Forthcoming PIPS assessment

@harryboy

Don't drive yourself to the assessment - take a taxi if necessary.  Assessors (and some Tribunals) seem to think that ability to drive indicates only a low level of daily needs disabilities, and good ability to plan journeys.  Assessor probably will ask how you travelled to assessment

Watch out for trick questions.  I was asked if I had any pets which would indicate a certain level of energy to look after them, especially dogs.  I told assessor I had difficulty chopping/peeling veg and she asked if ever I just didn't bother to try to prepare a meal from scratch and instead settled for a sandwich.  People have been refused points for not trying to try to prepare a traditional meal and instead just getting themselves a bowl of cereal or pot noodle (preparing cereal or pot noodle counts as being able to prepare a meal from scratch)!  I told assessor I always persevere chopping/peeling until forced to give up because of pain or stiffness or danger of cutting myself.

You might be asked what your hobbies are.  Doing craft work would indicate a high level of manual dexterity.  And going to the gym/swimming would indicate a certain level of physical strength and stamina.

Assessor might ask if you do your own housework.

I was asked if I could bend down to put on a sock.

On mobility, I was asked if I were half way down a hospital corridor on the way to an appointment and remembered I'd left something in the car, would I go back for it.  Replied that I always take taxis to hospital.

Assessor probably won't think you have serious mobility issues if you don't need to use a walking aid.

For enhanced mobility you must not be able to walk more than 20 aided or unaided metres before you need to stop and rest, 12 points.  For standard mobility 10 points you must not be able to walk more than 50 metres aided or unaided.  For standard mobility 8 points I think you must be not be able to walk more than 200 metres aided.

Good luck!

Between 50-200 metres aided or unaided is 4 points and wouldn't get you an award. If you usually use an aid when walking then take it on the day of your assessment. If you don't use an aid then obviously don't take one.

@Matilda
Hiya, its 'Can stand and then move unaided for 20 metres but no more than 50 metres', or words to that effect;
awards arent won or lost on one descriptor, anyway, @harryboy, but are accumulated from different questions/descriptors mate. Good luck with it, but, as Matilda says above, be on your guard for sneaky, seemingly innocent questions, and take somebody with you for support. Lots of us have started to post reports of details of our own assessments - I only had mine three weeks ago, and have posted a detailed account - and it wouldnt do any harm to read everything everyone has posted up about the pip assessment. There's tons of useful info on here.