Personal Independence Payments, or PIP as they are referred to, is a government funded benefit that gives people extra money to help with everyday life costs if they suffer from an illness, disability or mental health condition. The latest figures from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) indicate that nearly three million people in the UK are claiming the extra support.
The Government provides guidance on what to expect during assessment meetings. Other external organisations, such as Citizens Advice, also provide people with information on what to expect.
Being eligible for the benefit can mean an extra boost to your finances of anything between £24.45 and £156.90 each week. While the Daily Record reported that more PIP assessments are being conducted over the phone (77%) or on paper (16%) using the evidence submitted by the claimant - data attained following a written response to a parliamentary question by former Minister for Disabled People Chloe Smith, before summer recess - face-to-face meetings still account for five per cent of consultations with video calls making up just under two per cent.
With this in mind, here's what you need to know if you're invited to attend a PIP assessment as well as how to prepare for whatever type of assessment you have, be it phone, video or in person. First of all be aware that this is a good opportunity to talk about how your condition affects you. It isn't a diagnosis of your condition or a medical examination, although a health professional will carry our the assessment. They'll then write a report and send it to the DWP.
Talking about your condition
There is a helpful guide on the Citizens Advice website that says you should be prepared to talk about how your condition affects you even if you’ve already detailed it on your PIP evidence form (the PIP2 document).
While this may be hard to do, it will really help if you can talk about:
the kind of things you have difficulty with, or can’t do at all - for example, walking up steps without help or remembering to go to appointments
how your condition affects you from day to day
what a bad day is like for you - for example, ‘On a bad day, I can’t walk at all because my injured leg hurts so much’ or ‘On a bad day, I’m so depressed I can’t concentrate on anything’
It’s also a good idea to have a copy of your PIP evidence claim form with you for telephone, video and face-to-face assessments, that way you, or something with you, can refer back to it.
Make sure you tell the assessor everything you want them to know about your condition and don’t tell them about any tricks or workarounds you’ve taught yourself or put in place (without support) to deal with your condition as this may count against you.
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The assessment: Observations on what you say and do
The assessor will use the information you gave on your PIP claim form but also draw opinions from what you say and do on the day. For example, they might ask you how you got to the centre for a face-to-face assessment - if you say you came on the bus, they’ll make a note that you can travel alone on public transport - unless you highlight otherwise.
You might also be asked to carry out some physical tasks during a face-to-face assessment. Don’t feel you have to do things that you wouldn’t normally be able to do. If you do them on assessment day, the assessor may think you can always do them, so if you’re not comfortable with something - say so.
During the telephone assessment you may be asked to describe how you complete simple tasks such as preparing and cooking food, getting washed and dressed and how you move around outside the home. Don’t rush to respond. Remember they are looking at your claim form and asking the same questions you have already answered.
Stay calm and consider
Break your answer down and take the assessor through how you complete tasks step-by-step. Try to paint an accurate picture of how your disability or health condition affects you. What may seem like a drawn out process for you, will demonstrate exactly how you accomplish tasks to the assessor.
The assessor will also make a note of your mental state during the assessment - for example, they will record whether you look or sound depressed or happy, tense or relaxed and how you cope with social interaction.
Things to remember during the assessment
- Don’t rush and try not to just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to questions
- Always try to explain how doing something would make you feel afterwards and the impact it can have on you if you had to do it repeatedly in a short period of time
- You can have someone with you while you do the assessment over the phone, on the video call or in person, just remember to put the call on loudspeaker and advise the assessor who is with you. You can take someone with you into the actual assessment if they are 16 or over.
Before going to a face-to-face assessment
Check with your assessment provider that your assessment centre has everything you need - if it doesn’t, you can ask for it. This can help make you feel more comfortable on the day.
Here are a few examples:
ask if you will have to go upstairs, and if there’s a lift that can accommodate a wheelchair if you need one
ask how roomy the centre is if you get anxious in enclosed spaces - if the rooms or corridors are small, tell them this could make you anxious and see what they can offer you
ask for an interpreter or signer if you need one - do this at least two working days before your assessment so they have time to organise it
ask for the person carrying out the assessment to be the same gender as you, if that’s important to you
ask if you can make an audio recording of the assessment - you must do this three days before your assessment and ask your provider about the rules for using recording equipment
Changing the venue
If the location of your face-to-face assessment is more than 90 minutes away by public transport and you have difficulty travelling long distances, you might be offered an alternative location or home visit.
More help is available
The DWP has published updated guidance on attending an assessment, which you can find on the GOV.UK website here. Citizens Advice and Benefits and Work have regularly updated details available designed to help claimants understand the assessment process.
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