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PIP Assessment next week, petrified!

kayrnb

Evening all,

Would love to hear some stories on your pip outcomes after the assessment, mine is a phone assessment next week.

I have degenerative disc disease, a slipped disc which is crushing the sciatic nerve amongst other lumbar disc issues including thickening and other things.
I have had terrible back pain for 20+ years I am 37 now. Although I've had pain up until the past few years it hasn't affected my mobility or quality of life. The past 18 months have been the worst. Cut a long story short it affects me every single day with simple tasks pain which is excruciating and runs into my right leg and foot, wakes me up etc.

I also have anxiety which is so heightened by this as I am a single mum to 3 beautiful young children and worry I am not enough for them.

In regards to the assessment, I have some questions. Are you disqualified from pip if you drive? Can you have someone with you during the phone call that can also speak about how you are affected, or can they just " be there " for support. What's the best way to answer the questions and what are the most common questions asked these days?

Thanks in advance
Kelsie

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kayrnb

Also we're you awarded pip with any type of problems like mine? Sorry forgot to add

Jimm_Alumni

Hi @kayrnb, I totally get the stress and anxiety surrounding this. It means so much and it feels like you have to do some kind of performance just to get basic necessities.

I want to thank you for coming here and speaking with us. It takes courage, resilience and effort to ask for help. I also imagine you are a wonderful mother to your children, a bad mother wouldn't worry at all.

Regarding the assessment, Scope does have some advice pages here Preparing for PIP assessment | Disability charity Scope UK

You can inform them in advance to have someone there with you. I am not certain whether they can answer for you but they can help prompt and remind you as well as be there for support.

Driving does not disqualify you from PIP. I believe the DWP can try to argue that it means you can navigate and you can move. However, you can give the specifics of what you can do. If someone has more information about this please let me know and share it with us!

Give real experiences as your answers, not just yes or no. Exactly how difficult it is for you to do the tasks and how much you have to deal with.

Also take a look at this Citizen's Advice page on assessment preparation Preparing for your PIP assessment - Citizens Advice. I hope it helps you plan for it.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. Remember, there are still options even after the assessment.

chiarieds

Jimm_Scope said:

Driving does not disqualify you from PIP. I believe the DWP can try to argue that it means you can navigate and you can move. However, you can give the specifics of what you can do. If someone has more information about this please let me know and share it with us!

Some interesting discussions here by Welfare Rights Officers, etc: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/13377/ I particularly liked comment 11, 'DWP staff have no expertise or training in assessing ability to drive and therefore this comment should be given very little weight, Particularly as the Respondent’s comments about driving are standard wording from a pick-list which is not specific to my client. Therefore it is little more than conjecture.'

With links to: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/view/viewthread/10229/

And the case of a lady who couldn't peel vegetables yet was thought to not have any problems with this activity as she could drive a car! https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/16612/

kayrnb

Thanks so much everyone for your in depth comments and taking the time out respond. My children are 13 5 and 2 so a fair handful. My 13 year old son is great and helps alot in terms of carrying washing baskets upstairs etc. So I am extremely fortunate with the help and support I recieve. Pip confuses me as I can only guess it does with most people as I know one particular lady who receives pip for a back issue and she walks everywhere unaided goes on holidays 4-5 times a year out most weekends whilst her parents have her children. Yet I know another person who couldn't recieve pip as they said there was insufficient evidence but her argument was she didn't have evidence to be exact she just had the symptoms to go on. Whereas I have a mri diagnosis a letter from consultant and proof of meds as well. I'm just worried about answering a question wrong I guess. I read so much people are not awarded the points they deserve.

poppy123456

The worst thing anyone can do is to start comparing others to yourself. No one knows exactly how anyones health conditions affect them so how can anyone judge another person. Invisible health conditions do exist and many people have them.

Just because someone is awarded PIP it doesn't mean they can't have a life. It doesn't mean they need to spend all their time at home, in bed. For PIP what matters is how your conditions affect you for the majority of the time time so at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period.

I claim PIP and go on holiday, i also go out shopping, look after my grandchildren, go for coffeee, drive my car, visit friends but it doesn't mean i'm not entitled to PIP.

I think using the word "deserve" is wrong. No one deserves to be awarded, myself included. I claim PIP because i'm entitled to it, the same as many others.

A lot of the time the most likely reason for refusal is not understanding the descriptors and what they mean and not filling out the claim form with enough of information.

You don't need a diagnosis to claim PIP because that's not what it's about, very often a diagnosis is not in question. Neither do you need to be taking medication.

chiarieds

With your PIP assessment:

- If you have kept a copy of your initial claim form, have a read through it.

- Ideally you should have given 1 or 2 recent, detailed examples of the difficulty you face doing/attempting each applicable activity/descriptor that is looked at with PIP, i.e. when exactly did this occur, where, what exactly happened, why did you have difficulty, did anyone else see this, & were there any consequences to this, if applicable?
- have a look again at the PIP descriptors in this link, reading the notes at the end. The word 'reliably,' which is so important, isn't mentioned as such, but it's whether or not you can do an activity safely, to an acceptable standard, repeat it as often as would normally be expected, or if it takes you longer than a person without your disability. If you can't do an activity 'reliably,' say so, explaining why. If you're in pain either attempting an activity or afterwards this should also be described. Please see: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/personal-independence-payment-descriptors-and-scores-april-2023.pdf Remember it's about the help you need even if you don't get that help
- see if there were any gaps where you didn't give those important detailed examples for each applicable PIP activity/descriptor in your initial claim form. Try to include these in your assessment if asked about any
- if you're unsure about any question, just ask for it to be repeated. Take your time in answering, & don't just answer 'yes' or 'no'

- make sure your phone is fully charged, & you can have someone there to support you so put your phone onto loudspeaker

- there's no wrong way to answer a question, just explain the difficulties that you face

kayrnb

Jimm_Scope said:

Hi @kayrnb, I totally get the stress and anxiety surrounding this. It means so much and it feels like you have to do some kind of performance just to get basic necessities.

