the toilet. He showers me.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07They do the bath and the cooking.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11You being able to touch your nose or put your hands on your head or
0:05:11 > 0:05:13whatever, touch your toes,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I mean, how is that relevant to having dementia?
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Martin relied on the money from his DLA for essentials.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22The money helps.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26I'm able to get a taxi, go to the shops and be able to get...
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I change a lot.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31With me wearing pads, I soil a lot, and I need a lot of bedclothes.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I need a lot of clothes. I throw the stuff out.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38With that money, I'm able to get the things.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40I'm able to get the help I need.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48How are you doing, Peter?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Hi, nice to see you again. How are you keeping?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Simon Matchett used to live life to the full,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57but that changed when he felt something was wrong.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It started just with tingling, like, pins and needles,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03and then it made its way up my arm.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05My doctor wasn't too sure what it was.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Simon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He was 32.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13It was a shock to the system.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16The lesions that you have on your brain and spinal cord,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20they move around, so they can attack any nervous system in the body,
0:06:20 > 0:06:26so you don't know when or where, or how bad the attack can be.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29He had been holding down a full-time management job in Edinburgh,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31but as the condition began to deteriorate,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36he moved back home to a bungalow in Bangor, to be near his family.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Simon was getting higher rate DLA
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and was able to get a Motability car to help him get around.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44He was worried about PIP as he had heard stories from those with MS
0:06:44 > 0:06:48in England who had lost their entire award.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53I was extremely stressed, and that is not a good sort of state
0:06:53 > 0:06:57to be in with MS, with it being a condition that affects your nerves.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08As we know, PIP isn't paid just because someone has an illness.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12What matters is how it affects their ability to do specific things.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18DLA was an assessment of your total circumstances,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20the difficulties that you have,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and there was a good deal more leeway in saying,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I've got difficulty with this, I've got difficulty with that.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28PIP is different because it has 12 activities,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31you are scored on what you can do with regard to those activities.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Do you have difficulty eating? Can you manage the toilet?
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Can you dress?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38So, you have a number of limited activities,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40they look at your capacity to do these.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Supporters of the new PIP system say the cost of DLA was spiralling.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48More than 200,000 people in Northern Ireland claimed it,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52costing taxpayers more than £1 billion a year.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It was the Conservative government that introduced PIP.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Justin Tomlinson is a former Minister for Disabled People
0:08:00 > 0:08:02and had responsibility for PIP.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05To be absolutely clear, the stakeholders
0:08:05 > 0:08:09and the charities do recognise that PIP is a better benefit than DLA.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Through the introduction of Personal Independence Payments, we are
0:08:14 > 0:08:17getting more people accessing the higher rate of benefits.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It is a much, much better benefit.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21It was never about cutting the money.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It was about recognising there is a much wider
0:08:24 > 0:08:27spectrum of challenges that people face through their own
0:08:27 > 0:08:30individual long-term health conditions or disabilities.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35PIP was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2016 and, so far,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37over 55,000 have applied for it.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Getting PIP is quite a complicated process.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Firstly, you'll receive a letter telling you that you're going
0:08:45 > 0:08:46to be reassessed.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50You'll be posted a copy of this form, which is called PIP 2.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52It's 40 pages long
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and asks you about how your disability affects your life.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Then most people will have a face-to-face assessment,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01either at a centre like this or at their home, where the
0:09:01 > 0:09:03PIP assessor will interview them.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06If you're not happy with your decision, you can
0:09:06 > 0:09:10ask for what is known as a mandatory reconsideration.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This is where you write a letter to the Department for Communities
0:09:13 > 0:09:15asking them to look again at your case,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and you can provide further medical evidence.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Finally, if you still aren't happy, you can bring your case here for
0:09:22 > 0:09:26appeal, where you'll face a panel of legal and disability experts.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Jyl Frey-Pullan suffers from muscular dystrophy,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34an acute form of it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38She's the only person with this particular type in Northern Ireland.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41She and her husband David settled here after
0:09:41 > 0:09:45he began working as a test pilot for Shorts in the late '90s.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48They volunteer at a Newtownards food bank,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51itself on the frontline of dealing with the fallout of PIP.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54We've seen an increase in people coming along to the food bank
0:09:54 > 0:09:58specifically because they've maybe been on high rate
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and it's been reduced to the low rate, so then they're trying
0:10:00 > 0:10:04to manage on that, or it's literally been cut altogether.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07So people are really having to come to the food bank
0:10:07 > 0:10:09because their DLA has stopped?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Yes, definitely.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Jyl has also had her disability reassessed for PIP.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18My legs are almost useless.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21This type of muscular dystrophy...
