PIP telephone assessment next week for anxiety and depression, any advice?

[rose9826]

PIP telephone assessment next week for anxiety & depression, advice please

Hi all, I went ahead and and applied for pip for anxiety and depression in January (I did do a post about it in here before) and I've just had my telephone appointment come through for next Thursday.

I'm looking for advice and tips on what to expect and how to navigate it as I have no idea, never done something like this before.

Shall I have my mum with me for the call? I've mentioned in my application that she's a big support and help to me.

What kind of questions should I expect?

And most importantly I've love to hear from people who had telephone appointments specifically for anxiety and depression and how it went please.

Thank you!

Just be honest and refer them back to the evidence you submitted. Linking your answer to questions to the black and white paperwork they have is really helpful. That way you don’t get any misunderstanding of what you have said as you are citing evidence they already have.

Definitely have someone with you. Always answer the questions as it would be on your worst days. Don't downplay anything. Be honest. Write stuff down before the call if that helps you, if you have kept a copy of your form have that in front of you.

My assessor was lovely, she just went through the form really, asked specific questions about how I manage things eg. Medications, cooking, dressing. Just be honest and open, don’t sugar coat anything, if there’s something you can’t do just say you can’t do it. If you need a break during the assessment just ask for one. They will make a note in the report of how you came across during the call, I cried during mine and that was mentioned.

The whole thing really wasn’t anything to worry about. It just felt like a conversation, not a test at all.