I want to thank you for coming here and speaking with us. It takes courage, resilience and effort to ask for help. I also imagine you are a wonderful mother to your children, a bad mother wouldn't worry at all.

Regarding the assessment, Scope does have some advice pages here Preparing for PIP assessment | Disability charity Scope UK

You can inform them in advance to have someone there with you. I am not certain whether they can answer for you but they can help prompt and remind you as well as be there for support.

Driving does not disqualify you from PIP. I believe the DWP can try to argue that it means you can navigate and you can move. However, you can give the specifics of what you can do. If someone has more information about this please let me know and share it with us!

Give real experiences as your answers, not just yes or no. Exactly how difficult it is for you to do the tasks and how much you have to deal with.

Also take a look at this Citizen's Advice page on assessment preparation Preparing for your PIP assessment - Citizens Advice. I hope it helps you plan for it.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. Remember, there are still options even after the assessment.

Very useful will keep you updated

kayrnb

woodbine said:

Pip is awarded based on the care and or mobility issues you have not your medical conditions, did you keep a copy of your application for reference? Always make sure your phone is fully charged, never answer a question yes or no but give real life examples, the link below is for PIP descriptors which you might find useful:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

Yes I screen shotted my application

Jimm_Alumni

@chiarieds Yes, while I said they can use it as a reason to suggest you are mobile/can do things I certainly don't think it's right.

good luck with everything @kayrnb

kayrnb

Thanks all I'm still worried as to how I will answer the questions

kayrnb

poppy123456 said:

The worst thing anyone can do is to start comparing others to yourself. No one knows exactly how anyones health conditions affect them so how can anyone judge another person. Invisible health conditions do exist and many people have them.

Just because someone is awarded PIP it doesn't mean they can't have a life. It doesn't mean they need to spend all their time at home, in bed. For PIP what matters is how your conditions affect you for the majority of the time time so at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period.

I claim PIP and go on holiday, i also go out shopping, look after my grandchildren, go for coffeee, drive my car, visit friends but it doesn't mean i'm not entitled to PIP.

I think using the word "deserve" is wrong. No one deserves to be awarded, myself included. I claim PIP because i'm entitled to it, the same as many others.

A lot of the time the most likely reason for refusal is not understanding the descriptors and what they mean and not filling out the claim form with enough of information.

You don't need a diagnosis to claim PIP because that's not what it's about, very often a diagnosis is not in question. Neither do you need to be taking medication.

Thanks so much poppy .... your right it doesn't mean you have to be bed ridden I just feel that for the assessment it needs to be put across that way for them to award you deserved points.

poppy123456

kayrnb said:

poppy123456 said:

The worst thing anyone can do is to start comparing others to yourself. No one knows exactly how anyones health conditions affect them so how can anyone judge another person. Invisible health conditions do exist and many people have them.

Just because someone is awarded PIP it doesn't mean they can't have a life. It doesn't mean they need to spend all their time at home, in bed. For PIP what matters is how your conditions affect you for the majority of the time time so at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period.

I claim PIP and go on holiday, i also go out shopping, look after my grandchildren, go for coffeee, drive my car, visit friends but it doesn't mean i'm not entitled to PIP.

I think using the word "deserve" is wrong. No one deserves to be awarded, myself included. I claim PIP because i'm entitled to it, the same as many others.

A lot of the time the most likely reason for refusal is not understanding the descriptors and what they mean and not filling out the claim form with enough of information.

You don't need a diagnosis to claim PIP because that's not what it's about, very often a diagnosis is not in question. Neither do you need to be taking medication.

Thanks so much poppy .... your right it doesn't mean you have to be bed ridden I just feel that for the assessment it needs to be put across that way for them to award you deserved points.

I disagree. If you're not bed ridden then you're not and you shouldn't tell them that you are. I think using the word "deserved" is wrong because no one deserves it, even myself. We are awarded because we score enough points needed for an award.

During the assessment you need to be honest and tell them how you're conditions affect you. No one can tell you how to answer the questions because no one knows how your conditons affect you. I can only advise you not to answer the questions with just a yes or no. By doing this the assessor can come to their own conclusions.

kayrnb

Update all .

Had assessment on the Thursday 31st August 6 days later had a text to say I've been awarded and to wait 2 weeks or so for letter. My question is I know it takes 3-5 days for any money to go in after its been paid but usually how long is this once you've recieved the text?

chiarieds

Really can't say more than your text does. Once a payment has been made it takes 3-5 working days to be in your account; this usually happens before you get your decision letter, so keep checking your account. And congratulations!!

Jimm_Alumni

Congrats! Glad you got an award @kayrnb

Always nice hearing good outcomes.

aidan23rjdn

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/109185/pip-assessment-next-week-petrified

What rate did u receive? Your symptoms are similar to mine along with having aniexty , thanks