Dear fibro friends, Please please I need any help & advice from you lovely fibro family, I have a home visit this Friday 29th and I’m not looking forward to the interview. It’s making me very anxious so much so I’m feeling sick with the thought off the interview. I asked for a home visit as I am very poorly with asthma chest infections after chest infection, fibromyalgia pain all over arthritis & hip & severe back pain. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Big hugs
Xx
Hi just be yourself, tell them of your anxieties on the verge of nausea & how you are on your worst day. I can't guarantee they'll write the truth (mine haven't...) & any slight positive will go down as major to give you fewer points. Sorry for my negativity, but good luck
First of all try and have someone there to support you if possible. Do not be tempted to look your best. Wear the clothes you normally would on a bad day. I was assessed last week and turned up in my old slippers and clothes that I found easy to get on etc. Do not worry if the house is a bit of a mess I am sure most of us leave jobs due to pain etc. You can refuse the physical exams if they cause you pain. I refused most of mine due to sciatica and I also stated that if I tried to do them I would need an ambulance home. They asked me a lot of questions concerning my mental state. By the end I was in tears so was my wife. Be honest if you feel that anxious then tell them how you feel. I would not let them talk about good days. I simply stated I have 3 chronic pain conditions I do not have good days. A better day for me is if I do not take my medications for breakthrough pain.
Badbessie,
Thanks for all your support. I have been awarded pip and am really surprised at the speed off the results.
X
What ever you do ..make sure you have some one with you ..family or a friend .. I had mine some months back ..thought it went ok ..My money was cut so now taking it further ..this is the 2nd time its happend to me .. The women that came said i was able to do sorten things ..that had not even been mentioned ..had not even moved off the settee .. Thankful my daughter was with me ..husband with me a couple of years ago ..If we was to tell fibs ..we would be in a lot of trouble ..one set of rules for us and one for them comes to mind ..
Thank you London, the first interview was not a true reflection of what I said and my condition. I just got the lower care, I asked for this review as I could hardly walk. My daughter is travelling from London to be with me in this interview. They do lie a lot in their statements.
Thanking you again for your help
Xx
Try not to worry Clee61..we make are selfs feel worse and for what ? Just be honest etc ..i am sure you are .. good luck 
Thank you for your response to help, sorry I was so ill and did not have the energy to respond to anyone. I was so confused when she asked about aids, forgot to mention I have a stool to sit close to work top, proper tin opener, walking stick. nibliser. Had such bad fog today couldn’t get words out so frustrating. Thank you for your message. Will let you all know what I receive in 6 weeks. I have waited for This interview since end off April.
Xx
You are not obliged to do any activity they ask you to do/try. If it hurts to do so tell them you cannot do that no matter how much they insist you try.
Thank you for your response to help, sorry I was so ill and did not have the energy to respond to anyone. I was so confused when she asked about aids, forgot to mention I have a stool to sit close to work top, proper tin opener, walking stick. nibliser. Had such bad fog today couldn’t get words out so frustrating. Thank you for your message. Will let you all know what I receive in 6 weeks. I have waited for This interview since end off April.
Xx
Fingers crossed it goes the right way!
Thank you offcut for all your support and messages, I have been awarded Pip. I was surprised at the speed off the award, mind you I have been waiting since March.
X
Great News! I know how these things seem to take a long time my PIP was not to bad but my ESA was a nightmare. It took over 13 months with a tribunal and my MP to throw out the DWP decision. Which also had a letter of complaint from the Tribunal services stating my case should of been awarded straight away with all the evidence I supplied. The law also changed on the "Empty box lifting" as a reason to stop the award. I made this point to my new MP when he knocked some years back. I told him that I have never found a Empty Box lifters Job anywhere in the UK in 2 years of looking?
