Hi sorry I haven't posted for sometime. I read all your posts but with them getting a number of replies I feel my help is not needed. If I could I would, reading all your posts help me and lift me too. So thanks to you all.
I do have a question of my own, I am having my pip medical at home this Saturday and wonder if anyone has any advice for me on questions they ask. What I have to show them I.e what things I have to perform.
Hope you can help
Mine worked their way through the form asking extra questions (looked like it was already put on their laptop programme).
My best advice would be to re read your form (hoping you kept a copy) and note if anything has changed since then and anything you think you should have put down. Because we fluctuate so much it is easy to forget what was difficult last week compared to this week. Try and have someone else with you.
I did offer mine tea/coffee but my husband did it.
What actions you are asked appears to vary.
Farm
Sadly I don't have a copy I went to my local fish shop this a place were they help you fill in the form they kept it. My wife has to work that day.
That's a shame, it's helpful to just read through beforehand. Can you not ring them & see if they still have it? I didn't have my assessment at home but I did report back on some of how mine went if it will help? You'll find it here healthunlocked.com/nras/pos...
I received notification of my award a little over a fortnight later.
All the best for Saturday.
Your help is always needed darling so if you have something to say please say it as something you say could help someone when others haven't reached them.xxxx
Have a read on the Benefits & Work website.
Have someone there to make a drink and let them in if possible. Things like try and touch toes. Lift arms. Mine dropped pen to see if I went for it (test I think )
Do you have a diary or anything written down regarding your symptoms?
I found more you give them to read/look at less questions.
They will ask how you do certain things eg make drinks. Bathe. Stairs etc.
Good luck
Hi Brian. 
I had my PIP assessment just before Christmas. The run-up to it was nerve-wracking, but the reality wasn't as bad as I feared.
They ask you most of the questions on your form again, and ask you to describe your 'typical day', and ask a few other questions about work and shopping. It takes an hour or so. Remember to tell them about your limits and what you CAN'T do. It is demoralising, but that's what scores points.
It is essential that you tell them about ALL the help, support, aids and appliances you need. For example, tell them if it takes you a while to get out of bed in the morning, if you need to hold onto support rails or the walls to get to the bathroom, if you need help to wash, if you have lever taps, if you have hand-rails, if you use sock-aids or shoe horns, if you struggle with zips, if you have special implements in the kitchen or your wife does all the cooking, if you can't use tin openers, if you use a walking stick, etc... EVERYTHING you can think of!
They will not ask you to show them anything at home, and if by any chance they're cheeky and do, just say "I'm sorry, I can't" or "I'm sorry, I need my wife here to do that" or something similar. But they really should not ask - remember, most people are assessed in an office away from their home.
They WILL ask you to do certain movements, eg get up from your chair, touch your toes, put your hands behind your back. Do not do anything that hurts - tell them it hurts and stop. Don't try anything you wouldn't normally try, don't push yourself. They are assessing What movements you NORMALLY do, not what you can do if you force yourself.
They are assessing you from the moment they arrive outside your house, including steps up to it and how long it takes you to answer the door. Don't rush to let them in, because they'll think you move faster than you normally do. They are measuring how far it is from your car to your house, and from your front door to your chair, and comparing that with how far you said you can walk on your form. Remember, you have to struggle to walk 20m to get the higher rate mobility component, and 50m for standard rate, so if your house/garden are large, they will be considering that too. Remember to tell them if it's hard for you to get to the bottom of your garden, or if you have to rest after answering the front door.
Don't hide your pain or your breathlessness. Don't offer them tea/coffee if you are not having one yourself, and remember whatever you do, they are assessing how much difficulty you have doing it.
The woman who assessed me was an occupational therapist. She was perfectly friendly and professional, but not warm. But it was ok. As I say, worrying about it beforehand was worse than the reality! Good luck!
Heck Flow, I thought it would be better if you were assessed at home, not so it seems. I hadn't thought of all the things that they're able to see how you manage, not how you have, just the things you have to do daily, moving from here to there. I live in a big old house so you can imagine the size of the rooms, it's not surprising I'm shattered at night with feet of lead! I'm going to sort a pedometer app & see just how far I walk in a day, just in the house. Thanks for that!
I think it's different rather than better or worse. If you go to them, they start to assess you before you enter the room, maybe even the building... My report noted that I was able to walk from the waiting room to the assessment room, slowly and with a stick.
Hi Brian,
I had an assessment at home around May last year?I had an appointment come through to attend a centre but when I rang them to say it would be difficult for me they actually offered me a home visit.The day arrived and no one turned up so after 30 mins I rang the centre to ask what was happening.About an hour later they rang me back to say the appointment before mine had overran and so I would have to ring another number to make another appointment.I was livid and hit the roof (partly because I had been so wound up about the assessment anyway,and then to be just let down).they had given me the date /time for that appointment as it was convenient for them.I think they got the idea that I wasnt happy and so they arranged that someone would call 2 days later. The man who came was a real gent.He had obviously been made aware of the missed appointment and was most apologetic,and agreed that it was not acceptable.
He went through the questions on the form in order and asked for examples of difficulties I had in doing certain tasks.He also put forward certain scenarios and asked what I would do in that situation.He made it clear that he did not want to see any parts of the house (I thought he may want to see how we adapted the bathroom,or other rooms in the house) but he wasn't interested in those.
He also said that he would not ask me to perform any tasks that would cause me pain.On the day he came my hands were very swollen,I showed him these so he could see that it wasn't a figment of my imagination.I was sat in my chair with a bag of frozen peas in a towel on my hands to ease the pain.He said I won't ask you to do any movements as it will obviously cause you discomfort. My husband was also with me at home when he came.Apart from answering the door to let him in and offer him a drink he also reminded me of some details that were important to tell the assessor about that I had forgotten.He also provided me with moral support.
I had been very worried and wound up about the assessment but the event itself was a lot less stressful than I had anticipated.
I suppose it all depends on the assessor you have,and maybe mine was perhaps compensating for the missed appointment.If there will be no one with you on the assessment you and your wife need to make some notes beforehand so you can include all relevant info.Ask her for her input as sometimes she will see or be aware of things that you do/can't do that you do not notice.
Flow4 has said exactly how it is from the word go so don't go out of your way to push yourself to do something or they will assume that you can always do that.If you have difficulty doing anything make sure they are aware or tell them that your wife has to do that.
Good luck with the assessment and I hope that it goes well for you.
Crusee
Thanks to everyone for your help. I'll let you know how it goes and when I get a result.
New but would like to say thank you
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