0:10:23 > 0:10:25..impacts on just about
0:10:25 > 0:10:27every body system.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32I'm just a carer for her,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34so I can't really
0:10:34 > 0:10:36go anywhere alone...
0:10:37 > 0:10:41..without the thought, is she all right?
0:10:41 > 0:10:48I have come back from being out and found her on the floor.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Jyl had been on higher rate DLA.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54She qualified for a Motability car,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56which was able to hold her electric wheelchair.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Capita, who won the £65 million contract to deliver
0:11:00 > 0:11:03PIP in Northern Ireland, sent an assessor out to see Jyl.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06She assumed she would transfer straight over to PIP
0:11:06 > 0:11:08because of her condition.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13My reaction was, she'll come in, she'll check me out,
0:11:13 > 0:11:20and she'll see that I obviously can't do a lot of things for myself,
0:11:20 > 0:11:25and I really didn't think there would be any difficulties at all.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But then a letter from the Department for Communities
0:11:29 > 0:11:32brought a nasty surprise.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I was pretty optimistic that it would be OK,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38but I prayed over it anyway,
0:11:38 > 0:11:45and I opened it up and I could not believe what it said.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49I was absolutely in shock.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54And I thought, no, this must be some kind of mistake.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58They're not talking about me.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01And...
0:12:03 > 0:12:06..realised, yes, they were talking about me,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11and things that were written in the letter,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14there were a lot of inaccuracies.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The assessor decided Jyl was able to walk a greater distance
0:12:17 > 0:12:19than she says she can.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22She was given eight points, which means she did not get enough to keep
0:12:22 > 0:12:26her Motability car, which she'll have to return before Christmas.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The report also said she managed to get up off a chair unaided,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32but the couple say that didn't happen.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35There was nobody more surprised than us
0:12:35 > 0:12:38when the first rejection letter came back,
0:12:38 > 0:12:44saying, "We have awarded you the lower rate of PIP,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47"but the higher rate is denied
0:12:47 > 0:12:52"because we don't think you have any mobility issues."
0:12:52 > 0:12:54At a mandatory reconsideration,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Jyl's request for a car was again turned down.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Like many others in the same situation,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02she is now waiting for a date for her appeal.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Spotlight has obtained figures which show that more
0:13:05 > 0:13:09than 12,000 people here have asked for a mandatory reconsideration.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11But you shouldn't hold out much hope
0:13:11 > 0:13:14if you think your decision will be overturned.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Spotlight has obtained a document which shows that
0:13:16 > 0:13:18only around 20% of decisions
0:13:18 > 0:13:21at mandatory reconsideration stage here are changed.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25During a mandatory reconsideration,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28the department is supposed to look at the case again,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31but Owen McCloskey from the Law Centre says Capita are being
0:13:31 > 0:13:33consulted during this process,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and there is potential for a serious conflict of interest.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40They are asked by the decision-maker to consider
0:13:40 > 0:13:44new evidence, which may suggest, medically, they are entitled,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and that's in conflict with their original report.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51If they determine that the subsequent further evidence
0:13:51 > 0:13:53shows that the client does have entitlement,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56then that would effectively be saying their original report
0:13:56 > 0:14:00wasn't reliable or didn't come to the correct conclusion.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02We asked the Department for Communities to
0:14:02 > 0:14:04appear on the programme, but they declined.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06In a statement, they told us that
0:14:06 > 0:14:09when a mandatory reconsideration is requested,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12it's considered by a different decision-maker within
0:14:12 > 0:14:17the department, but that they may ask Capita to assess
0:14:17 > 0:14:21the impact of any new evidence on the company's original assessment.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25But the main concern for claimants is that what
0:14:25 > 0:14:28they say during their assessments is not always being
0:14:28 > 0:14:31represented in the final report sent to the department.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35A serious issue that we feel that we've identified is
0:14:35 > 0:14:37the auditing of reports,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and potentially changes being made to the report
0:14:40 > 0:14:42without clients being made aware of it.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45It's only if claimants appeal against the decision that they
0:14:45 > 0:14:49get a chance to see what Capita has told the department about them.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Simon is one of those who's not happy with what's been
0:14:52 > 0:14:54written about him.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57There were things, as I said, like that, that isn't accurate,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01that didn't happen or, you know, I didn't actually say that.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And a lot of the times it could come down to, you know,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06he said, she said, sort of thing.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12They made a decision about how far you could walk based on...what?
