assessment help — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

assessment help

salam
salam Community member Posts: 4 Listener
edited June 2019 in PIP, DLA, and AA
hello all, my mum will have her face to face meeting in a few weeks

to those who have done the face to face meeting, do you all have any advice

should I accompany her

Comments

  • floralora
    floralora Community member Posts: 20 Courageous
    Definitely accompany her, it won't hurt and if anything it will help. 

    Don't use minutes for how long she can walk, stick to metres. Be very firm with what your mum can and can't do. Take notes in so you remember to mention everything, take a 2 week diary too. 

    Not to scare you, but there's a chance they'll lie on the report. So, just do your best and be prepared to ask for a mandatory reconsideration and then to appeal to the tribunal. I've appealed and I was offered PIP this morning on the phone (declined since I'm entitled to more). DWP hope you'll be the 6/10 that don't appeal. 
  • salam
    salam Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    okay thank you

    will they ask me questions as well
  • floralora
    floralora Community member Posts: 20 Courageous
    Yeah, they probably will. My partner took me to mine and he was asked questions. 
  • salam
    salam Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    do we need to inform them that I'll be accompanying her, or can I arrive unannounced
  • floralora
    floralora Community member Posts: 20 Courageous
    just arrive unannounced. Did your mum receive a booklet about her face to face? It should have all the information you need.
  • salam
    salam Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    not yet, it'll arrive soon
  • brydiedwards
    brydiedwards Community member Posts: 31 Courageous
    Hi @salam ! I'd agree that it would probably be beneficial to accompany her as in my experience those who have accompanied me have actually brought up relevant information I would not have thought of. Don't forget that the assessment should be thought of as describing a 'bad day' in regards to conditions/impairments so don't hold back! And again I agree with what others have said that if they do decline/rate lower than you expected, sometimes they do so in the hope that you won't appeal and give up despite what should actually be rewarded, so don't be shy about asking for a mandatory reconsideration/appealing as they may change it quickly once you do :)
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,333 Disability Gamechanger
    I'm sorry but giving advice that you should be describing a bad day during an assessment is wrong. PIP isn't about your worst days, it's how your conditions affect you at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period.

    To attend an assessment and tell them everyday is bad, if it isn't is potentially benefit fraud and a HCP is very likely going to see straight through you if it's not your worst day. They will sit there thinking "well if that's their worst day then they can't be as bad as they say they are"

    You should speak the truth during these assessments and tell them about all of your days, whether they are both good or bad.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • brydiedwards
    brydiedwards Community member Posts: 31 Courageous
    Hi @poppy123456
    Thanks for calling me up on that. I may have been getting confused with what they ask you to fill out in a PIP form and what they ask for in a face to face assessment. Of course I would never suggest lying to try and get a higher reward, I’ve probably just been frustrated with how they’ve interpreted my own assessments in the past. I’ll check myself before giving this sort of advice again, have a nice day 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,333 Disability Gamechanger
    No problem. The same applies when filling out the forms, never base it on your worst day.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • AlexandriaUK
    AlexandriaUK Community member Posts: 40 Courageous
    Poppy is right, it's about your inability to carryout certain tasks and if you make out that every day is a bad day then just by the fact that you managed to get to the F2F is a contradiction of that statement, be honest and try to answer the questions with as much information but do not drag it out or they will cut you short.
    If you have mental health issues as well then the person who is attending the interview with you can have some input but I would always recommend that they have a written statement to pass to the hp telling them their take on how you cope or don't cope with both your physical problems and your MH issues as well.
    I personally have found that the major majority of DWP staff are very helpful and the same has to be said of the assessment companies. 
    I have been awarded both components at enhanced rate until the last review where they lowered my care to low rate, this I put in an MR and it has just be reinstated to high again. 
    Remember that the majority of people claiming PIP have absolutely no problem with the process, forum like this only have a small % because those who have claimed the benefit without issues have no need to be on these sites
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Hello @salam, I hope the advice from our members has been useful to you. Best of luck to your mum at her assessment, be sure to let us know how she gets on. :)
    Community Manager
    Scope

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.