PIP Application Part Three: The Assessment Interview

"Never wear a backward baseball cap to an interview
unless applying for the job of umpire" 

– Dan Zevin

I promise that this will be my last blog post about applying for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit in the UK. Normal Blog service will resume next week....  

A few weeks after posting my application for the PIP benefit I received an official looking letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The letter invited me to attend an interview at an assessment centre in my local area. The letter also provided an option for an assessor to visit me in my home if I could not travel to a local assessment centre.*

Overall, I found the letter very useful. It explained that the purpose of the assessment was to discuss my PIP application with a medical professional who would assess the functional effects of my conditions and/or disabilities. The letter briefly outlined the interview process and explained that the assessment would be undertaken by one of two independent contractors (Independent Assessment Services or Capita). These companies employ trained medical professionals such as nurses, paramedics and physical therapists to undertake the PIP assessments on behalf of the DWP. Following the assessment, the assessor writes a report which takes into account the information provided in the written application and the interview. This report ultimately informs the DWP’s decision whether to award PIP benefit to an applicant.

After receiving my letter, I telephoned the number provided to make an appointment at a local assessment centre. The gentleman I spoke with was very helpful and I was able to make an appointment within two weeks of my call. When you call to make your appointment, it may be useful to ask for the following:

• any accommodations that you might require to assist with your condition/ disability;
• a ground-floor assessment room to avoid the need to use stairs;
• directions to the assessment centre;
• details of public transport links; and 
• nearby parking facilities. 

At the time of booking your assessment you can request to make an audio-recording of your interview. I opted not to record my interview, but I have read that others have found a recording of their assessment useful during appeal proceedings. 

If you want to make an audio-recording of your assessment a request has to be made and agreed in advance of your assessment. It is not permitted to record the assessment without prior agreement with the assessment centre. You will need to follow the audio-recording rules set out by the assessment centre. Make sure that you find out what these rules are well in advance of your assessment date.**

Further details about recording PIP assessments can be found on the UK government website.

I tend to get very nervous about interview situations and I became quite stressed in the week leading up to my face-to-face assessment. I wanted to be as prepared as possible for my interview and decided to do some research on-line about the interview process and other people’s personal experiences. I wish that I hadn’t done this because what I quickly discovered is that people do not tend to write about successful PIP applications and positive experiences. Instead I was confronted with several truly heart-breaking personal stories of failed applications and lengthy appeals in the courts. I came away with the impression that the whole assessment process was completely rigged and deliberately designed to ensure that most PIP applications failed. Going into my assessment, I assumed that my application was already doomed to failure and that the interview process was just a meaningless exercise in modern bureaucracy. I am pleased to report that these assumptions were totally unfounded and that my actual experience of the PIP assessment was very positive!

My husband drove me to the assessment centre, which was not very local (about 45 minutes away by car) and completely inaccessible by public transport. We arrived at the assessment centre early and parked as close to the building entrance as possible. We were able to find a space in the adjacent car park about 50 metres from the front entrance and a very generous motorist gave us his unexpired parking voucher. 

On arrival at the assessment centre, I was asked to show my identification documents and fill in a short form, providing some personal details. Two forms of identification are required to be provided to the assessment centre: one photographic (e.g. a passport or photo-card driving licence) and one non-photographic (e.g. a birth certificate, utility bill or council tax document). The types of identification documents accepted are outlined in your appointment letter.  

The waiting room at the assessment centre was a very forlorn place. There was damp in the walls, which gave off a sour smell, and some of the ceiling tiles had very recently fallen down leaving a gaping hole in one corner. There were a few people dourly shuffling around the room or fidgeting nervously on shabby mismatched chairs. Overall, it wasn’t the sort of place that I wanted to spend much time in. I had to wait about half an hour past my appointment time before being called in for my assessment. This annoyed me because the moth-eaten chairs in the waiting room were uncomfortable and my joints were quite sore by the time my name was called. I was also very nervous and began to fantasise that the whole waiting room scenario was a sordid pre-assessment test. I imagined that all of my movements were being recorded on CCTV and scrutinised by some nefarious assessor in another part of the building.

The actual assessment lasted about an hour in total. I was interviewed by a female nurse who was very polite and friendly. I was allowed to bring my husband into the assessment room with me for support. The nurse sat behind a desk and had a copy of my PIP application in front of her. I was sat directly opposite and was able to refer to my own documents throughout the interview. The assessment was structured around questions asked in the PIP application form and the assessor made notes on her computer as we talked. The bulk of the interview was spent talking about how my Lupus affected me (my symptoms and the effects on my daily life), the medications I needed to take, and my mobility. I was able to explain how I had good days and bad days (but mostly bad days) and how my ability to undertake tasks varied depending on how severe my symptoms were at any given time. I was asked to perform some basic stretching exercises (leg/arm movements) to demonstrate the range of movement and flexibility in my arms and legs. I was asked to grip the nurse’s fingers so that she could judge my grip strength. I was also asked about the distances that I could walk (and more specifically how far away we had parked from the building). At the end of the interview the nurse walked us back out to the waiting room. 

