Published on 12, July, 2020
At the start of this year I decided to take the step to apply for PIP, my research kept telling me there's a slim chance of success first time around so I'm mentally preparing myself for rejection and appeal anyway. Regardless, I still want to give myself the best possible shot by being clear, honest and hopefully not miscommunicating myself too much as being able to do things I cannot. This is the one thing I'm having a lot of trouble preparing for both mentally and practically, the assessment. Citizens Advice have been helping me with the application and the phone call I had with them to go through the form was difficult and draining enough and that's with someone who was doing their best to try and help me and gave me helpfully leading questions to get important information out of my which I likely wouldn't have thought to (or had the confidence to) mention without those leading questions. I actually feel some guilt over being so stressed because thinking back the guy who went through the form with me was really kind and helpful. The thing is, I can easily fall into leading questions and I do worry that the assessor who, unlike CAB, is not rearly there to help or guide me and is likely trying to trip me up and try and make me say enough wrong to where I don't appear to score a single point. I guess I'm just looking to understand what exactly I'm to expect, what common traps they may lay I should be aware of, any common trick questions that I can/should refuse etc. because I feel like I'll answer anything, and I might not be willing to add additional information beyond a 'yes' to one of their trap questions.
Have someone with you if possible, who is on your side. Even if they don't do or say anything, just having them there might make sure the assessor is more careful. Also if you can record it. Mine was just before covid so 4 years ago and they would only allow that to be by a tape recorder!! Yes, we had some difficulty fining such old tech that still worked! But having that is also both a deterrent and a useful source of evidence if you have to take it further.
Do not try to be polite! Although obviously don't be so rude it is seen as threatening. Our instinct is to try and be nice and behave well, but that is not going to go in your favour. Better to try and not mask, though I find it hard to do that, and didn't even know I was autistic at mine (I am also physically disabled and it was mostly for that though I did tell them about my anxiety, which they downplayed and disbelieved as usual).
The assessment is long and tiring. If you need a break make sure you ask for it, though I find it hard to notice how I am feeling until it is too late. That's another reason it is good to have another person with you, in case you need to shut down for a bit. I worry that having a meltdown or shutdown half way through, while ought to be good evidence you get them, might just mean they say you didn't complete the assessment and throw the case out! But I don't actually know what they do if that happens.
There is info out there about what to expect, various forums and sources of help. I'm really sorry but I am too burnt out to give links as I am in the middle of my reapplying review thingy they make you suffer every few years. Good luck with it. Most likely you'll get turned down and have to appeal, but 75% of appeals are successful. Ridiculously awful system.
AuTriker said:Have someone with you if possible, who is on your side.
I agree, but the assessors like to play tricks to prevent this. In my PIP appointment, I received a phone call at 4:30pm inviting me to an assesment giving me a choice of two appointment slots. 9am or 10am both the following morning. The person who was supposed to accompany me was my mental health advisor, but I couldn't contact her in time.
I'd just have refused either. I had so much difficulty getting an appointment to meet my stated criteria! I had to get my MP involved. I ended up with an at home assessment as they kept trying to send me to a city I had stated I was too anxious to go to in an unsuitable building. And why were they phoning you with such short notice? I had mine as letters.
I had way more than that and had to keep rejecting them. I think though that it might have been because I was rejecting them because they had failed to meet my stated needs. If you didn't state needs then you might have more trouble. You should have specified being given enough advance notice, both because you needed to be able to book your companion and because of your autism not reacting well to sudden things. But I would have thought even without stated needs that such short notice would be inappropriate. But of course they didn't give you time to check! And you probably couldn't say you had a stomach bug.
AuTriker said:And why were they phoning you with such short notice?
I think, although I'm not 100% sure, they have to give you a choice of two appointments, if you reject both they can close your claim. My choice was 9 am or 10 am the next morning. Dirty tricks ?