If this is your first visit, check out the community guide. You will have to Join us or Sign in before you can post.
Receiving too many notifications? Adjust your notification settings.
PIP face to face concerns

hi I’ve just received my appointment for my face to face and I’m really worried. I don’t have anyone suitable to go with me so my mum is going to have to get me there and come in to the waiting area.
my problem is that I can’t have her in the room with me when they are asking questions because I don’t feel I can be honest in front of her.
i need to record it but I’m worried that setting up the equipment and recording on to tape will be too technical for her and she’ll panic and forget how to do it or set it up wrong. She’s retired and not really technically minded!
i don’t feel safe going in to an assessment alone without recording. I’m not sure what to do fir the best.
my problem is that I can’t have her in the room with me when they are asking questions because I don’t feel I can be honest in front of her.
i need to record it but I’m worried that setting up the equipment and recording on to tape will be too technical for her and she’ll panic and forget how to do it or set it up wrong. She’s retired and not really technically minded!
i don’t feel safe going in to an assessment alone without recording. I’m not sure what to do fir the best.
Replies
my mum can get me there and come in to the waiting room but she can’t come in to the interview - I don’t feel I can be at all honest in front of her.
i need to record the interview but I’m worried that setting up the recorder and stuff is too technical and too much opressure for my mum. She is retired and not technically minded - I worry she’ll forget how to do it on the day or panic and do it wrong.
i have no one else in my life and so I’ve got no other options. I can’t go in alone without recording fir obvious reasons.
im not sure what to do for the best.
so no care worker or local support worker prepared to go? and they said no, i know they do coaching on what goes off and how to do them etc, but must admit didn't know they didn't go into the interview, there's no rules on it from what i can find and read, but these hear at scope should be able to provide more or better help and support than what i can on a net search, as my knowledge is lacking i'm sorry to say, so hope some one else chips in a reply and can offer more than my hello and support did
Hello @Jpc Thank you for your post. Sorry to hear this.
I do understand it may be difficult to explain your problems with your disabilities or illness or conditions to your Mother.
I think you have to be upfront and say. Need you there. Write it down in a letter explaining the reason why what is going to happen at the assessment.
Why and what you are doing. Be and say. I know sometimes to be honest and open how things are.
Especially how you cope.
Mention the reasons.
I had this one time asked a friend to come with me.
He did not know my past history. Especially personal stuff . So had to disclose it to him in a form of a letter.
He was wonderful. Understanding, compassionate. Had empathy.
One final point. I never had ever recorded any interview and assessment. I think what is important is to look at advice and guidance, sensible, practical guidance on this forum.
Plenty of it. Including from former assessors and our community members who have been through many an assessment.
Up to you. Your choice. Sounds too complicated. Setting up equipment. If you cannot do it.
I have been doing benefits a long time over twenty plus years and have had in my experience.
Look at the booklet, they give you. Be honest and open with any questions.
That is what I have always have done.
What is important is you have some one. Your Mother.
Meet so many who have not any one to come.
Need to focus on the positivity's.
Wish you the best for a successful outcome.
We are here to support you.
Take care.
@thespiceman
.
SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
Recipes
They can't talk on your behalf.
If it is that you just want someone to sit next to you to make you feel more comfortable are you sure that there is no one in your family or friends that could just sit with you?
I have never had anyone in any assessment beit it ESA or PIP. In fact I have never actually gone looking for help in all of my dealings with the DWP due to my mental health situation.
How many of them are like that? I simply don’t know but my guess is that it is a small minority. 55% of people who apply for PIP receive an award. Only a tiny slice of that group come on to this forum to say the process was fair and just. My feeling is that the great bulk of assessors are professional, sympathetic, attentive, kind and want to do their best for you. That was certainly the positive experience my wife had.
Can I counsel you against using a recording device? Unless it is a professional recorder like we see in TV programmes, it can not be used as evidence if you later wanted to use it for this purpose so what good would the device be? My view is that the presence of a recorder might make the assessor bristle; tacitly you are almost saying ‘I do not trust you’.
It would be nice to have someone sitting alongside you. Their function would not be to answer any questions but simply to remember, and maybe write down, what was asked and what you replied. Should you ask later on for the assessor’s report you could cross check it with your joint recollection of the conversation. A support worker from a charity will not be around at this second stage. The rôle of the witness has to be done by a friend or relative there to support you through the whole process. If you’d rather your mum was not present just try to remember as much as you can and write some notes immediately the interview is over while it is fresh in your mind.
God willing and the creek don’t rise - as an American friend of mine says - you’ll be fine. Tell the truth, keep to the point, and prepare well for the interview by thinking of all the ways your disability restricts you from undertaking the tasks asked about on the questionnaire. Good luck.
Audio recording
Should you wish, you may use your own equipment to record the face-to-face consultation. This must be undertaken in line with the following DWP rules:
- You need to notify us before your appointment that you will like to record your assessment by calling our Enquiry Centre on 0808 1788 114.
- You will need to provide your own audio-recording equipment. Your recording equipment must be able to produce two identical copies of the recording at the end of the assessment, either on audio cassette or CD. Mobile phones and laptops are not suitable mediums for recording assessments.
- You will need to give one copy of the recording to the assessor, at the end of the appointment.
- You will need to sign an agreement that sets out what you are and are not allowed to do with the recording.
- We will retain a copy of the recording for a maximum of 14 months, at which point it will be destroyed. We do not pass on the recordings to the DWP and they are not used in determining your entitlement or award.
- Should you attempt to record the assessment without having contact us first and agreeing to the above guidelines, then your assessment is likely to be stopped and we may return your case to the DWP.
There are a lot of people who have recorded their assessment with tape recorders from places like Argos.If there weren't so many lies being told then people wouldn't feel the need to record their assessments and I'm sure that the assessor understands why it's being recorded. They haven't come to make friends with you, they've come to assess you for benefits.
That was my point, Freddie. Who has ready access to a recording device that can produce two identical copies?
Anyway, Jpc says she needs the PIP money to pay for home help. Buying two tape recorders for this one-off occurrence seems an extravagance.
I guess they aren't going to be able to record unless their Mum goes in the room with them
I just wanted to share that due to the amount of bad stories you see on the net.