Received a copy of my assessment for PIP...
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Yesterday I received the good news that I have been successful in claiming PIP so when a copy of my face to face assessment arrived this morning I wasn't too worried about reading it. The assessor had scored me enough points to receive both care and mobilty at enhanced rates and thankfully the DWP agreed!
Anyway a few pointers that might help others who are awaiting their assessments:
In the report, the assessor refers to 'observations' made by herself AND two other members of staff at the assessment centre - one was the secretary and another must have been someone who had watched me arrive at the centre (maybe from a window or from outside!) Luckily both of these members of staff had been honest and I was observed to have been dropped off at the door by taxi with my friend, walking with a stick and looking anxious and unsteady on my feet. The secretary had described me a slow and unsteady on arrival, looked in pain when I walked, pale looking, thin, casually dressed, sat quietly with little eye contact....etc etc I won't go into too much detail but the secretary had described how I walked, my complexion, mood, facial expressions, interaction with my friend, eye contact with her, etc whilst waiting to go in for my assessment.
Now please note: The secretary had been honest and correct in describing what I was like in her presence so think about how you present yourself from the moment you enter the doors! I am only warning you because whilst I was waiting for my assessment this young man arrived at the centre with his two friends and even I could tell he was 'playing up to the cameras' as they say! He continually grunted and groaned when he sat down or moved and he talked really loudly saying things like 'I am in pain today because my prescription delivery didn't arrive from Boots yesterday I couldnt go to the pharmacy to pick it up myself!' and 'I am so hot today but I couldn't get my t-shirt on myself!' (yet he was wearing a tight polo-neck jumpers, jeans with a posh buckled belt and lace up boots which he must have managed to put on AND he was waving his arms around in despair as he talked!?????) And also when the secretary called him to the desk to show his ID, he was quite rude and just shouted over to her 'I'm in pain, you'll have to come and get it!' She didn't look to happy with him so I dread to think what observations she would have recorded about him.....obnoxious, fake looking, loud, confident......maybe!
So just act as you normally do and try not to look like you are playing up to the cameras!
The report itself read quite well and I couldn't see anything wrong with mine at all. I think if you just make sure you reliterate what you wrote on your initial PIP application form then you should be fine. I didn't send in too much paper evidence with my application so I made sure I gave as much info as possible myself when answering each question.
During the assessment the assessor had made comments on the way I communicated with her, the way I looked, my mood, my interactions with her as well as my responses to her questions.
To end, if you have an assessment coming up, just try to relax and be how you usually are during the day. Yes you will be anxious - I was, and the assesor and secretary picked that up just from observing me and without the need to hear me say it. So good luck to you all 
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Clare1234 TCup
Posted
Hi
I have elhers danlos syndrome, fibro, hyperthyroidism. Tietze sydrome, ibs , hyperventilation syndrome, p.o t.s and a few other things. I have been on pip for 2 years. My award runs out next july but they have made me apply a year early. I have just posted my form back today to reapply. I have been a complete mess from start to finish and now I play the waiting game. I am working from home at the moment so I can try to restudy in a job that I can work around myself. I am currently on higher mobility and standard care but just so worried of they take my car then i won't be able to do a job that I can try to manage. I cannot walk to the bus stop and i cannot go on public transport for various reasons. I've heard of people getting told they are having home assessments without even asking for them. I just don't know what is the best option. then all i hear is people are hetting their cars taken away.It's making me worry even more and my illnesses worse. What a mess. Any advice please
les59996 Clare1234
Posted
then all I hear is people are getting their cars taken away.........
That situation has been the topic of conversation since 2011 when PIP was first set in motion. A large proportion of people when hearing what was likely to happen when they moved over to PIP or claimed it for the first time, sent their Mobility cars back early and used their HRM/EM to fund the purchase of their own car.
Thankfully I was one of them that 15 months into a Motability contract I returned the car in June 2013, 2 months after PIP started. Between then and when I had the DLA taken off me during the transfer over to PIP earlier this year I had more or less paid off the car (36 months agreement) I now have.
That was one of my better decisions.
Had you not considered buying your own vehicle??