PIP finally got in touch with me to say they wanted to arrange an assessment. They offered an in person one first thing in the morning, which I explained would be very difficult and so offered me a phone appointment next week, which I took. I’m really hoping doing it on the phone won’t handicap my chances.
Does anyone have experience of a phone assessment for a PIP Review? Any tips? Is it as rigorous as the initial in person PIP in person assessment I had, which was horrendous and led to loss of points? I’m so stressed, as I don’t want to end up going to Tribunal again.
Thanks for your help!
Xxx
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I had a phone assessment, and it worked out great for me. I was able to lay in bed, so I didn't have to cut it short because of pain sitting up. The lady I had was lovely. However, i had prior to the appointment printed out a copy of the point scoring system and underlined what I thought summed up my abilities on a really bad day. Made sure to point these out during the call. Helps to know what they are scoring points for.
Ask for a break if you need one or they are getting to long in the interview or intense with questions. I worked to hard on focusing ie answering questions that I was sick for days afterwards. They will expect breaks. Have your application at hand & review it or jot down key points or additional info you may have overlooked or forgotten like how you walk going down stairs ie two hands on banister, one step at a time & very slowly...
Remember, when explaining how things affect you, always answer questions about how you are affected on, your worst days! It will be better for you a phone assesment. Less stress. No travelling, etc. Have a copy of all your notes in front of you for reference, and dont be rushed! Good luck xx
Hello there, I had a phone renewal assessment and it was a lot less stressful than an in person one. The man was really nice. Take your time, it's helpful to have a copy of your original form handy. All the best x
Hi there. I have just had a PIP telephone assessment which I was dreading. I need not have worried because the assessor had been a nurse in the NHS for over 30 years. She was so compassionate and seem to understand my Lupus, Sjgrens and APSbetter than my own doctor. The outcome was her report was sent to DWP and I received the enhanced mobility and living components. This award is for 10 years which I haven’t had before but gives me a great deal of comfort knowing I don’t need to go through all this for a good while.
Just wanted to tell you that there are some really good people with no agenda but to help the claimant. Hope this helps. Xx
Thanks so much everyone for your replies and insights. You have all been really helpful. I had my phone assessment today and it was less harrowing, in that I wasn’t crying all the time and I was calmer in the build up to the interview, because I’m resigned to the fact, that I know how the appeals process works, should I need it. Even though the interview took 2 hours, I do feel we were going through very fast and I left certain descriptions out and repeated some about my fatigue again and again. Although I had my papers in front of me, I found myself leaning into the side where the phone was perched on some blankets, so the papers mostly got lost in it all. If I could tell the story of my poor health, it wouldn’t come out just in the questions they asked and I’ve come out feeling battered and worried I might not have got everything down that I needed. Oh well it’s over now. Why do they do this to us!!! We just don’t need the hassle, just the support! Thank you everyone for your kind support. Xxx
I’m glad it went well. My last assessment/renewal was by phone and I found it so much less stressful having also had to go through a double appeal the time before. I found the assessors judge me by how I look when it’s face to face whereas on the phone I can explain the facts without it being judged on appearance where I “look well” even when I’m not. Easier said than done but try not to stress too much - your last appeal should help as well as it sets some elements as fact and the DWP are unlikely to go against them unless things have changed. Even if you had to go through another appeal you’ll be able to use the accepted areas of your last one in evidence and just show that those areas haven’t improved. Good luck
thanks for letting me know that. I had no idea that the info from my last tribunal would be useful again. I really hope I said the right things. I do find it hard zeroing in on the relevant things to say for the descriptors and rattle on about everything instead. Fingers crossed.
did you get a copy of your last appeal result with the reasons for the decision? The DWP don’t link it together directly but I copied relevant pages and sent it in with my last form saying as already confirmed at page blah blah blah and as you can see from my hospital letters this has not changed. They lost on that point already so difficult to see how they’d expect to win again. It doesn’t guarantee they won’t argue it but I’d expect any subsequent tribunal appeal to look at it and find it hard to overturn unless there is evidence it’s changed. I’m fairly sure the previous appeal would now form part of the facts for the court if you submit it as evidence. On mine the decision stated that based on overwhelming medical evidence supplied and seemed quite scathing that I’d had to go that far so I’d hope that would put them off in future
thanks for telling me about what you did at your end and how it was useful. The welfare advisor who helped me fill out the form write at the end “that I won and tribunal and due to that they surely won’t dispute that”. So I hope it counts. I just pray that I haven’t undone anything by saying the wrong thing. They have made the Mobility section really hard to do with ridiculous questions that don’t take in the manner or struggle it takes you to do the lengths stated. Well thanks for your info, it will be useful at Mandatory Consideration and Tribunal... if that happens. Fingers crossed. X
hi Monica, I feel like I said a lot of stuff but I don’t feel I used the right words. I was repeating the same words and didn’t easily work in the description that I can’t do these things repeatedly or reliably. Hoping they will figure these things out. But as you know this is a word test not the old DLA that looked at how ill we are. I’ve felt pretty deflated since and am all set to go to appeal. But fingers crossed anyway. Miracles do happen! Thanks for asking Monica.
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Pip assessment tomorrow :( 
