Hi, my name is Ls_mum! I'm carer and appointee for my 22 year old daughter

Ls_mum

Hi,I’m Carer and appointee for my 22 yr old daughter who has learning disabilities. She just finished college and attends day services arranged by social services. She gets PIP and UC, we filled out a UC50 form in Jan ‘22 and finally have an assessment for early September. I’m looking for help and guidance for this. It’ll be a phone assessment, great idea for someone with learning disabilities who won’t speak on the phone! I’ve said this and am told I ‘should be ok’ to speak on her behalf. I’ve also asked for call to be recorded, (you’d think I wanted blood from them!) and been told they’ll record from their end but I can’t from mine, is this right? 
What kind of things will they ask, how on earth do they assess someone over the phone who won’t speak on the phone? I’m worried we’ll get someone who doesn’t understand complex learning disabilities, how do I make sure I get all the points across? Basically, I’m worried because it’s all on me and need some reassurance!

poppy123456

If you are her official appointee for her UC claim and the work capability assessment letter was addressed to you then you will be able to complete the assessment on her behalf.

During the assessment they will want to know how her conditions affect her on a typical day. Remember they are assessing her ability to do any type of work. (i'm not saying she can) It's not possible to tell you what questions they will ask exactly because i have no idea how her conditions affect her. All WCA's are different for everyone.

I'm my daughters appointee for UC and i did her WCA last year by telephone. For me it lasted about 30 minutes and they asked me what sort of things she did during the day. What support she needs, who supports her, can she do X and Y etc etc. She has ASD and a learning disability.

The assessment can last anywhere from 20-120 minutes.

Yes, i was very nervous because i had to put myself into her shoes, which really isn't easy as you can imagine. If you don't understand any of the questions they ask them to repeat it.

The assessor doesn't need to have any understanding of any conditions because it's not about a diagnosis. As everyone is affected differently it's your responsibility to prove she qualifies.

If you've requested the call to be recorded then you can ask for a copy of that recording. Personally, i prefer to concentrate on the assessment itself because a recording isn't going to achieve anything because it can't be used if the worst happens and you need to request the MR/Tribunal.

Hope this helps.

Jo_2022

Hi @Ls_mum!  A warm welcome to you on the online community. 

Ah bless you, I am sure you and your daughter will do fine during the telephone assessment. Perhaps thinking of a few real life examples would help to explain the tasks your daughter has difficulty with.

You may find the below links useful:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/esa-medical-assessment/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-assessment/

https://pipinfo.net/

https://wcainfo.net/

All the best!