PIP assessment - advice

Jack_bauer24

Well, I got my assessment tomorrow morning for my PIP and I am nervous as I never applied for PIP in my life, does anyone know what questions they will ask? I give them my medical evidence when I applied online. 

Also, the call is going to be recorded as the assessor is going to record it and so am I, so I got my back covered if anything goes wrong like if the assessor lies because I have been told by people that assessor lies all the time to avoid paying PIP out as they getting strict now. 

Also, if I get awarded PIP, when will I get my first payment and how will I know if I get awarded it? will I get a text to confirm?

Any advice would be great, thank you.  

marcia_

Jack_bauer24 said:

Well, I got my assessment tomorrow morning for my PIP and I am nervous as I never applied for PIP in my life, does anyone know what questions they will ask? I give them my medical evidence when I applied online. 

Also, the call is going to be recorded as the assessor is going to record it and so am I, so I got my back covered if anything goes wrong like if the assessor lies because I have been told by people that assessor lies all the time to avoid paying PIP out as they getting strict now. 

Also, if I get awarded PIP, when will I get my first payment and how will I know if I get awarded it? will I get a text to confirm?

Any advice would be great, thank you.  

 They don't lie as such but do omit information you have told them ie they don't listen and don't take accurate notes 

 Nobody can say if and when you will get a payment. They will write to you with the decision but if awarded people often have money go into their bank before they receive the award letter. 

peteuk

Jack_bauer24 said:

Well, I got my assessment tomorrow morning for my PIP and I am nervous as I never applied for PIP in my life, does anyone know what questions they will ask? I give them my medical evidence when I applied online. 

Also, the call is going to be recorded as the assessor is going to record it and so am I, so I got my back covered if anything goes wrong like if the assessor lies because I have been told by people that assessor lies all the time to avoid paying PIP out as they getting strict now. 

Also, if I get awarded PIP, when will I get my first payment and how will I know if I get awarded it? will I get a text to confirm?

Any advice would be great, thank you.  

The telephone assessment runs exactly the same as a face to face assessment, only without the movement assessment eg if you claimed arthritis they would ask to see your range of movement through various simple movement exercises,

The assessment will start with an ID check and then move onto your social situation (what house you live in, who lives with you, employment, driving, pets, education, hobbies). Once that is completed they will move onto the activities starting with the two mobility sections and then simply run through the activities 1-10.

If you have said you dont have a problem with an activity they should ask if this is still the case is you say yes, then they move on. 

Mobility is usually asked in examples so round the house, garden, to the car, local shops, around the supermarket.

Questions for the other activities will be based on what you've said on your questionnaire.   So it’s usually good to have the a copy of the questionnaire with you.

Have you asked for the assessment to be recorded, if not Im not sure why the assessor is recording it.  Sometimes they are on a three way call so that the assessment can be audited (eg they are assessing the assessor) However if it’s being recorded then why record  it yourself.

, marcia_ said:

 They don't lie as such but do omit information you have told them ie they don't listen and don't take accurate notes 

 Nobody can say if and when you will get a payment. They will write to you with the decision but if awarded people often have money go into their bank before they receive the award letter. 

 In my experience as a PIP assessor (a couple of years ago) the majority of assessors dont lie, nor do they not listen or fail to take accurate notes.  What they do is apply the rules and their training to the information provided (taking into account the medical evidence provided, questionnaire and answers on the assessment). There are certain activities that can be zero scored on the basis of the type of conditions you declare (physical, mental health, cognitive) There are also certain descriptors which are also based on these, so regardless of how you struggle with an activity if you don’t have a certain type or even certain diagnosis then that descriptor is not valid. 

For example the use of a microwave in cooking tends to be reserved as a safety issue (extreme mental health, epilepsy) so yes you may use the microwave but it doesn't mean they will use that descriptor. 

Equally if there is evidence that contradicts the questionnaire then they will use that to lower the descriptor. For instance if someone claims gout and lack of movement/pain in their ankles, but then says they drive to work 40 miles daily, its far to say the movement in ankles isn’t that painful or restricted if driving a manual car, use of clutch, brake ect.  

(Please note the examples are not real examples and this is based on my experience of a PIP assessor, I once had an assessment rewritten on the basis that someone had a car, drove it weekly and had a licence - thats audit for you)

Alice_Holt

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-assessment/

Don’t let the assessor rush you and try not to just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to their questions. Always try to explain how doing something would make you feel afterwards and the impact it can have on you if you had to do it repeatedly in a short period of time. Fully explain the difficulties you have doing the PIP activities.

Danien

peteuk said:

Jack_bauer24 said:

Well, I got my assessment tomorrow morning for my PIP and I am nervous as I never applied for PIP in my life, does anyone know what questions they will ask? I give them my medical evidence when I applied online. 

Also, the call is going to be recorded as the assessor is going to record it and so am I, so I got my back covered if anything goes wrong like if the assessor lies because I have been told by people that assessor lies all the time to avoid paying PIP out as they getting strict now. 

Also, if I get awarded PIP, when will I get my first payment and how will I know if I get awarded it? will I get a text to confirm?

Any advice would be great, thank you.  