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Based on, basically, the corridor in the assessment centre,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21which... I stopped several times, and I did not make a straight
0:15:21 > 0:15:25walk down that corridor and a straight walk back up it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28So, at no point did they see me
0:15:28 > 0:15:32convincingly walking 30 to 40 metres.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34David is also unhappy.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38He says what actually happened is not reflected in Jyl's assessment.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Jyl can't get up from a seated position.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44They say they saw her do it.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Now, that's just blatant lying. That's almost perjury.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52They say she refused to stand on one leg.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57She was asked to and said, "I'm afraid I can't."
0:15:57 > 0:16:00It just...
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Oh, it's making me angry.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Even though Jyl is waiting for a date for her appeal hearing,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11she hasn't been shown changes that may or may not have been made
0:16:11 > 0:16:13to her original assessment by Capita.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18It's a problem the Law Centre says applies to all cases.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21We're looking for copies of each version of the report,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24so before and after it has been edited,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26and it may have been edited multiple times.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29We're also looking for access to the actual audit document,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33so where the auditor has assessed the report, they've identified
0:16:33 > 0:16:36quality issues and they've made recommendations for change.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It's important that we see that actual document.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The president of the appeals tribunal has sent this letter
0:16:42 > 0:16:44to Spotlight.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46In it, he says that tribunal members have expressed
0:16:46 > 0:16:48concern about the auditing practices.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51He says he has been in regular contact with
0:16:51 > 0:16:53the department about the issue.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And he added that if not all information is made
0:16:56 > 0:16:59available at a tribunal, people can ask for the decision
0:16:59 > 0:17:01to be set aside and reheard.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04But after Spotlight put these points to the
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Department for Communities, they told us that arrangements are now
0:17:07 > 0:17:11in place to facilitate earlier versions of assessments being
0:17:11 > 0:17:16made available, an arrangement not in place in the rest of the UK.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18But what of Capita?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21We asked them to take part in the programme, but they declined.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24We sent them a series of questions about the people
0:17:24 > 0:17:28featured in this programme and about their auditing process.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31They said we didn't provide them with enough personal information
0:17:31 > 0:17:34to allow them to comment on the individual cases.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38They said they had a robust auditing process in place to ensure
0:17:38 > 0:17:41a high quality of assessments, and said their staff
0:17:41 > 0:17:45are healthcare professionals who are trained and empathetic.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48They added, if anyone had a concern about the process,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51they can contact Capita directly.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Another fundamental question in PIP is,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03when is medical evidence considered, and who should provide it?
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Like all claimants,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Simon was asked to give details of his health professionals
0:18:07 > 0:18:12on his assessment form, and assumed Capita would contact these people.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It asks you for so much information.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18All the information about the medical professionals who help you,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23neurologist, doctor, MS nurse, occupational therapist,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27to which I later found out they don't actually contact them.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Capita told us their official guidance says it's not always
0:18:31 > 0:18:34necessary to ask for further medical evidence.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38This is something that the BMA in Northern Ireland has noted.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41There does seem to be instances where there is no initial
0:18:41 > 0:18:43medical evidence sought,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47and we would only hear whenever the patient goes for appeal.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50That is the first time that medical evidence is asked for.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54In the midst of this confusion, some claimants have themselves
0:18:54 > 0:18:58been going to their GPs to ask for letters confirming their disability.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Doctors say this is extra work,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and some feel they have to pass the cost on to the patient.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Dr Stout charges just over £30.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Is it morally right that doctors could charge for this?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I think that is something that is very destructive to
0:19:13 > 0:19:15a doctor-patient relationship.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18We're ultimately here to treat patients and to try and keep them
0:19:18 > 0:19:23as well as possible, and to be put in that sort of environment,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25with that sort of transactional thing,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28is very uncomfortable for everybody involved.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Raymond Crowe is one of the few people in Northern Ireland to
0:19:34 > 0:19:36have completed his appeal.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Following an accident, Raymond suffered facial injuries
0:19:39 > 0:19:41which left him with a speech impediment.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44He was also left blind in one eye, deaf in one ear,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and had to have a number of his fingers amputated.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50He also walks with the aid of a stick.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Raymond had lifetime DLA, and qualified for a Motability car
0:20:18 > 0:20:19and a care component.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23After being attacked and spat on on buses, he says the car
