Pip Assessment At Home

whambam

Hi,

My mother has got one this week any advice? Anyone had one recently? They phoned to say who will be coming out and time will anyone be home. They said they were Independent assessment services not ATOS or Capita?

LocoLoco

Hi WhamBam, we had one for my son last year for his PIP application. Stories vary, obviously, but our lady was lovely. She was very good with my son, she knew her stuff (she'd read his reports and understood them! That had never happened before ) and I haven't seen a copy of the report she submitted but my son got the rates I thought he should have done so she must have written up pretty much what she saw and heard.


She was very nice and friendly and the whole process was fine. Obviously not everyone has a good experience but ours was great - fingers crossed things will go well for your mum, too

TELLIT01

Exactly the same advice as if she was going to the assessment centre - be accurate and honest about her situation. Do not make the mistake of 'trying hard' to do the most she can do, do what is the norm. You might want to try to be there with her, if simply for moral support. The assessor will expect your mother to answer any questions, not you so please be aware of that if you are there. The exception to that would be your mother has an impairment which makes understanding and speaking difficult.

wellynever

whambam wrote: »

Hi,

My mother has got one this week any advice? Anyone had one recently? They phoned to say who will be coming out and time will anyone be home. They said they were Independent assessment services not ATOS or Capita?

Independent assessment services = ATOS,

they changed their name.

calcotti

General advice here https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Documents/Advice%20(public)/pip-helpsheet-assessment.pdf

whambam

LocoLoco wrote: »

Hi WhamBam, we had one for my son last year for his PIP application. Stories vary, obviously, but our lady was lovely. She was very good with my son, she knew her stuff (she'd read his reports and understood them! That had never happened before ) and I haven't seen a copy of the report she submitted but my son got the rates I thought he should have done so she must have written up pretty much what she saw and heard.


She was very nice and friendly and the whole process was fine. Obviously not everyone has a good experience but ours was great - fingers crossed things will go well for your mum, too

Was it Capita or Atos or independent assessment services? Thats good news do you feel it was you that was ready knowing what to say or more of the assessors helping you make the whole process easy I had a positive experience with an assessor's years ago.

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Exactly the same advice as if she was going to the assessment centre - be accurate and honest about her situation. Do not make the mistake of 'trying hard' to do the most she can do, do what is the norm. You might want to try to be there with her, if simply for moral support. The assessor will expect your mother to answer any questions, not you so please be aware of that if you are there. The exception to that would be your mother has an impairment which makes understanding and speaking difficult.

She doesn't speak english will they still expect her to answer questions rather than her son?

pmlindyloo

whambam wrote: »

Was it Capita or Atos or independent assessment services? Thats good news do you feel it was you that was ready knowing what to say or more of the assessors helping you make the whole process easy I had a positive experience with an assessor's years ago.



She doesn't speak english will they still expect her to answer questions rather than her son?

Unless the son is an appointee then she will be expected to answer questions - difficult if she doesn't speak English.

Did she ask for an interpreter?

https://www.mypipassessment.co.uk/faqs/

whambam

i done one for my brother years ago without being an appointee and everything went fine it was the assessor who recommended me being an appointee after the assessment i didnt know about it at the time.

pmlindyloo

whambam wrote: »

i done one for my brother years ago without being an appointee and everything went fine it was the assessor who recommended me being an appointee after the assessment i didnt know about it at the time.

Does your brother speak English though?

It is possible that your brother's and your mother's disabilities are severe enough for the assessor to make an informed decision about their needs without their having to answer questions about their daily life and mobility. If the assessor asks someone to give instructions to the claimant - walk to the …… etc etc then this would, I think, be OK.

What I wouldn't expect is for the assessor to ask questions through another person relating to their daily life and ask them to translate the answers unless, as I said, their disabilities were extremely obvious and backed up by medical evidence.

whambam

He is autistic he doesn't talk. I told that to the assessor and she was okay with it. He was upstairs as the assessment took place I described everything. I was not a appointee or have power of attorney I do now.

poppy12345

whambam wrote: »

He is autistic he doesn't talk. I told that to the assessor and she was okay with it. He was upstairs as the assessment took place I described everything. I was not a appointee or have power of attorney I do now.

That's very unusual for the claimant to be in another room while the assessment takes place. Even when you're an appointee for the claimant they still have to attend the assessment.