The telephone assessment runs exactly the same as a face to face assessment, only without the movement assessment eg if you claimed arthritis they would ask to see your range of movement through various simple movement exercises,

The assessment will start with an ID check and then move onto your social situation (what house you live in, who lives with you, employment, driving, pets, education, hobbies). Once that is completed they will move onto the activities starting with the two mobility sections and then simply run through the activities 1-10.

If you have said you dont have a problem with an activity they should ask if this is still the case is you say yes, then they move on. 

Mobility is usually asked in examples so round the house, garden, to the car, local shops, around the supermarket.

Questions for the other activities will be based on what you've said on your questionnaire.   So it’s usually good to have the a copy of the questionnaire with you.

Have you asked for the assessment to be recorded, if not Im not sure why the assessor is recording it.  Sometimes they are on a three way call so that the assessment can be audited (eg they are assessing the assessor) However if it’s being recorded then why record  it yourself.

, marcia_ said:

 They don't lie as such but do omit information you have told them ie they don't listen and don't take accurate notes 

 Nobody can say if and when you will get a payment. They will write to you with the decision but if awarded people often have money go into their bank before they receive the award letter. 

 In my experience as a PIP assessor (a couple of years ago) the majority of assessors dont lie, nor do they not listen or fail to take accurate notes.  What they do is apply the rules and their training to the information provided (taking into account the medical evidence provided, questionnaire and answers on the assessment). There are certain activities that can be zero scored on the basis of the type of conditions you declare (physical, mental health, cognitive) There are also certain descriptors which are also based on these, so regardless of how you struggle with an activity if you don’t have a certain type or even certain diagnosis then that descriptor is not valid. 

For example the use of a microwave in cooking tends to be reserved as a safety issue (extreme mental health, epilepsy) so yes you may use the microwave but it doesn't mean they will use that descriptor. 

Equally if there is evidence that contradicts the questionnaire then they will use that to lower the descriptor. For instance if someone claims gout and lack of movement/pain in their ankles, but then says they drive to work 40 miles daily, its far to say the movement in ankles isn’t that painful or restricted if driving a manual car, use of clutch, brake ect.  

(Please note the examples are not real examples and this is based on my experience of a PIP assessor, I once had an assessment rewritten on the basis that someone had a car, drove it weekly and had a licence - thats audit for you)

Hmmm. I have physical problems and a degenerative terminal illness, also depression and anxiety. When I explained that I would love to go do certain activities (which I detailed) but couldn't due to combination of physical and mental health, this was translated as 'does not go out as has nowhere to go'. Also said not on anti depressants or anti anxiety meds when I am. Luckily was recorded. Not the only inaccuracy, but the one that impacted entitlement.

You may not have lied, or obfuscated, but that doesn't mean that others didn't lie or obfuscate.

Danien

Alice_Holt said:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-assessment/

Don’t let the assessor rush you and try not to just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to their questions. Always try to explain how doing something would make you feel afterwards and the impact it can have on you if you had to do it repeatedly in a short period of time. Fully explain the difficulties you have doing the PIP activities.

Excellent advice not to just answer 'yes' or 'no' - always elaborate on your answers and explain why. For example, if asked about how you shop, I wouldn't just say 'I get my shopping delivered', but would say I get my shopping delivered as I can't walk up and down the aisles, I can't lift heavy things, can't bend to get things on low shelves or stretch to get things on high shelves. The shopping is brought to the door when delivered and my husband brings it to the kitchen and we put it away together. My kitchen is adapted for my disability and I take breaks as needed. This obviously applies to me, but do the same but according to your own circumstances.

My assessment took over two hours as I was very determined to give as much info as possible and still didn't get everything I wanted to across to the assessor. Also rather a lot wrong with me and a rare illness that the physiotherapist assessing me had never heard of that needed a lot of explaining.

peteuk

Danien : some good advice on answering, however I would stick to what you can and cant do.  For instance:

I cant open jars because of the loss of grip to both hands but i can open them with thick handled grip and a jar holder.

rather than 

I wish i could open a jar, but i cant.

Danien

peteuk said:

Danien : some good advice on answering, however I would stick to what you can and cant do.  For instance:

I cant open jars because of the loss of grip to both hands but i can open them with thick handled grip and a jar holder.

rather than 

I wish i could open a jar, but i cant.

Yep, I explained why I couldn't deal with people and the physical issues I had all in detail. I didn't explain the question above, it wasn't volunteered information but was a weird question by the assessor - 'is there anywhere you would like to go or do if you could', I gave the most detailed answer to the question I could at the end of a 2 hour plus assessment. I wasn't using it as an example of information you should volunteer but as to how assessors can be tricksy.

Nice attempt to make me seem an idiot though.

Jack_bauer24

Update: God, my PIP assessment nearly took 2 hours, finally done. I got asked questions on how my conditions affect me daily. So, my assessment report has now been sent to DWP to make a decision to see if I get awarded PIP or not. 

I also recorded the call, so I got my back covered if anything goes wrong like, I need to appeal.

It's just a waiting game now.  

HillStreetBlues

Jack_bauer24 said:

Update: God, my PIP assessment nearly took 2 hours,

At least it wasn't 24
Good luck with your claim. and please let us know how you got on.

Muttleythefrog

Wow that's quite lengthy so hopefully they got lots of good information down. I would advise you call the DWP tomorrow or friday to request assessment report copy as they should get it quite quickly.