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How to Prepare for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment
Alex
Scope Posts: 1,325 Scope community team
New video from Scope:
Preparing to attend an assessment can be a difficult time. Lorraine and @nerdwillis talk about their experiences and offer tips to other people who are going through the process.
Let us know what you think, and what your own tips would be for people going through the process.
Replies
Study the PIP points that apply to you and prepare what you need to say.
This should match what's on your claim form.
Evidence should be sent to DWP before your assessment and you need to ring to make sure the assessor has access to it. Therefore if you take copies they're only for your ref. some assessor's refuse to accept it or take it and ignore it like mine did.
Don't drive yourself to the assessment.
Be aware you are being watched from the minute you arrive.
Don't carry anything yourself.
Walk as you would on your worst days.
Don't get dressed up.
Ask for assessor's name and qualifications.
Ask to sit so that you can see the screen.
Correct any false statements written by the assessor.
Look out for questions out of context (designed to get info. out of you).
Check results of MSE are recorded correctly. (Not easy but trying and mentioning it should make assessor do them correctly.)
Do not pick anything up off the floor or open a drink.
I'm sure other's will have some more ideas to add to this list.......
Be prepared for informal assessment questions, e.g. about hobbies (doing jigsaws, knitting, craftwork could indicate a high level of manual dexterity!)
I was asked for how long (not how far) I can walk before I need to stop and rest. The answer is designed to get you to indicate an ability to walk far based on how long you can walk for. However, it could take someone 3 or 4 minutes to cover 20 metres. So this is a meaningless question, like asking how long is a piece of string. Nevertheless, the assessor will put it in their report and the DWP will seize on it - they will take it that length of time equals length of distance. Be careful.
Remember, that assessors (and, I understand, tribunal panels) go very much by what they see on the day, even if the claimant has a known fluctuating condition).
Don't wear any jewellery except for a watch and a wedding ring. Ear-rings could indicate manual dexterity, likewise necklaces and bracelets with a clasp. Also good jewellery might cause the assessor to think you don't need benefit if you can afford jewellery, even though the jewellery might have been gifts or purchased before you became disabled. They'll put in their report that you were wearing good jewellery and DWP will take this to mean that you spend your benefit on luxuries.
If you are female, best to wear minimal make-up, if any - no lipstick or nail polish. Assessors think that well-groomed claimants can't be disabled.
Don't have your hair cut or coloured very soon before the assessment.
Wear loose-fitting clothes that would be easy to put on/pull off. Try to avoid anything with buttons, clasps, zips - again, these indicate manual dexterity, even if it would take you a long time to deal with them.
My assessor put in her report that I looked 'hydrated', evidently an indication that I couldn't be too disabled. Maybe better, if you can, not to drink anything for a few hours beforehand so that your mouth is a bit dry. And don't apply moisturiser, so that your skin looks dry, too.
I was asked if ever I don't even bother to try to cook a simple meal from scratch. i said, no, I always persevere with peeling and chopping veg until forced to give up.
I was asked how far from my street door was my car parked. I said a few yards, which is true. If your car is parked some distance away from your street door, be careful how you reply if asked this question.
I was asked who I phone on my mobile (I replied: friends, family, taxi companies). Don't say you phone the gym! I don't use a gym anyway but there's no reason why disabled people shouldn't - but best not to say so if you do or assessors/DWP will decide you're a prize-winning athlete!
Even if you don't put anything down on the floor, the assessor might say you did anyway. Mine did.
I wasn't asked about cooking a meal. I was asked what I lived on. Somehow, putting a pizza in an oven means I can cook a meal for one. We'll just ignore last night's disaster where I almost ate raw meat. (I can't tell the difference between white and pale pink or brown and dark pink) That is becoming more and more common for me. But no, my lack of vision does not prevent me from cooking a meal, apparently. There are supposedly aids for this. But what aids?
The questions were asked in such a way that as someone with issues understanding complex language (I take things literally and you have to spell things out to me) I could understand them. This meant they scored me 0 on understanding language. This is despite me saying I mishear words and sounds a lot.
if you use Facebook, then apparently, you have no difficulties in mixing with people. I have hearing problems which makes mixing with people difficult. Facebook is completely different to mixing with people in real life.
I was asked about medication. Most of which was ignored. She wrote that I use a dosette box and an alarm to remind me to take it. But still scored me 0 for that.
Did you appeal?
Good luck with the assessment.
I did a mandatory reconsideration. I went from 4 points on care to 11 and 0 on mobility to 12.
I now find myself in the rubbish situation of my care needs getting worse. But given how inconsistent they are, can't decide whether to say something.
2026.
I gave them all the evidence I have. (Autism report and a lot of stuff from Audiology) They ignored everything and just went on the report made by the nurse which was the complete opposite to what Audiology will tell you.
I also sent into a letter from mum and a friend of mine. Most odd how both said similar things; but have never discussed my disabilities. The complete opposite was written on my report, which was used, instead of stuff that someone who raised me and goes to all my medical appointments and someone who has known me for the last 4 years.
If assessor asks you about hobbies/interests, don't mention any participation in sports or gym attendance. Assessor will put it in report and DWP will decide you are not disabled. I'd be wary even mentioning swimming pool attendance for hydrotherapy purposes.
Some claimants have said that they have been refused points for cooking because they can use a microwave! It's no more difficult to put food in a conventional oven than in a microwave. But, anyway, don't say you use a microwave.
The DWP are looking for more and more excuses to refuse points. They think that 'too many' claimants are qualifying for PIP!
I made the mistake of mentioning I have the TV on as background noise. (I have tinnitus and the sound helps) What did she write? Watches TV all day, therefore, has no concentration difficulties. Utter rubbish.
This is nothing new. I wrote something (a relatively common side effect of a condition I have) on my DLA form, GP was contacted and said I was undergoing physio for this issue. DWP "medical services" (who have never met me) decided this couldn't be the case at all. Do they think I attend physio for fun or something?
The person making the final decision isn't medically trained, which I find most bizarre. With my PIP consideration, I sent in a lot of evidence stating I have xyz causing abc issues. But no, because the assessor says I had no difficulties, I can't possibly have those difficulties. Everyone else who knows me, says the opposite.
On another subject, assessors might ask claimants if they do their own housework. If they say they do, this will be taken as evidence that they are "active" and therefore not disabled.