PIP video assessment

[deflatedbirthday]

Apologies if there is a more appropriate board for this..

I have a PIP video assessment in two weeks. I'm quite nervous. I've heard very stressful experiences from the face to face assessments.

What can I realistically expect?

My conditions are not visual per se. It's not obvious to look at me that I have then issues I do.

I'm very nervous despite knowing I'm entitled to apply and putting it off for feeling like I shouldn't! It's been a very very long road to diagnosis.

Hopeful bump

Hi I had a pip assessment nearly 3 years ago and I'm due to have another one soon (haven't been given a date yet).

You need to be clear to the assessor how much your diagnosis affects your ability to carry out the tasks of daily living.

My advice:....
Do you work? If so, say how much you struggle to get ready for work and how much you struggle at work, if there's any reasonable adjustments been made for you under the disability act.
Also if you've been to university do not refer to this by accident like I did - even though I have Schizoaffective disorder which I developed since university the assessor used the fact I went to university against me.

Do not say if you have a pet or if you do then say you need help to care for it.
Same If you have children say that you have help when caring for them (if you have a partner) or the assessor will say why can't you look after yourself then??

In fact, watch everything you say as it may well be twisted and used as evidence against your claim.

If you don't get pip straight away then go for mandatory reconsideration and then appeal.

Good luck. And please wish me luck too!

Thanks for this useful advice. DS (who's 16) has got a video assessment in a couple of weeks and I was wondering what they might cover.

If they ask you to do physical things and you know it’s going to hurt, say you aren’t able.
If you’re find it difficult to sit for a long time, get up when you need to.
Remember if they ask you if you can cook a meal for example, they mean chop, and stand to cook all parts on a simple meal. Not stick a ready meal in the microwave.
If it hurts when you do something say that. If an activity leaves you too tired to do it again, make sure you tell them.
If you need to rest after a shower make sure you tell them.
I would join the benefits and work website and download their guide. It’ll cost you £20 for the year I think and you can download and save all the relevant guides. They are absolutely brilliant, so detailed and totally up to date.
Good luck to both of you!

@SommerTen thank you!

This is exactly what I'm afraid of. Before i received a diagnosis I struggled on with most aspects of life and probably do more than I should because I had no choice, if that makes sense.

I do work and I'm extremely lucky that my work have been super supportive. I work adapted hours, some from home. I am under occupational health and they have been fantastic offering me counselling and physiotherapy if I need it.

I have step children but they are not babies and my husband is very hands on. As am I. But I know my physical limit. I had step children before my diagnosis so I'd think it was harsh for them to use that against me. I can't have my own children due to my diagnosis, at least not at the moment.

It's the same with work. I have to work. How else would I support myself? I am interviewing for a job which is higher banded but less hours and even more flexible next week. I can only afford to drop hours if I earn more to counteract that.

Good luck @SommerTen!! It's not a place I want to be but I've never been entitled to a bean of help previously so I would definitely fight it xx

Also like the PP said, always appeal if necessary. Most mandatory reconsiderations fail but lost appeals win. So just go through the steps. If you’re not successful wait the 6 months (I think is the rule) then apply again.
Also some GP’s will do a letter saying how your condition affects you, what meds you’re on, how often they see you.

My GP has very kindly provided a letter. As has my hospital consultant.

That will definitely help. Be specific about things you can only do by pushing through the pain or fatigue or feeling dizzy or whatever it is that your condition causes. If you only shower when absolutely necessary because of pain and fatigue say so. If you are in pain when walking say so. This explains the rules -

Activities must be performed safely. This means you must be able to undertake them in a way that is unlikely to cause harm to you or anyone else. This could be either during or after you have done the activity. For the purpose of PIP, something is unsafe only if harm is likely to occur; it is not sufficient for you to feel harm may occur.

They must be performed to an acceptable standard. This means that the task must be done to a standard that would reasonably be acceptable to most people.

It should be possible to undertake the activity repeatedly. This means as often as reasonably required. For example if you are able to prepare a meal once without help, but the exhaustion from doing this means that you could not prepare another meal that day, you would be treated as being unable to prepare a meal unaided. This is because it is reasonable to expect someone to be able to prepare more than one meal a day.

The activities can be completed in a reasonable time. This means not more than twice as long as the maximum amount of time that a person without your health condition or impairment would normally take to complete that activity.