About five weeks after my face-to-face assessment I received a letter from the DWP stating that my application had been successful. The letter explained what points I had received against each of the assessment scoring criteria (i.e. the questions set in the PIP application) and how these were used to calculate the amount of benefit I was entitled to receive. The letter also explained that I would receive the PIP benefit for the next four years (unless my circumstances changed) at which point I would need to apply for a re-assessment. 

Overall, my experience of the PIP application process was positive. My assessment was carried out very professionally and fairly. The process took about three months to complete and I started receiving monthly PIP payments into my bank account the month after the award was made. 

My advice to anybody applying for PIP benefit and going for an assessment is to be honest and prepared! The assessment is an opportunity for you to discuss your conditions/disabilities in more detail with the assessor and to demonstrate that the answers given in your application form are genuine and accurate.

Some other pointers that you might find helpful are as follows:

• Find out where the assessment centre is and plan how you will travel there;
• Ask ahead of time about any requirements you might have during your assessment (e.g. disabled access);
• Prepare thoroughly for your assessment interview by studying the answers you gave on your PIP assessment form;
• Practice how you will answer questions from the assessor; 
• Dress comfortably and appropriately for your assessment;
• Bring copies of your PIP assessment and any other useful documents (e.g. treatment plans, medical letters) with you to the assessment;
• Bring any aids or medications that you might need with you to the assessment centre;
• Bring the correct identification documents to your assessment;
• Arrive early to your appointment in order to minimise stress;
• Be on your guard! The assessor is not your friend, they are there to make an assessment of how your conditions/ disabilities affect your daily life;
• Remain calm and polite at all times;
• Don’t rush your answers! Take your time and think about what the assessor is asking before replying;
• Avoid short yes/no replies - explain how your conditions/ disabilities affect you as fully and thoroughly as you can; 
• Be honest - don’t exaggerate your conditions/ disabilities, but don’t underplay them either;
• Back up your statements with examples and evidence where you can (e.g. medical letters);
• Describe how your symptoms may change from day-to-day; 
• Explain what help you need undertaking daily tasks (e.g. help from others, aids you use, medications you take);
• Describe how you feel after performing daily tasks (e.g. do you experience pain, discomfort or fatigue);
• If you are asked to perform a physical task in the assessment that would cause pain or discomfort, make sure that the assessor knows this;
• Remember that you are being assessed from the minute you arrive at the centre until the minute you leave.

Finally, here are some websites that provide useful information about the PIP application and the face-to-face assessment process:

• www.gov.uk (PIP face-to-face assessments)
• www.gov.uk (PIP Assessors Guidance)
• Independent Assessment Services 
• Capita
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Benefits and Work
• Disability Rights UK

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* Please note that the DWP suspended face-to-face assessments in 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic and replaced them with telephone interviews. Visit the www.gov.uk website for the most up-to-date information on PIP assessments.

**In September 2020, the DWP started to make audio-recordings of some telephone assessments. It would therefore be useful to find out if your assessment will be recorded and request a copy of the recording to be made available to you after the interview is completed.

PIP Application Part Two: Application Form

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.

Nothing can be done without hope and confidence"

- Helen Keller

In my last post I described the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit in the UK and explained why I put off applying because I was worried about the application failing. I see so many posts on lupus noticeboards about the PIP application process and I thought it might be useful to others is I described my experience in more detail. Please note that the application process may have changed since I wrote this article and you should check for the most up to date information about completing the PIP application.

Once I had decided to apply for PIP the first step was to get hold of an application form. To get this form you have to either telephone the PIP Centre (Telephone: 0800 917 2222 or Textphone 0800 917 7777) or write to the DWP for an application form. It seems rather archaic that you cannot fill in an application form online or just download one to fill in at home. But anyway....

I decided to telephone the PIP Centre and ask for an application form. I was nervous about making the call but the lady I spoke to was very professional and quickly put me at ease. When you telephone the PIP Centre you are asked a set of standard questions about your identity, illness and/or disability, and banking details. It is therefore useful to look out the following information in advance and have it to hand when you make the call:

• Full name;
• Date of birth;
• Address;
• Telephone number;
• National Insurance number;
• Details of you illness or conditions;
• GP and other health professional’s details;
• Details of any recent stays in hospitals, care home or hospices;
• Nationality or immigration status;
• Details of any time you’ve spent out of the country; and
• Bank or building society account details.

During the phone call I was also asked whether I needed help at home because of my illness and whether I would be filling in the form myself or whether somebody would be filling it in on my behalf.

The phone call took a little longer than I had expected and my advice to others would be to pick a time that you won't be disturbed and are feeling up to it. 

After I made the call, it took two weeks for my PIP application pack to arrive in the mail. The pack includes the application form, a guide to filling in the form and a handy Freepost envelope to return the completed application form.

The PIP application form is a bit daunting at first glance and I put off filling it in for as long as possible. This was a mistake and I would advise you to start filling in your application as soon as you receive it. It is important to note is that you must return the PIP application form within a month of receiving the form. If you do not return the application within the timeframe allowed, your claim will be invalidated and you will need to start the claim process all over again.

You should start to gather evidence to support your claim as soon as possible, particularly if you need letters or other documents from your carers, GP or Hospital. 

