Well the "C" certainly isn't for competence ...
I have no idea how much they are paid to r̶e̶j̶e̶c̶t̶ assess PIP claimants, but given how much effort they have wasted with my wife so far, it must be an *awful* lot.
I submitted 56 scans (all cross referenced), plus a detailed covering note, from 1987 to 3 days before the form arrived.
We are now on our THIRD cancelled (by them) wait for an assessment - 5 months wait so far.
They also fell into the elephant trap I laid in the covering note, but that will be another story.
Suffice is to say I think they'd struggle at £500/claim, and I suspect they are paid less than that.
Especially if the cost of appeals is taken out of the initial fee (as you would expect it should be, although this is UK plc).