Advice about Face to face appointment?

suz1970

Could any one that has had a face to face interview please advice me on what happens? Do they go round the house? And what questions are usually asked? My son has his interview next week, and he is really nervous as he gets very anxious about things like this, just need a little advice please. As his appointee will I be allowed to speak too? he is only 16 and not very good with strangers...many thanks.

Indie_Kid

Is this for ESA or PIP?

suz1970

This is for pip sorry, applied in April as my son turned 16 and needed to move from dla to pip, he has been on dla indefinitely. Just need a little advice on what to expect please...

maxandme

I had my pip face to face at home friday just gone.

The lady was really nice, absolutely did not look around the house, just sat on the couch.

The questions she asked were basically what i had filled in on the initial forms/booklet, asking if this was still correct.

I had a list of changes that i handed to her, like change of medication, changes in any pysical and mental health problems, changes in the types of doctors i am seeing, she was really pleased and said it saved her a lot of work, she basically typed into her laptop from the list i gave her.

I also had a list of doctors and addresses telephone numbers and a complete list of medications i take daily and how much i take, also useful to add at this point any side effects the medications give as clearly medications affect your ability to do certain tasks.

I was also terrifed, but honestly please reassure your son the person he see's will be really nice and friendly, no trick questions or smarmy comments.
Mine lasted aprox 40 minutes, although the letter stated it would take an hour, not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing:cool:

The only thing that suprised me was she didnt do any examination at all, i had read and am sure it was written in the assesment letter that a peak flow would be performed, a blood pressure check and possibly be asked to perform some tasks that 'wouldn't harm or hurt me', so again not sure if this is a good or bad thing.

She gave nothing away though, she said it is purely the DWP's decision wether i was awarded pip and what level, and if i had not heard in 4-6 weeks contact them as they are snowed under at the mo.

I really hope this helps to calm your son, its not good for a 16 year old to be so stressed by stuff like this, sending him hugs and wish him well:)

suz1970

THANKYOU for your reply, I will explain all this to my son, it helps me calm down a bit so hopefully it will reassure him.. The letter did say some sort of examination which we are dreading as the appointment is early and he is not great in the mornings.. Thank you for your help..

cheerfulness4

My F2F was almost exactly as maxandme described but with the addition of a very simple examination. I was asked to try and stand on tip toe. (couldn't).
I was asked to try and point my toes and touch my thumb to each of my fingers in turn. Also to try standing up for a short moment but not to walk.
She was absolutely delightful and very softly spoken and gentle. She made it quite clear I mustn't do anything that hurt and even tried to give me some advice about where to access more help in the home but made it clear that was not something she was supposed to do really.
I know I'm not alone in having a surprisingly kind assessor so reassure you son that he has no need to be frightened.

poppy12345

Hi, my assessor was nice too but i don't want to give you false hope because i've heard other stories. It would be awful if you had a terrible assessor and you weren't expecting it. Not everyone is nice remember that please. Some can be difficult and some can also try to trick you with the questions they ask. They tend to ask the same question multiple times but in different ways. You will of course be able to speak for your son and you can even record your assessment but you have to tell them you're going to do this. I took extra evidence with me and it helped. Dr's, consultants and OT letters including a list of all meds. I was asked to do a few things (standing on tip toes, bend down to touch toes, put arms up) i couldn't do any of it but i wasn't pushed. I was only in the room about 30 mins. Waited 2 weeks for decision which was in my favour. Good luck.

suz1970

Thank you so much for your help, it is appreciated as am very anxious about it all.

LaneyJoArjun75

I think that it really depends on who you get too. I have found that some people who do this job are extremely pleasant people while others are just genuinely miserable and do not care about the people that they work with. As long as you keep your head clear, you will do fine. That much I can guarantee.