Best to have someone with you as others have said. They will be observing you from the moment they arrive, so yes, don't answer the door or offer them a cuppa. What they are looking for is inconsistencies eg if you say you have difficulty bending and they see you bend then they will mark you down. Just need to be honest and not to put on a brave face. Don't dress up if you wouldn't normally. If they ask you to do something which hurts or makes you tired, breathless etc then say so or say if you can't do it. Have any aids or medications with you. It's fine to ask them to repeat the question if you can't take in the information. Best not to answer questions 'yes, but..' but rather 'on a better day, I might be able to manage it once (whatever the descriptor is) but not more than once in a day (week, month etc). Can you do things reliably, repeatedly, safely and in a timely fashion? If not, then they it's as if you can't complete the activity, even their own manuals say so. So best to say things like 'I can only do it for less than half the time (day, week, month) or whatever and even then it causes me pain/fatigue/distress or whatever. To test cognitive function they may ask you to count backwards in 7s or remember 3 items. Remember a lot of these things are to catch people out so if you aren't able to do the test then that is better as it demonstrates foggy brain.
I would also add don't be fooled by 'niceness'. My first home visit for PIP went really well and I had a lovely assessor. My second assessor appeared lovely but I was fooled. Just want you to be aware of that. I lost the mobility as a result and I'd had it for years, but I also have mental health problems and she had obviously copied and pasted stock replies in the report about my appearance and eye contact (I didn't give any) but they often do this. But even if you don't get what you're entitled to, do not give up. Lots of people have lost parts of their award. I fought and got it all back at Mandatory Reconsideration, but be prepared to take it all the way to appeal. They want people to give up! My best advice would be prepare for the worst, hope for the best, be prepared for a fight and don't take anything personally - it isn't.
Best wishes xx
Thank you for your response to help, sorry I was so ill and did not have the energy to respond to anyone. I was so confused when she asked about aids, forgot to mention I have a stool to sit close to work top, proper tin opener, walking stick. nibliser. Had such bad fog today couldn’t get words out so frustrating. Thank you for your message. Will let you all know what I receive in 6 weeks. I have waited for This interview since end off April.
Xx
Best wishes Clee xx
FoggyMoggy, the assessor will get a shock off her life. But before I reveal all I’m going to wait for my report. I found her extremely rude she didn’t let me express and expand on the question and she interrupted in between my answers. She did say she was going to write the report out, but she was typing so fast and my answers were short but she kept typing it looked like she was typing an essay. However I do have a complaint she didn’t introduce herself to me. All she said where can I sit. I’m writing to Pip explaining what has happened before she can summit her report
Xx
Nannyfibro I would complain when you get your report because you can complain about the process and make all the points from the report itself. That's what I did. You can outline what you said and where it disagrees with the report and also what points you should have got. Without the report you don't know where to dispute it (and although it sounds as if it went badly, it's best to see what she's put). I went right through the complaints stage and could also use this towards my Mandatory Recon. I actually got my PIP restored at PIP as a result of my complaints to Atos. I carried on until the last stage - I could see they were caving as assessor ignored my GP's evidence xx
Morning FoggyMoggy,
I was very confused why I was asked about my house was it mortgaged or not. Why was I asked about reading and then she whipped out one off the reading scripts in various fonts and size that opticians use. I just felt she didn’t allow me to elaborate on each question. She over talked while I was trying to explain what I was asked. She also asked me sums to multiply subtraction & asked me to spell backwards. Very weird. She also gave me three words to remember. She then asked a few more questions and then asked me the three words again and lol I only remembered one word. But I do remember that she tried tricking me because she asked the same question in different ways after a few questions.
Xx
Hi Nannyfibro - I've no idea what the relevance of asking you if your house was mortgaged or not but I'm guessing it was to do with being able to manage your finances, since that is one of the descriptors. The reading different fonts will be to do with the descriptor on any visual problems if you mentioned any difficulties on your form. The asking to count backwards in sums of 7 and also spell backwards are often used. I remember mine in 2016 when she asked me to spell 'world' backwards and I couldn't. They do it to test your cognitive function so e.g. if you say you get confused and foggy or unable to take information they are sort of testing you. So they are looking for consistency. Yes I had the three words to remember - another thing to see what your memory is like! It is good that you only remembered one word as it demonstrates 'fogginess' but I think it's all ridiculous anyway! xx
As you know I had my f2f last week. On my face to face they did ask about AIDS such as walking sticks , electric hands free can openers etc. They kept asking me if they were prescribed, who told me to get them etc. Obviously my adaptations were put in after a home occupational therapy assessment. But some of my aids I brought such as my wheeled Walker that I can also use as a seat. I have done some checking and there as been a tribunal ruling that aids can be brought on a needs basis and do not need to be recommended for you or prescribed. So do not worry. Simply state you need them.
