Stress and anxious about the PIP Telephone Assessment

Dynamisante

I have a telephone assessment due on the 26th October, dwp have already received my medical records that they requested, do I need to prepare for this appointment in any way? I’ve read and heard many assessors miss things out that have been said and also put lots of untruths in their reports, I know they will be asking how my conditions affect me on a day to day basis but I’m getting overly stressed and anxious about it all, any suggestions ? I was hoping that they would have had enough evidence with my medical records but obviously not.

Kimi87

If you kept a copy of your application form, it can be useful to read through just before the assessment, to refresh your memory.

Dynamisante

@Kimi87 , yes I have that, I had to go for support to the CAB as there was no way I could comprehend and complete the form without help. How long approximately is it after you have your telephone assessment do you hear back with a response whether you have been awarded or not, I see so much negativity with it all I just hope it won’t go on for much longer.

Kimi87

Every case is different with several variables. Some people hear within days, for others it takes weeks or even months.

What you can do while waiting, is once they have received the assessment report ask PIP for a copy- this can be done before the decision has been made.

Dynamisante

@Kimi87 does that give you an indication of whether you will be awarded or not ? Thanks for your reply’s

Kimi87

Yes you can read the report and see which boxes are ticked, alongside this handy tool. https://benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test

The DWP Decision Maker makes the decision not the health assessment agency, but they do usually follow the recommendations in report.

Dynamisante

well, had my phone assessment, was due 10.30am and she phoned me dead on the dot, I didn’t prepare anything at all, not sure of anything I was going to be asked or what my answers would be, phone called ended at exactly 12pm dead, 12.10pm received a text message from DWP saying that my written report has been received, gosh that was all so quick, I feel like the assessor had made her mind up pretty soon after talking to me for a very short while to submit her recommendations so quickly, I just went with the flow, lost my words occasionally that’s all I could manage, to be fair it wasn’t all that bad, I answered truthfully and although sometimes went off on a tangent she soon got me back on track, not sure what this will all mean, but it will be what it will be ……

Rosie_Scope

Well done for getting through it @Dynamisante, they can be so stressful. Do you feel like your assessor was listening and understanding what you were telling her?

Hope it leads to a good result. Keep us posted if you can ☺️

Dynamisante

@Rosie_Scope I shall wait for their outcome, I’m getting a bit too old to be doing such things to be fair, it just seems to be all so intrusive what with telling strangers on a phone call how you struggle, I’ve never met them they’ve never met me, I’m not sure what gives them the right to decide your outcome on whether you struggle with certain things or not ! Not sure what I think about it all

Rosie_Scope

That's a really fair assessment of it @Dynamisante, I don't think you'll be alone in feeling that way! It's such an unnatural thing to do. Fingers crossed you're not waiting too long to hear back from them.