0:20:23 > 0:20:27was his own safe space and give him the confidence to leave the house.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31But that car gave you a little bit of confidence?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36He also had to go through a face-to-face assessment.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Despite this, in Raymond's assessment,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19it was noted that he could be understood
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and that he spoke clearly.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23It was also noted that he had a functional grip.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Like Jyl and Simon, Raymond did not score enough points to keep
0:21:28 > 0:21:31the higher rate that he was previously on,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34under DLA, so has had to give back his car.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38More and more people are taking their case to appeal.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41There, they can present additional medical evidence.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Tribunal reps say they have seen a huge increase in demand
0:21:45 > 0:21:46for their services.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Since the start of September, it has been flat out,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52sometimes doing two or three appeals per day.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The group say many of the clients they represent have
0:21:55 > 0:21:58succeeded in having their assessment decision overturned at appeal.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00No-one we speak to is happy with the assessments.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Usually what they say is that either their words were twisted or that
0:22:03 > 0:22:07some of the things in the assessment were just fabricated, you know?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11The Government don't agree with this interpretation,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and say that the reason appeals are successful is simply
0:22:14 > 0:22:16because people provide more information.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Quite often, the claimant will think,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22ah, I didn't raise that, or I didn't have that,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and they have an opportunity to go away and submit additional evidence,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29therefore the decision that was taken before was
0:22:29 > 0:22:31right on the information provided,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34but once additional information was provided, a different outcome comes.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Shea Ross is representing Raymond at his appeal.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Raymond has very physical disabilities, you know?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Someone, who, if an assessor were to look at,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46it's quite obvious there are things he can't do for himself.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Raymond's best friend Jimmy says he was taken aback
0:22:48 > 0:22:50when he saw what was written in the report
0:22:50 > 0:22:54and found out that Raymond had been given zero points.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Totally shocked, because when Raymond is out and about,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Raymond has always someone with him
0:23:00 > 0:23:04because of his communication difficulties,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06his grip difficulties,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10he has got no grip on one of his hands. No grip at all.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11Raymond's case was baffling,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14to think that he had ever to go to a tribunal.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Raymond is still deeply affected by the assessment,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and feels the whole process has completely belittled his disability.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24What would you say to them now?
0:23:24 > 0:23:27What would you say to the assessors and people now?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30HE SOBS
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Hey...
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Come on.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45At appeal, the original decision was overturned,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47and Raymond was awarded standard rate care.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50But this still wasn't enough to get his car back.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Civil servant Paul Gray was commissioned by the Government
0:23:54 > 0:23:58to examine how the new PIP system was working in the rest of the UK.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I've recommended that, actually, as a default,
0:24:01 > 0:24:07one should move to assessments actually being recorded so that
0:24:07 > 0:24:13if there is any dispute on either side, there is actually
0:24:13 > 0:24:16a tape that can be listened to.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Any of our advisers can help you through that process...
0:24:23 > 0:24:27The Stormont Executive knew PIP would be politically toxic
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and wanted to try and limit the damage.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33They pumped extra money into services like this benefits helpline
0:24:33 > 0:24:35when PIP was introduced.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It's handling thousands of calls a month.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41People on DLA who are being reassessed onto PIP
0:24:41 > 0:24:45and are worried about that and worried about the process
0:24:45 > 0:24:46and how to fill out the forms
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and worried about the medical assessment,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50they would ring this helpline
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and we can explain the process and help them through the process.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56There's also been money provided to recruit advisers to help
0:24:56 > 0:24:57with the forms.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Because they are new forms, it's a new benefit,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04people are seeking advice on that, so we have extra staff
0:25:04 > 0:25:07through the Welfare Reform Project in each bureau to cope with that.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Aside from this help,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14money has also been provided to support people financially
0:25:14 > 0:25:16through the appeal process if they've lost their benefits,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20something that is not available in the rest of the UK.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24If you lose your DLA and don't transfer to PIP,
0:25:24 > 0:25:29you will get the same amount of DLA paid up until your appeal process.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It's to support people and save them
0:25:31 > 0:25:34falling off a cliff face if they do lose benefits.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Simon was one of those who was helped with the payments
0:25:38 > 0:25:41while he appealed his decision but, in the meantime,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43he had to return his Motability car.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46I was devastated, and my father came up to the dealer's
0:25:46 > 0:25:48and dropped me home.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I just felt that, when I got dropped home, that was me.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55I was into isolation status, as such, you know?
