PIP - Home Visit - Any Advice / Tips

[jess07]

Hi I have my PIP home visit this Wednesday. Any advice welcome please.

[Marnie22]

Hi. I have had a PIP assessment at their place, but I think the same applies.

Have someone with you. Helps with confidence and is a witness.

Let them know about your worst times. Stress the fact that some things might cause pain or exhaustion

Give detail, if they don't ask about something, tell them anyway.

Have notes ready if there are things you don't want to forget.

Remember that they won't just look at your written answers, they will watch what you are capable of doing during the assessment.

If you have time beforehand, call SCOPE helpline on 0808 800 3333. They helped me a lot.

Hope I haven't freaked you out.

I wish you lots of luck.

Remember, sometimes you get a real human doing the assessment! Sometimes they can be okay

[pffft2017 in reply to Marnie22]

I disagree, they're not human, my computer has more empathy lol.

[sospan]

One of the things with PIP it is all about what your symptoms are and how it affects you. Oddly it isn't about what you can do but what you can't.

PIP goes against the British tradition of just getting on with it. If for example you had problems with your hip or knee. They could ask can you get to the corner shop ? Most Brits with joint problems would just say they can. In the world of PIP you would have to explain that whilst you can go to the shop, it is really painful, takes you a long time and you may have to stop a few times and then afterwards you are exhausted and in a lot of pain.

It probably isn't an exaggeration or laying it on thick, most of us are conditioned to "suck it" and just get on with things without moaning. It is when you take a step back and think about it, the effort taken to do tasks is quite large. That is why the general advice is to get someone to explain on your behalf the effort taken.

So essentially it is about explaining your difficulties without embellishing them

Hope it goes well

[pffft2017]

1) Yes insist on making an audio recording ( you'll have to give them a copy too ).

2 ) Don't feel obliged to do any exercise or task if it makes you uncomfortable or causes pain.

3) Ask the 'healthcare professional' what his/her qualifications are so that you can complain to their professional body when they don't award you any points.

4) Make an audio recording, I cannot stress this enough, don't rely on a friend or relative as a witness.

Lastly I was marked down for not wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown (?) don't ask me why, it's one of their peccadilloes I think.

[1949liz]

Hi Jess07, just be yourself and you will be surprised how understanding they are. I had a gentleman who visited me and we sat in the kitchen and although I was stressed because of his visit in my case he was extremely understanding hope everything goes well for you. Regards Liz x🌹🙏

[Pairofboots]

I had a problem with DLA home visit, the assessor as good as said he was not going to help, PIP, I went to their centre, and was marked down on mobility. I requested their report, what a bunch of fiction. I challenged the report, citing a Ministry of Health approved Drs report. The decision was overturned in my favour.

Something I read in one of the other responses, get the name, qualifications, if registered etc, I wish I had raised the issue with the NMC, as the nurse was less qualified as a nurse than I was before I had to retire.

They will ask questions that are unanswerable because you wouldn't be expected to have the answers.

I'm sorry if I have scared you, but my judgement of the assessment process is somewhat clouded by the level of incompetence and inability to empathise of the services contracted to complete these life changing assessments.