Filling in the PIP application form is actually pretty straight forward - you just need to write about your condition and how it affects your daily life. I didn't find the PIP Guidebook very helpful as it seemed to repeat the questions without giving any real suggestions how to answer them. 

The questions that I had to answer were as follows:

1. Provide information about your doctors and health care professionals;
2. Provide information about your health condition(s) and medication(s);
3. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to prepare a simple meal;
   
4. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to eat and drink;
   
5. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to manage your treatment(s);
   
6. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to wash and bathe;
   
7. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to manage your toilet needs;
   
8. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to dress and undress;
   
9. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to communicate with others;
   
10. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to read and understand signs;
    
11. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to socialise with other people;
    
12. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to make financial decisions;
    
13. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to go out/ follow a route;
    
14. Provide information about how your condition affects your ability to move around.

There is a section at the end of the application form where the applicant can provide additional information on how their condition affects their daily life and activities. Applicants are also encouraged to provide photocopies of medical letters (not appointments) and other information from professionals about their condition and how it affects them. General information leaflets about medical conditions or medications are not accepted, your evidence has to be specific to you and your situation.

There is a quite a lot of advice out there on how to answer the PIP application questions and my advice would be to read through some of this before starting to complete your form. Below are some websites that I found useful:

PIP Toolkit
GOV UK
Citizens Advice
Skybadger
Pip Assessment Scoring

Questions 1 and 2 are fairly straightforward to answer. You need to include information about your healthcare providers, your illnesses and/or disabilities, and a list of current medications. 

You will need documents (e.g. doctors' letters, test results) to support your answer to Question 2, so take time to think about what you will need and gather these together as soon as possible. To support my application I made copies of all of the hospital and doctor's letters that detailed my condition. I excluded letters about appointments and only included those which reported diagnoses and test results. I also included a copy of the document that lists my repeat medications (I receive this from the chemist every time they fill my prescription).

Questions 3 - 14 are more complex and require details about how well you can move around and perform daily activities (e.g. bathing, preparing a meal). It can be difficult for people with autoimmune conditions to answer these questions accurately due to the changing nature of their illness. One day you may be able to complete an activity (e.g. bathing) without a problem but the next day you will have severe difficulties. Your answers to these questions should therefore reflect your ability to undertake activities on your worst day. 

During the face-to-face assessment you will be able to discuss the percentage of time you experience difficulties (i.e. the number of bad days you have in a week). The higher the percentage of bad days you have, the more likely you are to score points for a particular question. In some ways I am 'lucky' because my lupus causes me difficulties all the time. I don't have good days and bad days, so it is simply a case of how bad a bad day is.

Some of the questions require you to think about your mental ability to cope with activities like travelling somewhere new, understanding signs or communicating with others. If you have mental difficulties performing activities you should note these down in addition to any physical difficulties that you have. Examples could include: 

• You avoid socialising because you feel ashamed about how others view your physical appearance (e.g. rashes);

• You can't travel alone because you are fearful that you become too unwell to get yourself home.

Filling in the form it is very important to be honest. During the face-to-face assessment the PIP assessor will go through the questions with you again and you will need to keep your answers consistent. As Judge Judy says, "If you tell the truth you don't need to have a good memory". 

But....don't be embarrassed to say when and how you need help. If somebody helps you with activities, prepares meals, or drives you to appointments then make sure to state this in your application form. Also note down any aids that you use to complete activities some common examples include: walking aids, resting stools, joint supports, arthritis gloves, kitchen gadgets, medication dosette boxes, medication alarms and bathing aids.

It is also important to say how you feel after performing an activity. Do you have a shower but then have to rest for an hour afterwards due to pain or fatigue? If you push yourself to make a social engagement one day are you laid up in bed the next day? This additional information gives the PIP assessor a better picture of how your condition affects you and how you need to plan ahead to manage your daily activities.

The answers to questions 3 - 14 are very repetitive but each question is scored separately and it is therefore very important to answer each question fully. If you mention something in one answer don't assume that the assessor will remember that information and apply it to another question. Re-state the information as many times as necessary. 

In the section marked additional information you are allowed to enter commentary from doctors, friends and family. My mum kindly provided a few paragraphs on the significant changes she had noticed since my lupus had become more debilitating. I don't know if this information was helpful to my application or not. It may be more useful to have your doctor or carer to provide information to answer this question. I ran out of time to do this for my application so remember to plan ahead! 

Finally, I made a copy of my application form so that I would have a record of my answers and the supporting documents. It is very important to have a record of your application form if you are called in for a face-to-face assessment. The assessment will happen many weeks after you submit the application form and you may forget exactly how you answered each question. Having a copy of your answers allows you to refresh your memory before your assessment. 

Remember to take a copy of your completed application form with you into your face-to-face assessment so that you can refer to it if necessary.

After completing my PIP application form I felt much better about the whole process. Answering the questions allowed me to take stock of how much Lupus has changed my life over the past year. I also came to the realisation that asking for financial assistance from the Government is not a form of failure, it is a support net that is there for everyone in their time of need. I no longer needed to feel ashamed about asking for help.