I was so confused when she asked about aids, forgot to mention I have a stool to sit close to work top, proper tin opener, walking stick. nibliser. Had such bad fog today couldn’t get words out so frustrating. Thank you for your message. Will let you all know what I receive in 6 weeks. I have waited for This interview since end off April.
Xx
Thank you for your response to help, sorry I was so ill and did not have the energy to respond to anyone. I was so confused when she asked about aids, forgot to mention I have a stool to sit close to work top, proper tin opener, walking stick. nibliser. Had such bad fog today couldn’t get words out so frustrating. Thank you for your message. Will let you all know what I receive in 6 weeks. I have waited for This interview since end off April.
Xx
Just had my f2f at home , it's caused me endless sleepless nights and I felt so wound up even though the woman seemed pleasant enough. My previous encounter with them lead me to going to Tribunal , I won , my instinct is that I will end up having to fight again as that seems to becoming the norm for this help. I hope yours goes well , good luck .
Thank you veggiehog, had my f2f this morning, had my daughter with me. I was so anxious I could hardly speak. My fibromyalgia fog was so bad, luckily my daughter kept helping me out. I know for a fact that the assessor will write what she wants to. We will wait and see.
Xx
Morning Ajay575
I hope I do get a good result to.
She did ask me my previous jobs, I didn’t want to say exactly what I did. I was going to just stick by saying civil servant. But my daughter butted in saying she worked for Dwp fraud investigator. Also worked for most councils assessing people for home care & residential care. The assessor paused and gasped for a good few seconds. She looked at me but she seemed to be typing more then the short answers. I only hope she’s not made up a load off stories and interpreted in a different way
Xx
Xx
Thanks, I have an admission but am not going to put it on this site. She will be shocked if she doesn’t put the correct interpretation off the interview. Watch this space.
Xx
I’m so fed up off listening to people saying that the assessor has not written up the interview as a true interpretation off what was said in the interview. And because of that interview and assessment the benefit was either reduced or taken away.
X
It is absolutely ridiculous how they ask approximately 30 questions which is meant for everyone who is claiming PIP. But everyone’s symptoms will not be the same, so it’s not relevant the questions put to me regarding my illness. The reading is because I have Sjögren syndrome. She asked me what are your symptoms. I told her dry eyes mouth and several other symptoms. I assume that’s why she asked me to read. I think she asked the question about my mortgage because it’s a very large 6 bed, double fronted. I acquired the house in 1998 it’s practically paid off, only reason I’m still in this massive house is because kids and grandkids come every 2 weeks to visit. She also asked me if I was a member off any groups or professional membership.
Xx
Hi Ajay575,
An update on my assessment. So I was interviewed on the 29th got a text on Monday saying that the DWP has my report from assessment. Today I got a call from Dwp. I took the call but explained that I could not take the call as I was in pain clinic & for them to call back after 3 hrs. They called I missed the call. Then got a text to say that I need to call back before 4. I did call and I was asked as off when my condition had deteriorated. I explained. He said that it’s all backdated and I have been awarded mobility. Money will be in bank account by Monday Tuesday. I’m really surprised it didn’t take too long. I thanked him. I’m Very pleased.
I had my ammunition ready, just in case the assessor had made up what she wanted to put in the assessment. I had requested her notes to compare to our notes. My daughter also asked her a copy off the interview. So the assessor must off thought I cannot mess around here.
Hi FoggyMoggy,
I have been awarded pip. Really surprised it took less than a week for it to come through
Xx
Yes I’m pleased with the results. Thank you much appreciated for all your support. I know when fibro friends send a message your the first to help and support and give positive feedback. Thanks again.
X
Pip assessment physical 
Pip assessment 
PIP Assessment criteria
Pip assessment 
Pip telephone assessment 
