Very anxious, I think I screwed up my PIP assessment :(
Hi everyone, I’m AC. I’ve just completed my PIP phone assessment for chronic severe anxiety with marked panic disorder (on Wednesday 23rd). Here’s a detailed overview of my claim and how I’m feeling now it’s done.
Nature of My Claim
- Condition: Chronic, severe anxiety with panic attacks since 2021
- Daily impact:
- Panic roughly every two weeks (sometimes more)
- Constant background anxiety makes planning impossible
- Can only manage very basic cold meals; can’t cook hot food safely
- Require someone to prompt me to eat and to help me shower
- Avoid all shopping; rely on family for groceries
- Social isolation; used to work in public‑facing roles but now essentially housebound
Key Evidence Submitted
- Three GP fit‑notes (2021–2025) documenting anxiety‑related absences
- Specialist NHS letter (Panic Disorder Severity Scale 21; expedited CBT)
- Incident reports & witness statements:
- Emergency first‑aid at a public panic attack
- Station staff assistance during a journey
- Colleague support when I became immobilised at work
- Detailed claim‑form entries on cooking, eating, bathing, communication, travel planning, social engagement
Post‑Assessment Fears
Although the assessor was unexpectedly kind and patient—even sharing her own experience with CBT—I now feel overwhelmed by how the call went:
- Blanking on recent work
When asked about my most recent public‑facing role (held until April), I completely forgot and instead spoke about a job I left nine months ago. Coupled with explaining that I’m now housebound, I fear it looks like a glaring contradiction. - Suicidal‑thoughts mismatch
My NHS therapy letter records that I denied suicidal ideation, yet during the PIP call I admitted I’ve had those thoughts. I’m terrified this inconsistency will be viewed as dishonesty. - Unexpected cat cameo
I truthfully said I don’t own a pet—then a neighbour’s cat wandered in and meowed loudly. I worry this will look like I was misleading. - Call drop & panic
Mid‑assessment the line cut out, and when the call resumed I was hyperventilating and lost my train of thought completely. Despite the assessor’s patience, I felt entirely unprepared.
Despite two months of careful planning—anticipating “trap” questions, scripting answers, keeping notes—I was so anxious that I fear I’ve undermined my strongest evidence. I keep imagining the PA4 arriving with zeros across the board, even though I know four core activities alone should net me 8 points for Standard Daily Living.
Do you think I am destroyed??
Has anyone else experienced this level of post‑assessment panic? How did you cope before seeing your PA4, and how did you handle a Mandatory Reconsideration if needed?
Thank you in advance for any advice or support.
AC
Comments
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PS: When I said 'Panic roughly every two weeks (sometimes more)', I meant that I have severe panic attacks which can last over two hours long at their peak, leaving me immobilised, hyperventilating, unable to speak, crying … and that although some triggers are obvious to me, they are really unpredictable happening without warning and I don't know why most of the time - This resulting in my having acute anxiety that I will have a panic attack and hiding inside and not going out because of this. When it happens when I am outside, it is so, so scary, so I prefer to be in my house were I don't have to worry about other people finding me.
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Just to clarify, this job:
Blanking on recent work
When asked about my most recent public‑facing role (held until April), I completely forgot and instead spoke about a job I left nine months ago. Coupled with explaining that I’m now housebound, I fear it looks like a glaring contradiction.
Was mentioned in my claim form. I declared all my work, just somehow, when asked 'what was your last paid job', didn't mention the actual last paid job I did - I have no idea how or why… I was so panicky and trying everything I could to hold it all together.
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Hi @AnxiousClaimant, it must have taken a huge amount of strength to get through that call considering how much your conditions affect you. It's really hard to get your point across clearly when you're under so much stress and I know it must feel like a lot is riding on it too, which only adds to the anxiety. To me, it sounds like you did the best you could in the situation considering how difficult it was for you.
It sounds to me like you've done a comprehensive job of applying with evidence too. The call is only part of your claim, both parts will be looked at together so even if things were missed or not quite right, hopefully they'll be able to see how much your conditions affect you.
