PIP Assessment and being deaf with no speech — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

PIP Assessment and being deaf with no speech

Jinty
Jinty Community member Posts: 2 Listener
edited June 2017 in PIP, DLA, and AA
I have found your site and am hoping for some advice regarding my adult son who is totally deaf without speech.

We filled in the dreaded PIP form and he now has to go for an assessment, has anyone any information which could help us.  I am dreading it for him as he can have great difficulty communicating even with an interpreter.

Thanks in advance.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome to the community - the assessment  is meant to be about how your impairments affect your life.  You can look through this CAB site about filling in PIP forms, I know you are past that stage, but it is really handy for reading through exactly what each question means and to think about how you can answer.

    We also have a video about PIP Assessments here.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq5QV_SnkJs 
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi, a very good welcome to our community.  I had my assessment a few years ago now. I would say take as much supporting information to backup your case.  (Hospital letters, current medications,GP appointment letters) Make it one of your worst days ever. Check out where you will be going so that it won't be a mad panic on the day. With my assessment was originally going to be on the 2nd floor & the building had no lift. I phoned to let them know that I was a electric wheelchair user. They then arranged for it to be on the ground floor & on the day the first question that I was asked to do was "Walk" to the end of the "Room"
    Well what can I say!!!!!
    My final price of information is "don't be afraid" on the day itself.
    Please please let me know if I can help you any.further with this .
    Ssteve.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wildlife
    wildlife Community member Posts: 1,293 Pioneering
    @Jinty Just want to add that evidence should be sent to the DWP before hand either with the claim form or forwarded as soon as you can having mentioned that further evidence is to follow on the form. DWP will forward this to your assessment company. You can take further evidence on the day but some assessor's refuse to accept it and tell claimants to send it to DWP. If they do accept it which my assessor did there's no guarantee they will use it as if they do look at your evidence I think it's mostly done before you have your assessment.    
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    @LiamO_Dell do you have any thoughts that could help?
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Liam_Alumni
    Liam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 1,101 Pioneering
    Hi @Jinty,

    Whilst I haven't applied for PIP, I have applied for Disabled Students Allowance and as a mildly deaf person myself, I know how nerve-wracking these sort of assessments can be!

    I echo what @steve51 says, in that you shouldn't be afraid of the assessment. Will an interpreter be with you? 

    If so, perhaps get your son to have a general chat with the interpreter beforehand, if at all possible? It may help to calm your son's nerves and establish rapport with them ahead of going in for the assessment.

    Also, Action on Hearing Loss have some information about PIP from a deaf perspective, which you may find useful.

    I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, please do get in touch!
    Liam
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jinty
    Jinty Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    Thanks everyone,

    I contacted the DWP this morning to ensure they did indeed have a BSL int., organised and they have.  Unfortunately it is not one my son knows and as his comprehension is very bad I am even more worried!  It can be a bit like an Englishman trying to converse with us Scots :-) dialect can be totally different as in signs.

    I could not think of anything to provide too them as all of his appointments do not detail the fact he has an interpreter present.  Sadly, in most cases I have to phone and remind them of this requirement.....

    I did purchase the Benefits and Work guide which was useful in completing his form but they obviously are not very familiar with totally deaf clients.

    I am considering the possibility of paying for an interpreter he know and more importantly who knows him, to go to the meeting.  While I can do 'family' signs I am not proficient enough to do him justice.  Or, do I let the new interpreter struggle with him?.  Just don't know what to do for the best, I think I have read every publication on the internet! :-)

    Cheers
    Janet
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Brightness

Categories

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.