I’m so scared about my telephone assessment. — Scope | Disability forum
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I’m so scared about my telephone assessment.

loubylou1511
loubylou1511 Community member Posts: 30 Connected
edited July 2021 in PIP, DLA, and AA
Dear all, 

I have a pip assessment call tomorrow at 9 am, I am so scared which is silly as it’s far better than a face to face.

I have read horror stories and also positive stories.

My Pip was stopped on 28th April 2021, been through the wringer with them previously. 

Mines is a a mental health condition, can anyone who has been through this tell me what questions to expect? 

Many thanks in advance x

Comments

  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    Welcome to the community @LoubyLou1511 :) Thanks for joining.

    Many people get nervous before their assessment, so you're not alone in feeling that way. It's not silly at all, these things can feel nerve-wracking!

    There are always going to be people who have negative experiences unfortunately, but it's important to remember that those people are more likely to post than the majority of people who don't have a particularly bad experience. The assessor should be polite and respectful towards you.

    It'll be difficult for anyone to tell you what questions to expect exactly, as it'll depend on your situation and what you wrote on your form. Do you have a copy of the form you submitted? Have you made any notes about things you'd like to get across during the assessment?

    I'd also encourage you to take another look through the PIP descriptors (pipinfo.net) to refresh yourself on the criteria. 

    You can have someone there with you during the call if that'd help to ease your nerves at all? Make sure that you have a glass of water and a fully charged phone, and remember that you can always ask them to repeat a question if you need them to.
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  • loubylou1511
    loubylou1511 Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    Thank  you Tori for all your kind words, my mum, who basically does everything for me has an ultrasound as she has a growth on her kidney ?? so cannot be there for the call as her appointment is at 9.15 am and my appointment is at 9am, she’s coming up beforehand and will do so later, I’m just lost without her xx
  • loubylou1511
    loubylou1511 Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    It’s just been a bit of a mess, was told to have my form back by 5th of July, which I dutifully done, only to find out they had sent my current claim to assessors on the 17th of June in absence of a form????? Why would they do that? They are now treating my form as “further evidence” and I know they haven’t even looked at it? 

    The 1st time I applied for pip in 2017 was a nightmare, they contacted a health professional that was no longer involved in my care (therefore he could not comment) he sent me their request sheet and what he wrote back. An assessor then completely made up an assessment based on this, claiming she had spoke to him in person! Not true! Leading to unnecessary MR and unnecessary tribunal as even though she had made a mistake, she awarded me but the DM took a point off? They said it was a mistake, I don’t believe so. I found out this nurses reg number, she had been struck off two years previous from the nhs, on further investigation, her and her husband were being investigated for money laundering through his company! I have no hope left in this inhuman system after that experience x
  • staffydog33
    staffydog33 Community member Posts: 10 Listener
    Dear all, 

    I have a pip assessment call tomorrow at 9 am, I am so scared which is silly as it’s far better than a face to face.

    I have read horror stories and also positive stories.

    My Pip was stopped on 28th April 2021, been through the wringer with them previously. 

    Mines is a a mental health condition, can anyone who has been through this tell me what questions to expect? 

    Many thanks in advance x

    So yuh Just gonna give up?

    NO YOU ARE NOT!!

    I have mental health issues diagnosed with anxiety, social phobia, severe depression etc......and i too was nervous about the call, but aint as bad as it seems in the end.

    Your probably thinking at this point it's ok for me coz i've been awarded the only option I will accepg, which is motability car, right?

    Wrong....after my telephone assesment, 5 weeks gone by and this monday, for some reason, i don't know why, but they said i have got to have a SECOND telephone assesment!

    Why? I have no clue, but I am expecting, them to take a big dump on my claim, but I know when I get to a tribunal, I WILL WIN!

    You cannot give in!

    Don't answer the phone all happy as if it's your best friend kinda thing, just act like you do on a usual bad day and if u have no one with you, every now and then say something like "lok, i'm really sorry, can you give me 60 seconds please?"

    then come back and tell them the truth "i'm really sorry, i felt dizzy etc and thought i was gonna have a panic attack or whatever is true"

    For me, it was total truth I told them "I wish I was like my best mate, he had the guts to kill himself, but I havent and to be honest I'm so not worthy of being on this planet, If I could click my fingers once and i'd die right now, i'm cli ck them 50 times, but not before i staple a letter or have a tattoo on my chest DNR DO NOT RESUS!

    I'm not giving up, i';m a loser, no friends, no life, MOTHING, but the one thing I WILL do Is, in the end, if (yeah right) WHEN they tell me no and no again, i will WIN in tribunal....so cmon, let's do it together!!

    Matt
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @staffydog33

    Again, welcome to the community. 

    Thank you for telling us about your anxiety, socialphobia and depression. Do you receive support from your GP or other services to manage your mental health effectively?

