Pip

[Tia666]

Morning all. I have a pip assesment today and am so nervous. Have read so many negative outcomes about it. Any advice or success stories?? X

[Lisalou19]

No experience myself but would be very interested in hearing how you get on.

Good luck xx

[whisperit]

morning tia,

nothing to add to my reply the other day really but the key points;

- let them *see* all the ways your condition affects your life eg if its hard to get to the door, leave it on the latch and stick a note out saying 'please knock and enter', don't tidy up specially and if you have your furniture specially arranged to cope with everyday life eg everything in reach of armchair or bed, don't trearrange it to make the place more convenient for your visitor, have your meds and any aids you use like grabber, grips for jam-jar lids, riser chair, memory aids etc etc out where they will be seen easily,

- if you have evidence of other people helping that will be good eg any notes you use for the postie to say 'I cannot get to the door, but please leave on step' or shopping list for neighbour if you have one who does chores like that for you

- remember its based on functioning not diagnosis, so keep telling them about what difficulties you have eg how you have to adapt to get shopping, going upstairs, bathing, dressing, how your social life has changed, what hobbies and interests you have had to give up or restrict and so on

- they will ask about how far you can walk, so try and describe any restrictions in a very concrete way eg "I can go at about half a normal persons pace and have to sit down after 20 yards, so I can just make it to the postbox on the corner, and sit on the wall for 15 minutes before coming back"

- describe how often you have to go the the doctors and/or hospital, esepcially for urgent/unscheduled things

- explain how many of the restrictions have been advised by medics, physios, OTs etc

Dont fret that you will not remember all this - the assessor will ask lots of questions that should prompt you anyway. All the same, it might be worth writing out a bit of a list to make sure you don't forget anything?

- try not to worry - it might help to remind yourself that this is just the start of a process that often includes an appeal, and most people get the right result only after appeal. It's not your only chance

Hope it goes well x

[Tia666 in reply to whisperit]

Thank you xx

[MEW53 in reply to whisperit]

Whisperit,

This is a really good reply to Tia666 with a good round up of what to do for a PIP assessment, you are exactly right about the way you behave has such a big affect on their decision. We tend to always do things in such a way that want to make our places look tidy and put things out of the way as you would for a visitor and don’t offer a cup of tea, cos if they accept, they will watch this activity.

Unfortunately most people have to appeal to get anywhere but having any aids, notes for cleaners etc. Are useful things to have lying around, they have eyes everywhere.

Tia666 - hope your assessment went well.

[whisperit in reply to MEW53]

Thanks, yes, "eyes everywhere"! At my home assessment, I spotted my assesor peering in through the kitchen window before she knocked. As she left, she casually asked, "Who plays the piano?" - it lives in the kitchen. Normally just a friendly query, but of course, one that could potentially lead her into making a lot of assumptions about my capabilities. x