That cat really chose it's moment, eh?! We've got a very vocal cat around here that pops in from time to time and I can just imagine her doing that. Did the assessor say anything about it? The meow may not have even picked up on the call.
I know it's never as simple as 'don't worry about it', as that's not how anxiety works! But if there's anything that might help take your mind off it for a little while each day to give your brain a break, sometimes that can be helpful while you wait for things to come through.
I don't know how you'd feel about speaking to another person about your claim should you need to do a mandatory reconsideration, but if you felt like getting some professional help would benefit you, Turn2Us have an advice finder to search for local benefits advisers:
I hope some of our members might be able to share what helped them get through the waiting period too, it's never an easy time.
Fingers crossed you hear back quickly and that it's the result you're hoping for 🤞
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Hi Rosie - Wow thanks so much for your reply, it's so kind of you to have taken the time to message back!
OMG so my assessor definitely heard my neighbours cat, it was so loud! She was really nice about it though, laughing and I think sympathetic, I mentioned how much I love the cat and that I wished it was mine, and she told me how much her own cat makes her feel less anxious and I should try to get one of my own.
I genuinely felt that my assessor was really nice, although I know that her demeanour doesn't really mean much, or provide any indication of the score/s I may or may not be awarded.Some of it went well, I was able to convey solid examples which I think were compelling, matching the descriptors, but much of it was a mess. Not quite a trainwreck, but I kind of felt I messed up really badly.
I called the DWP on Friday but they had not received the PA4 report yet, so I will call back on Monday and hopefully they will have it by then, or Tuesday. It feels so weird, over two months, in fact closer to two and a half months, since submitting my form, to now be waiting for the outcome. When my form arrives I guess that will be the clearest indication prior to the official Decision Maker's verdict of what I might be awarded (if anything at all - I am kind of expecting zeros across the board now :(
So, so so so worried. I can't put into words how I feel, only that I think I messed up, I think I will be rejected and have to go through the MR process and probably a tribunal, I can't believe I contradicted myself and feel terrified the inconsistencies between what I wrote on my form and what I said in the assessment will destroy my chances. And yet, I do have some hope, even if it is only remote, around1% - And that hope, and the not knowing, is so weird… It's not totally impossible but it probably is :(
I think my form was relatively well constructed, I included lots of examples, loads of corroborating witnesses with their contact info (work colleagues in major cultural institutions, st johns ambulance crew, friends and family who have witnessed my panic attacks etc). I just let myself down so, so badly in my assessment :(
Sorry for writing so much,I'll keep you updated when I hear any news.
ThanksXx
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No problem at all @AnxiousClaimant I'm glad your assessor was kind to you. As you say it's not always an indicator of how well things go when it comes to the decision, but it does make it a little easier to get through the assessment process. It's really difficult to make a judgement on how these things go until you get the reports through.
Whatever the result, please don't feel that you let yourself down. This was a huge thing to go through and even if it didn't go the way you hoped, you did so well to cope with it.
I hope you hear back soon, do keep us posted ☺️
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Wow, so I received the text this morning confirming that the DWP had received the PA4 assessors report. I called them soon after, at around 9:30am to request a copy, they said they would post it today! I know it might not arrive until Friday, but it might tomorrow, and probably will by Wednesday.
This is the most nervous / anxious I have been since waiting for the results of my finals to be published!! I'm close to certain that I receive zeros across the board, I totally messed up my assessment :/ But I have hope that I might pull though, if I am really lucky.OMG it's so hard to know what happened. I know that I let myself down, I forgot to mention some crucial information and examples, and think I contradicted myself, too, in a really silly way which betrayed my condition. My assessor was really friendly, but I worry that I mistook her friendliness (which I think was genuine, btw), for confirmation that my assessment was going well, when in fact I think I fell into so many traps.
It feels so, so weird to know that I might know the verdict tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, this week. I know it won't be the final verdict, confirmed by a Decision Maker, but it will be the best possible indication (and if I do get zeros across the board, it's unlikely a DM will revise my score upwards)!
