PIP phone assessment - several calls??

MKJK

Can anyone advise if it is normal to have a several phone calls after the initial health assessment? I had my first phone assessment in June and was called back by the same lady 5 days later. She said DWP wanted clarification of some points and repeated some questions. I answered as clearly and accurately as possible regarding how my disability affects me. For some tasks that I said I simply did or could not do, she asked me to think 'hypothetically' and imagine if I could, how would I manage, which I found both upsetting and alarming. The conversation was repetitive and felt it was asking me to invent scenarios. 
This was 11 weeks ago and I have heard nothing until today when I was called again and told I need to make another appointment for an additional phone assessment, to 'clarify some points' - Again! I am finding this whole process exhausting and quite distressing and just wondering if this is usual. Many thanks

chiarieds

Hello @MKJK - & welcome to the community. I only had the one call following my PIP assessment in 2017, which resulted in me having another face to face assessment just 3 weeks later!

Since joining Scope, I've noticed a few members going through a little similar. I'm only speculating, but some assessment reports are audited (checked again to see that they are as they should be), which for a few has meant they then had to have another assessment. This 'may' be the case, or not. It may simply be as has been said that they need to 'clarify' some points. Whatever the reason, it sounds like another assessment will hopefully be better for you, even tho I know it's stressful!

nasturtium

Hello MKJK

MKJK said:

For some tasks that I said I simply did or could not do, she asked me to think 'hypothetically' and imagine if I could, how would I manage, which I found both upsetting and alarming. The conversation was repetitive and felt it was asking me to invent scenarios.

In my personal opinion I think the assessor was trying to gain an insight on what would happen IF you did those activities you said you could not do.

For example if you say you cannot do something then you need to explain in detail:-

why you cannot do that task

who does the task for you if you cannot do it

what would be the consiquences for you if you did do the task (hence the assessor was asking about a hyperthetical situation in you doing the task)

To say that you cannot do a task means that you have a very high level of disability.

You are not being assessed on if you can or cannot do a task. You are being assessed on your ability to do that task safely, repeatedly, in a timely manor or to an acceptable standard.

So for example a person who has a severe benign tremor in there hand that makes them shake when holding a knife. They can still cut up food and vegetables when preparing a meal but they are slow doing this because of there tremor and there is a risk of the knife slipping and them cutting themselves. So they can do the task but they cannot do it safely or in a timely manor so they will score points for that activity and task according to a descriptor. So the person with the tremor uses the aid of cut proof gloves when they need to use a knife and they use the aid of a auto chopper to help with cutting up food. This means the person could score 2 points for needing to use an aid.

I hope that explains why the assessor was trying to make you think 'hypothetically' they were just trying to get more insight on how your condition affects you attempted to do the task and what the consiquences would be if you did the task.

Nasturtium

chiarieds

MKJK said:

For some tasks that I said I simply did or could not do, she asked me to think 'hypothetically' and imagine if I could, how would I manage, which I found both upsetting and alarming. The conversation was repetitive and felt it was asking me to invent scenarios. 

To be honest @nasturtium I don't think with a PIP assessment a claimant would/should be asked to 'imagine' how they might be able to do any activity/activities. It just seems a bit back to front, & downright confusing to me. 

If we all imagined how we could do an activity/how we used to do it, there wouldn't be much point in explaining 'How your disability affects you' as per the initial claim form.

As you seem to be saying, & it's also my understanding of PIP, it's about the claimant's functional ability to do any of the 12 applicable activities/descriptors 'reliably,' i.e. safely, to an acceptable standard, be able to repeat as often as would be reasonably expected, or be able to do in a timely manner.

Being asked to imagine how you 'might' do something just seems counterintuitive, rather than trying to find 'how your condition affects you if you did that task and what the consequences would be if you did the task.'

Of course you may very well be right.

nasturtium

I fully agree with you chiarieds but I think the assessor was trying to get a better understanding of the functional restrictions (if it is a physical disability) or the restrictions caused by there mental health problems. That is the only possible reason I can think of for them to ask that but of course I could be totally wrong 

Nasturtium

poppy123456

I agree with nasturtium and this is likely why they were asking those questions. It's the same as when we advise people to give a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies.

I do think that the word "imagine" is the wrong word to use here. When the assessor was asking those questions it would have been much better for them to ask along the lines of "can you please tell me what exactly happened the last time you attempted to do that activity." To tell them you can't do that activity isn't enough because they need to build a picture of how your conditions affect you.