0:25:55 > 0:26:01The title is Personal Independence Payment, and by taking away my car,
0:26:01 > 0:26:06they were taking away my ability to have a little bit of independence.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09You know, that I can do things for myself
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and not have to be dependent on others.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19After Simon returned the car, his mental health began to suffer
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and he was referred to a counsellor.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Thoughts had bounced into my mind.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27It had put me to the point...
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Even when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I didn't have those kind of thoughts. I ended up just...
0:26:35 > 0:26:38I didn't... I couldn't see a path, as such.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I didn't know what way life was going to turn out.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Capita reviewed Simon's case and stuck to their original decision.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The case was then reviewed internally
0:26:49 > 0:26:50by the Department for Communities.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53They awarded Simon the two extra points
0:26:53 > 0:26:55he needed to be able to get another car.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57He says he finally felt vindicated,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00but feels he should never have lost it in the first place.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Anybody that I spoke to,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06whether they be in the MS Society or family, friends,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08any... Well, my own GP,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11his own words were "utterly ridiculous"
0:27:11 > 0:27:14that it was taken off me.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Martin, too, felt the whole process was stressful and unnecessary.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21It put me into a terrible depression
0:27:21 > 0:27:25and I actually felt suicidal with it, so I did.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27I actually have the key for his medicine cabinet
0:27:27 > 0:27:30so he can't get into his tablets.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33It's how worried... It was that extreme at one point.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38I could see the stress and anxiety it caused my father,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42and the diagnosis itself, there is no cure, so I mean, why was it
0:27:42 > 0:27:46even necessary for that fella to come out to assess my father?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48I just thought it was a waste of time.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Martin was eventually awarded PIP,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54but as there are no more lifetime awards, he has been told
0:27:54 > 0:27:59he will have to be reassessed when he is 76, in ten years.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02When carrying out the reviews for the Government, Paul Gray says
0:28:02 > 0:28:05he found that the public had little faith in this new system.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11What my conclusion in the second review was that public
0:28:11 > 0:28:17trust and confidence was a long way short of what you need for people
0:28:17 > 0:28:23to feel confident that the system is operating fairly and consistently,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and the sort of things that I was seeing and observing
0:28:27 > 0:28:33were the high level of disputes around initial decisions,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and the very high upholding rates,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40particularly for those cases that went to appeal.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Supporters of PIP insist they have designed a better benefit,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46which is helping those most in need.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Is it hard for you hearing these horror stories of people who have
0:28:50 > 0:28:53just had such negative experiences going through the system?
0:28:53 > 0:28:57- We don't want anybody to have a negative experience...- People do.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01Oh, absolutely, but the reality is that there were horror stories
0:29:01 > 0:29:04under DLA, and there were far more.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07The PIP process is recognised to be much more thorough,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11much more able to identify individual challenges.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14It means we're spending £3 billion a year more,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17so more money is going to some of the most vulnerable
0:29:17 > 0:29:20people in society, but it's not a completed project.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24With PIP still in its early stages in Northern Ireland, Paul Gray
0:29:24 > 0:29:26thinks the project should be reviewed
0:29:26 > 0:29:28before it gets much further.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Since my reviews didn't cover Northern Ireland, yes,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35I think it would be a very good idea for somebody to take a look at that.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Spotlight has been told by the Information Commissioner that
0:29:38 > 0:29:41they've received a number of complaints about Capita
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and the department. We've obtained figures which show
0:29:44 > 0:29:47that of those in Northern Ireland who have applied to
0:29:47 > 0:29:51transfer from DLA to PIP, over 35% have had their benefits
0:29:51 > 0:29:54disallowed on the basis of their initial assessment.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58So far, just over 1,000 people have completed the full appeals process,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02of whom well over one in three have been successful.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04As PIP continues to roll out,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Universal Credit is the next big change on the horizon.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Over the next six months,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11thousands will be affected by changes to their benefits,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14and it may be that the problems with PIP prove to be just
0:30:14 > 0:30:16the tip of the iceberg.