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Assessment tomorrow - a few questions

anxiousbird
anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
Hi all, I’ve got my telephone assessment tomorrow morning. I have DWP a call today to ask whether they have already received the additional evidence that I sent to add to my application, but they haven’t yet. So the assessor won’t have the new evidence tomorrow! 
The additional evidence is about getting referred to Secondary mental health care, chronic fatigue syndrome, health anxiety and vomit phobia and letter from CBT therapist. 
Is there any chance that the assessor will take my word for it when I describe my conditions in light of the additional evidence even though he doesn’t have access to them yet? Or am I looking at an MR now? 
Also, any advice on how best I can present my case given the lack of evidence the assessor will have tomorrow? 

Any help much appreciated. 
Tia 
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Comments

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    Afternoon @anxiousbird evidence isn't the be all and end all, at the end of the day PIP is all about how  your condition(s) affect your daily life and how they fit into the descriptors.
    The assessor will ask you a number of questions so they can build up a picture of your day to day life.
    I would take today to write down the points you want to make sure you get across.
    Just to add that people get successful outcomes having provided no evidence whatsoever.

    Good luck and let us know how it goes.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • cupcake88
    cupcake88 Posts: 1,273 Pioneering
    Hi @anxiousbird best of luck with it , I get pip for My mental illnesses And I didn’t have loads of evidence only some . I know it’s such a worry I wish you luck and hopefully you have a quick decision my decision was very quick I got my back pay before my decision letter x 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi there 

    First of all good luck for tomorrow 

    Try not to worry over the evidence not being with the assessor they are mainly concerned with going through what you have put in your form but you should also mention what is in the evidence where relevant 

    The DM will look over the evidence along with assessment report to make a decision 
  • cupcake88
    cupcake88 Posts: 1,273 Pioneering
    Do you have a mental health nurse as well or just therapy ? Are you under a mental health team ? Xx I wish you all the best with your therapy x 

    I’m waiting to do therapy my therapy had to be stopped as my mental health nurse said I wasn’t ready yet and would make me worst .

    i have heard really good things bout therapy x 

  • anxiousbird
    anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
    Thanks all for your helpful replies! I know it *should* be about how it’s affecting us daily but from my last (unsuccessful claim) I know that she marked me down for ‘no specialist input’ even though I had the letters attached, so I assumed the threshold for ‘professional evidence’ was quite high, and so this time I made an effort to gather relevant evidence. 

    @cupcake88 yes I remember you from my previous posts. It’s really good that you’re getting what you deserve! I’ve been on CBT but they have referred me to secondary care (still waiting for that to start- whatever it’s going to be) as I wasn’t really making progress with CBT even after two rounds of it. I really hope I do get a sympathetic (or is it empathetic ?) assessor. I’m a mess and I know I deserve pip, just hope that I’m able to get it all across in an hour! It’s so depressing having to put down all your issues at one place and analyse how you’re crippled because of those problems. I guess in day to day life we focus so much on getting by that we rarely get a chance to reflect how miserable it all is! :( 
  • anxiousbird
    anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
    One more question, does anybody have a list of descriptors/points for each activity? When I search online it seems to only show an older version (I’m assuming), as it only goes till activity 9 whereas the form I received had more activities for daily living and some of them I can’t find descriptors for. 
  • anxiousbird
    anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
    The form I received had 12 daily living activities and 2 mobility ones 
  • cupcake88
    cupcake88 Posts: 1,273 Pioneering
    If your pip isn’t successful then don’t give up  appeal and appeal . I know how nervous it makes you like your self I’m really not well mentally and the money has made such a big difference to my self as I’m not able to work . I’m wishing you all the best and I’m seriously hoping you get awarded pip xx
  • anxiousbird
    anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
  • berry123
    berry123 Community member Posts: 264 Pioneering
    I had my assessment last week make sure you ask them to repeat question if you dont understand and take your time answering.  The assessor will ask you first about your health and recent changes just inform them.. @anxiousbird go through the form.  Best of luck for tomorrow xx
  • anxiousbird
    anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
    berry123 said:
    I had my assessment last week make sure you ask them to repeat question if you dont understand and take your time answering.  The assessor will ask you first about your health and recent changes just inform them.. @anxiousbird go through the form.  Best of luck for tomorrow xx
    Thanks a lot @berry123 Feeling so anxious. I just hope he gives me enough time to answer all the questions and ask me to fill the gaps if he doesn’t understand something fully, rather than him filling in the gaps himself later on. The assessment is quite early morning as well; don’t know whether I’m going to get any sleep at all ?
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    Good luck today, I hope all goes well for you @anxiousbird

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

  • berry123
    berry123 Community member Posts: 264 Pioneering
    @anxiousbird hope it goes well I had my assessment at 8am hlad it was over done with first thing.  Keep us updated xx
  • berry123
    berry123 Community member Posts: 264 Pioneering
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    The form I received had 12 daily living activities and 2 mobility ones 
    The descriptors aren't the same as the questions...I made that same mistake when I filled out my form.

    The HCP decides which parts of each answer fit into the descriptors - so more than one descriptor can be covered within a single question.  Hope that makes sense!

    Good luck for today!  :)
  • berry123
    berry123 Community member Posts: 264 Pioneering
    @OverlyAnxious your right and not in the same order.  My assesor missed out 2 questions but it was coveted in my previous answers 
  • anxiousbird
    anxiousbird Community member Posts: 162 Pioneering
    Thanks all :) 
    just got done with the assessment, it was only 45 mins long and the assessor didn’t even go into too much detail. I had so much to tell him but the conversation was all very superficial (sort of). Don’t know what to expect, should probably start thinking about MR now. 
  • berry123
    berry123 Community member Posts: 264 Pioneering
    @anxiousbird best if luck just wait of the outcome of your assessment dont give up 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Af least it's over now you can request copy of the report after approx 7 days to see what it recommends 

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