    I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your best friend, that must have been hard to go through, I hope you have been able to recover from that event. It concerns me to read your comment that "I wish I was like my best mate, he had the guts to kill himself" and the rest of your comment about ending your life. When you disclosed this information to the assessor, were they able to offer you some support or signposting for how you were feeling?  And do you still feel that way at all? 

    Is there any further support you need to manage your condition? If so, please let us know and we will see what we can do. Furthermore, you can always contact organisations like Samaritans on 116 123, and access helpful information from Mind about how to cope.

    Just as a further note, we would always advise anyone to act honestly in an assessment, and discuss their condition as it impacts them on most days.
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  • daisy1838
    daisy1838 Community member Posts: 31 Courageous
    Questions relate back to your claim form. 

    Please don’t be offended by this but it doesn’t really matter to your assessor, pip or even people here what’s wrong with you, it’s how it impacts you. 

    Have evidence and real examples, a few for each activity. Nobody knows you better than you, put into words how your mental heal conditions impact you. 
  • staffydog33
    staffydog33 Community member Posts: 10 Listener
    Hi @staffydog33

    Again, welcome to the community. 

    Thank you for telling us about your anxiety, socialphobia and depression. Do you receive support from your GP or other services to manage your mental health effectively?

    I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your best friend, that must have been hard to go through, I hope you have been able to recover from that event. It concerns me to read your comment that "I wish I was like my best mate, he had the guts to kill himself" and the rest of your comment about ending your life. When you disclosed this information to the assessor, were they able to offer you some support or signposting for how you were feeling?  And do you still feel that way at all? 

    Is there any further support you need to manage your condition? If so, please let us know and we will see what we can do. Furthermore, you can always contact organisations like Samaritans on 116 123, and access helpful information from Mind about how to cope.

    Just as a further note, we would always advise anyone to act honestly in an assessment, and discuss their condition as it impacts them on most days.

    Thanks for reply, but Hand on heart I am NO danger to myself and definitely not even so much as a snail in the garden...just I want him back so bad.

    that was me over 10 years ago 32 inch waist huge in shape ripped, as u can tell by the blurry non-existent smartphone, now i am just a fatugly bum,  who does deseve to die why? i dont know i havent hurt, killed or raped anyone, never so much as stole a 1p sweet in my life. It's weird, I just refer to lyrics by the song by Pink :"Everyday I face a war against the mirror, can't take the person staring back at me, I wanna be somebody else!!!!!!!!

    Especially I like to try and help other people, hence replying to th OP thread.


    Sorry for hijacking...please forgive me x
  • loubylou1511
    loubylou1511 Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    Hi @staffydog33

    Thanks for replying to my post, and thanks for sharing your experiences.

    My phone assessment went as good as I thought it could, I answered the phone as myself, didn’t put on a front, I had been awake all night and was quite distressed and upset during the call as I was exhausted and speaking to a stranger freaks me out, never mind explaining what you are suffering from.

    I won’t give up, been through the tribunal thing before and won, so even if decision doesn’t go my way, i’m more than willing to go through it again, as exhausting as it is.

    I hope you are having a good day today, I know how hard it is to live with several mental health conditions. I shall let you know how it goes, i’m Going to call tomorrow to get a copy of the assessment report.

    Again, thanks for your response and sharing your journey.

    kindest regards,

    loubylou.
  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    @staffydog33 Ah I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.  Grief is one of the most difficult emotions to process and my heart really goes out to you.  Have you spoken with your GP about this before?  If not, I wonder if bereavement counselling could help?  Maybe give that some thought and also speak consider speaking with the organisation Cruse who specialise in supporting those bereaved.  

    @loubylou1511 Thanks for the update, I'm glad the phone assessment went as well as it could but sorry you were exhausted and upsetting during it.  I hope you can manage to get some rest and relaxation tonight and you know where we are if we can help with the outcome.  Take care.
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  • loubylou1511
    loubylou1511 Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    Thank you Cher, it’s just the waiting game on the DWP merry-go-round now, how they think this process helps people is beyond me.

    I also second your comment to @staffydog33.
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @staffydog33 :) I just wanted to check in to see how you've been getting on since you last posted here? Have you looked into any of the links Ross and Cher have sent?
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  • loubylou1511
    loubylou1511 Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    Hey Tori and@staffydog33,

    I have been awarded EH DL and STD MB.

    I didn’t give up and nor should anyone else.

    Keep fighting for what is right! 

    Wishing everyone all the best,

    kindest regards x
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    Well done @loubylou1511 :) Thanks for letting us know! 
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    Join our call for an equal future.
  • Bowden27
    Bowden27 Community member Posts: 14 Listener
    I have a pip assement 9.30 in the morning with anxiety and depression and bad back my parents do everything for me iam feeling sick about the phne call🙈
  • Hannah_Alumni
    Hannah_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,912 Disability Gamechanger
    @Bowden27 I hope it went well this morning! :) 
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