UC50 Assessement

Palmtree125

I have a telephone assessment coming up soon and my anxiety is extremley bad and im not coping well at all, can anyone tell me what to expect from the call, eg the question they may ask.

Thank u

Kimmy87

Is this for a Work Capability Assessment, or have you been asked to submit bank statements?

Palmtree125

yes its for a work capabililty assesment

poppy123456

They will ask you questions about your health conditions and how they affect you. They'll very likely ask you what a typical day is like for you.

Please make sure you don't answer any questions with just a yes or no and try to give as much detail as possible. If you kept a copy of the form you returned then have a read of that before the assessment.

The assessment can last anywhere from 20 to 120 minutes, sometimes longer. Once it's completed the assessment report will be written and returned and a decision can take up to 12 weeks.

Palmtree125

Thank you very much for your help and advice Poppy123456

IndignantPigeon

Hi Palmtree, I've been through a number of these so can give you a few tips. First and most important, try to be yourself, if you're anxious then don't try to cover it up. This is one time you have to try to show them how you really are. I know it's so difficult not to put on a brave face + put your best side on to them, but you really mustn't, as your condition will be judged by how you cope on the phone call, and if you make yourself look too relaxed or whatever, they'll think you don't have a problem. I have a severe tremor and instinct is to cover it up, I hate letting anyone see it, but you really have to show them how you really are and how bad you can be.

The other thing to bear in mind is to frame your answers around how your problems interfere with your everyday life. eg if you find it stressful to leave your home, say so and give some examples of how it affects you. Bear in mind these assessors will not be fully qualified medical personnel and may have very little understanding of your condition. Spell everything out to them so they are left in no doubt how your problems affect you.

Best of luck + let us know how you get on : )

Palmtree125

Thank you so much Indignantpigeon for your advice im so terrified of the whole thing, I have acute anxiety and suffering with Cancer and other illness just not sure how im going cope on the telephone call from them, I also have poor memory.

Mary_Scope

Hi @Palmtree125

There is some good information here about what to expect from a Work Capability Assessment.

Good luck with the assessment, I really hope it goes well.

IndignantPigeon

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/953373#Comment_953373

Hi Palmtree, if it's any comfort, I'm sure just about all of us find going through this sort of thing distressing. You sound as though you're going through a really tough time, and I know it's hard to deal with this and your health problems all at the same time. Just ordinary living can be hard enough, let alone this worry on top. Years ago they used to base their assessments on the basis of docs / specialists alone, there weren't any medical assessments to do, no forms to complete, no hoops to jump through. This started with Blair, and it's been made harder and harder over the years. I'm afraid it's the old workhouse mentality: if you want any help you're going to have to work dammed hard to get it, and I reckon they make it as unpleasant as possible, including with the added stress, to dissuade "scroungers from trying their luck".

That aside, bear in mind Palm Tree your assessment will be partly based on how you respond to questions in the phone call. This is the one time you don't want to cover up any problems you have, such as high anxiety levels. I know it can be embarrassing / humiliating to show how bad you can really be, but this is one time it would act in your favour. If you try to sound confident / self-assured, they will probably count that against you.

So, if you find it difficult to remember things, tell them when you get stuck, something like "Sorry I'm too stressed out to remember this at the moment. Can I send you the info later?" If you find yourself stumbling on answers or sound as though you aren't making sense, tell them something like "Sorry my mind can't work at the moment, I feel too anxious, I can't think straight". That's the sort of thing that will stand you in good stead. Try not to worry about what they think of you as a person, it's easy to feel ashamed if you aren't functioning properly, but they're nobody, they'll forget you with the next claimant and you'll never meet them in real life.

We'll all be thinking of you x