PIP face 2 face assessment for epilepsy

knina

Hi ,


I hope you can help me in this , my sister suffer from severe epilepsy she is having unwarned tonic colonic seizures almost every day , she needs continuous supervision and help, she suffer from depression and back and joints pain from seizures injuries .

She always get awarded DLA for about 10 years and ESA support group from paper only without face 2 face assessment , and now she was moved to PIP , I have filled the form for her with a lot of details as I use to do with previous forms , and 2 days ago she got a letter to attend a face 2 face assessment next week the thing is recurrent seizures and medication side effects has affected her abilities , she become slow to understand to speak , so I am not sure how she will manage this assessment and answers the questions , especially that I cant go with her to the appointment as I have important appointment myself aroud the same time which I coudnt postpone , and because she cant go alone a freind will accompany her.
So I have some questions please if you could help :


1- Anyone have epilepsy and had a face 2 face assessment can you share your experience please , how was the questions ? what to expect ? so I can prepare with her



2- Being slow and having communication difficulties and because she may have a seizure before her appointment and be in very bad condition , how this will be considered by the assessor and how bad will affect her assessment ?



3- Anyone had their assessment in Harlesden health centre London ?


4- It is ok for the assessor that the main person who know very well her condition and take care of her cant attend with her instead a freind will be with her just to make sure she is safe support and help her , but he knows just a little about her condition ?


Sorry for the long post and many questions but she really needs help as she never had a face 2 face assessment before all new experience for her and she is already stressed about it and I am trying to prepare her and any help from you will be most appreciated.


Thank you

[Deleted User]

1) I have epilepsy and as yet haven't been moved to PIP, but have a good look around online for some ideas about what to expect, I had a face 2 face for my ESA renewal and it wasn't as bad a I had expected, usually just going over what has been covered in the forms but in more detail.

2) If this happens there is nothing you can do about it and they may stop the interview if she is unable to continue and ask her to go back another day.

3)Cant see how it matters where its done tbh

4) Its ok to take anybody with you, usually all they can do is sit there anyway.

Just a final thought you are allowed to cancel one appointment, so maybe thats worth thinking about if not too late?

knina

Thank you so much Venison for your replay and help.


I am thinking about changing the appointment but I am not sure if they will accept the reason since I am not her appointee

[Deleted User]

Ask your GP for a letter to say a home visit would be more appropriate.

Not a guarantee they will allow it but worth a try.

wild666

I have epilepsy and had my PIP assessment in 2014 some of the first words out of the assessors mouth were about my hereditary condition she called it old but I cut her off saying "It's still bloody relevant." Epilepsy is one of the conditions due to the hereditary illness, she tried all sorts of questions to get me and the daughter to slip up but they were questions that we had answered before and we said "as I said earlier look at what you wrote." She kept rewording questions but we kept saying as I said earlier.
It was more like the ESA assessment than PIP. At the end she said she didn't know what the condition was and I would get an award.

knina

MarkN88 wrote: »

Ask your GP for a letter to say a home visit would be more appropriate.

Not a guarantee they will allow it but worth a try.

Thank you for your replay.


I think its too late for this the appointment is after 2 days

knina

wild666 wrote: »

I have epilepsy and had my PIP assessment in 2014 some of the first words out of the assessors mouth were about my hereditary condition she called it old but I cut her off saying "It's still bloody relevant." Epilepsy is one of the conditions due to the hereditary illness, she tried all sorts of questions to get me and the daughter to slip up but they were questions that we had answered before and we said "as I said earlier look at what you wrote." She kept rewording questions but we kept saying as I said earlier.
It was more like the ESA assessment than PIP. At the end she said she didn't know what the condition was and I would get an award.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience , as I said earlier :T

[Deleted User]

You can change an appointment ONCE for any reason, but the second appointment must be kept.