I think I am writing so much right now out of nerves, I have to type something.
Hope everyone else doing ok! Is anyone else out there at this stage right now?0 -
Best of luck @AnxiousClaimant, hope it comes through soon so you can get an idea of how things went ☺️
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Thanks so much @Rosie_Scope 😊😊
I’m terrified atm!! Not sure I’ll be able to sleep this evening, if they did post it yesterday (and it was sent second class) it might arrive tomorrow!!
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I feel so lame writing again - I have had approximately one hour of sleep (it's now 10:30am); I stayed up all night worrying about the PA4, and hoping it might arrive this morning (it didn't). I know I should try to focus on something else, and that in reality I only requested the report on Monday morning (so it was never that likely to arrive before tomorrow - Thursday), but this is so impossibly stressful. I'm close to certain that I will be rejected, however, the remote hope I am clinging onto means that I am consumed by this. In reality, this is the closest I have been to finding out.
Hope everyone else doing ok!
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OMG!! I just received the following text from the DWP:
‘We have awarded you PIP. We have sent you a decision letter explaining the award. Please allow 2 weeks to receive this. You only need to contact us if your circumstances change.’I can’t quite believe it!
Thank you @Rosie_Scope for being so supportive to me over the past few days, and to everyone here in the forum. I had spent quite a lot of time here recently, although only recently posted. Being here really helped me, it’s a great source of advice, and solace.
I claimed for anxiety and panic disorder, which has crippled my life. Although I do not yet know what I have been awarded, whatever it is will help tremendously.
Please know that claiming for anxiety and associated panic disorders is possible. And to anyone who is now going through the MR or Tribunal process, which I was convinced I would have to, you’ll very likely also be in this position before long. Stick with it and don’t give up!
Thanks so much everyone 🙏5 -
Congratulations @AnxiousClaimant that's fantastic news! Really pleased for you.☺️
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So happy for you! I hope you will now do something nice for yourself today too
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Thanks so much @Holly_Scope 😊
PS: You are so awesome here in the comments section, helping so many people with kind words!! :)1 -
Oh @anxietyworries thank you so much, that's so kind and really means a lot ❤️
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Thanks @Kiki23 😊 The silly thing is, although I am really happy (and now interested to find out what I have been awarded), I have been panicking so much, like I am so, so anxious right now. I never feel like things will work out for me, and when they actually do I feel as if I don't deserve them to. I am so close to having a panic attack atm but trying not to. I guess the last two and a half months have been pretty stressful, really.
One thing I do want to say, because I think it's important to, is that my assessor was genuinely really kind and caring toward me. I know from having read peoples experiences here that it isn't always like that, but she was really excellent, very patient. I have not seen her report yet, but feel encouraged by the positive outcome.
Have a really awesome day, too, Kiki 😊
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Thanks so much @Kiki23 😊
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I'm so happy to read this @AnxiousClaimant, that's brilliant news! So glad it worked out well for you despite the kitty interference 😁
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Thanks so much Rosie 😊
I received my assessors report yesterday, it was so well written, accurately reflecting in minute detail not only what happened during my assessment, but my responses were related to the evidence which I provided, too.
I feel really impressed with my assessor, she was really kind, and really professional. I can't imagine having to write such a detailed report not once, but possibly three or four times a day, while simultaneously absorbing the stresses / fears / hopes of the people you are talking with.
In my own case, I was very panicky / tearful, and the issues I discussed would have been challenging for anyone to listen to (even a trained professional). I know assessors receive a lot of criticism, but I think they are just other people doing difficult jobs, no doubt with their own problems going on, too.
I have read a lot of reports from assessors of their experiences of undertaking the role, most of which suggest that they develop mental health problems. I'm not for a moment saying that all assessors are as awesome as my assessor was, clearly the experiences of claimants here suggests otherwise. But I just wanted to offer some balance :)Thanks again Rosie and everyone :)
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Well done @AnxiousClaimant !!
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that's brilliant news I'm pleased for you.
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