Pip assessment re Long covid next week . So anxious.

[Greedybilly]

Has anyone had a pip assmt re LC? Any tips/pointers please?
Please don't comment generally re benefits/Long Covid.
I'm unable to work right now and it's gone on for months. Anyone with any lived experience please? I'm really not looking fwd to it 🙄

Focus on what you can't do and how often you can't do it. Explain how you can't do things and what happens when you can't.

Good advice.

If there was one thing I could say it's please be truthful. If you do not tell the truth its very easy to trip over yourself And the assessor will notice that.

I'm guessing you have significant fatigue post exertion? Make sure you explain this and for how long it lasts.

You will get "advice" from multiple sources saying "just say how it is on a bad day". I would recommend you do not follow this advice, not only is it lying but it is then very difficult to provide robust advice to the DWp as they uk say it is inconsistent.

Several years ago they're was a woman who set up a tikok advising people on" crucial phrases" to use. Unfortunately, DWP as well as assessors watch tiktok too. Also the phrases were very specific legal ones that you wouldn't casually drop into a conservation. So I'd svoid that.

Be polite, bring a friend of you want, that's fine!

You can ask for a copy (not on the day, it won't be finished for a day or two, all when outcome letter is received).

Ask for it to be recorded of you would like that, it's no problem!

Good luck!

Thanks. Anyone else?

@Thequeenandthesoldier thankyou - I'm aiming to be very honest.I have nothing to hide and have been really poorly. It just seems like such a lottery on the day tho.

Sorry no advice but I did read a very interesting article recently on evidence found for long covid now - traces of a certain part of the covid molecule (specific to the virus, NOT the vaccine!) left behind in those suffering from LC. So please don't for a minute let anyone make you feel you're making anything up

This is a very helpful site, I’ve copied the page link on preparing for the assessment:https://pip.turn2us.org.uk/how-can-you-prepare-for-assessment?_ga=2.203909584.1782402900.1733732365-1147812920.1718708676&_gl=1wb1u14_gaMTM5MTk0OTU5MC4xNzYyMjk2Njkx_ga_E1WBSX9YR8*czE3NjIyOTY2OTAkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjIyOTY2OTAkajYwJGwwJGgw

Be prepared that very many get turned down that are then awarded on appeal.

Maybe I didn't phrase what I said very well.

You do not enter that room with the assessor not believing you. Promise.

They're is a very strong school of thought within the public that the of you do not get PIP is because they didn't believe you.

I guarantee that is not correct. It's far more likely that you just didn't meet the threshold. The threshold is very high and unfortunately some extremely unwell people are seen day to day.

Are you taking any documents in? An example good be a consultant letter or OT report. Information leaflets about your condition do not add value (although by all means bring them if you want, ). Make sure they are good quality and relevant

I'm sorry I was confusing you. Best of luck!

Actually sometimes they twist your words and make shit up. I know from experience.

Good luck OP

No one can make any promises about being believed by the assessor, there are so many appeals, for a reason. As long as you have medical evidence to back up what you say to the person assessing you, then that cannot be discounted. So consultants letters, long covid hospital appointment letters, etc.

Agree with this completely.
Medical evidence is key. Without it, you will struggle to get anywhere OP.

But don't get carried away with it is my point.

Recent correspondence is lovely. However it is HIGHLY unlikely to address all your activities of living, and that's precisely what they look at.

It is indeed hard to argue against evidence. HOWEVER, very unlikely that the assessor is trying to. Yhe only time i could imagine is if a GP decides to say something rash like X is entitled to PIP. That decision not made by her/ him, or indeed the assessor. It is made by the DWP

In that circumstance we would simply comment that this opinion is outside the
Scope of the GP

what is nearly impossiblthis to use an document that is irrelevant/ lacking in detail of activities of daily living/by an aromatherapist/ your cousins.

OP, I do recommend you get it recorded as likely to give you some peace of mind at lest.

@Fasterthanwitchestthankuou!

Thanks all for comments

@Enigma54-- i wrote down all of my medical professionals on my form. Is it my job to get written evidence? Surely that's the job of DWP??😮

How can they ‘twist your words and make shit up’ if it’s recorded?

I had a assessment for LC and got full amount.

Could only walk up stairs but by bit. Had to stop every 4th stair. Some days couldn’t use them at all.

Had to sit down between putting every garment on to recover energy. Stretch ly garments due to less energy for buttons etc

Used radiator at side of toilet to help pull myself up.

Couldnt leave house alone

Could just about make slice of toast but not a meal. And not always.

All of this was true by the way.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow-- thanks - sounds like a normal day for me! You forget how much is ' not normal'.

Also Dh had to wash my hair and help me in and out of bath. Couldn’t use shower as needed to lie down.

This is interesting. This sounds like me but maybe worse (I know it’s not a competition!) as I can relate to most of this but also I can’t leave the house at all and I’ve managed stairs twice in the last 5 years.

I haven’t used my very limited energy to apply for PIP as I didn’t think I was ‘bad enough’. (Even though I’ve gone from being a deputy headteacher in a primary school to being completely housebound.) But this comment has made me wonder if I should apply. Maybe I’d then be able to afford to not freeze in the winter.

OP - sorry I don’t have anything helpful to contribute, but if you feel able to, maybe you could update us with the outcome?

I’ve seen lots of your posts. I’m amazed you haven’t applied. You sound eligible for full award.

DM if you need help. Dh did it all. He complained it was like writing a PhD thesis. But you would absolutely get it.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindowssame it's a shit of an illness isn't it?

I’m a PIP assessor.

General advice: make sure you’re available for the call (I’m assuming it’s a call) at the right time, make sure you don’t have people making a racket in the background, deliveries coming etc.

Be prepared to spend beyond an hour on the call so charge your phone. Be prepared for the assessor to be running late, it’s very common that we are.

Don’t lie about anything; you’ll likely be caught out (some slip through, I’m sure, but we generally know when someone’s exaggerating or making something up).

Don’t try to shoehorn issues into irrelevant areas. For example, Activity 2 (taking nutrition), we don’t consider quality of diet, how many meals (more than one) that you’re eating in a day, what time you eat. It’s just wasting your time and the assessor's time as it'll all be disregarded.

Have recent medical evidence. Presumably you've sent all this in by now. It's not impossible to get an award with none, but it's unlikely. Very often, the DWP has already written to your GP and got a report from them which also helps expose any lies someone might tell.

As someone else said, this myth of "tell them about your bad days" isn't correct.

Long covid is a relatively new thing we're seeing, so give detail. Be specific about what you can and can't do. If you fail to give detail, your chances are lower, in my experience.

Have your phone on speakerphone, they may ask how you you are managing to hold it to your ear for an hour, otherwise.

@Pinkboxthanks looks helpful x