PIP Home Assessment

Hi thought i would list this under a new topic as i thought it might be helpful for anyone preparing for a home assessment that ATOS call PIP Consultation.

I decided not to have mine recorded as I think it could get their backs up and i would feel uneasy and it would have probably make me more nervous altho i did manage to covertly record it without the nurse knowing.

A nurse arrived about 11.15am she introduced herself and explained what would happen that she would ask me questions that she had in a booklet and would refer to information letters, etc. that i had copied for her as i didnt know if Atos had all recent information.

She said that if there was anything i wasnt happy about then she would stop and that when it came to the physical examination i could refuse to do anything that was uncomfortable or caused me pain as she wasnt there to cause pain.

She asked me what my health conditions were told her I had ME, agoraphobia, depression, panick attacks and anxiety, worn disc in back, Irritable Bowel and then proceeded to ask me questions about my agoraphobia, panic attacks, etc. and how they affected me, How i was with people i didnt know and if i would speak to a person i didnt know for example to ask directions, if i knew the way to my local hospital and could give directions to a taxi driver.

Questions about bathing, dressing and undressing, Asked me what i ate for my main meal replied ready meals she then asked why i didnt have fresh vegetables, etc. so i explained problems with my hands.


She seemed to keep going backwards and forwards from one subject to another dont know if she was trying to catch me out. Asked me about incontinence and how i dealt with it.


She asked me about sleeping pattern. Basically she asked questions relating to my health conditions and how they affected me. When asking me about depression I got upset and started crying she straight away said she wouldnt ask me anymore questions on the depression as it obviously upset me and she didnt want to do that as she was not there to upset me and asked me if i wanted to take a few minutes and get a drink to recompose myself.

During the assessment she mentioned she had had allergies to tablets that i had had allergies to and had said whilst she was a nurse so i said so your a nurse then she said yes I was a nurse specialising in spinal injuries, etc. (I'm thinking well your definitely not qualified to assess on mental health then, maybe my back and leg problems you are.)


I had to get her my medication and she listed this and she also remembered at this point that i hadnt shown her identification which apparently are supposed to show at beginning of assessment or should i say consultation.


Suddenly she realised it had just gone 1.30pm and said that she had never spent so long doing an assessment so i asked if that was a bad sign she said no but i had noted that she had been doing an awful lot writing when i answered her questions and often had to wait for her to finish writing before she asked me another question.

She then said that she had to do some simple examinations of my arms and legs and i had to move my head up and down and from side to side she asked me to bend over and bend down which i refused to do as i knew i would be in pain afterwards and she quite happily accepted this and my reasons why i wouldnt do it even suggesting reasons why i couldnt do it.


So all in all not as bad as i expected even tho it was exhausting. Before she left she gave me a 2 pages from Atos Your pip consultation explained and said she was also leaving me an Atos booklet in case i wanted to complain and how to. (They must be expecting a lot of complaints lol).

She also said that it was DWP who made decisions that Atos did not make any recommendations like what happens after ESA WCA. Decisions are made only by DWP and if I dont hear within 4 weeks then I should contact them. So now a long 4 week wait to see if I lose my DLA low mobility and have to appeal.

teabag wrote: Hi thought i would list this under a new topic as i thought it might be helpful for anyone preparing for a home assessment that ATOS call PIP Consultation.

I decided not to have mine recorded as I think it could get their backs up and i would feel uneasy and it would have probably make me more nervous altho i did manage to covertly record it without the nurse knowing.

A nurse arrived about 11.15am she introduced herself and explained what would happen that she would ask me questions that she had in a booklet and would refer to information letters, etc. that i had copied for her as i didnt know if Atos had all recent information.

She said that if there was anything i wasnt happy about then she would stop and that when it came to the physical examination i could refuse to do anything that was uncomfortable or caused me pain as she wasnt there to cause pain.

She asked me what my health conditions were told her I had ME, agoraphobia, depression, panick attacks and anxiety, worn disc in back, Irritable Bowel and then proceeded to ask me questions about my agoraphobia, panic attacks, etc. and how they affected me, How i was with people i didnt know and if i would speak to a person i didnt know for example to ask directions, if i knew the way to my local hospital and could give directions to a taxi driver.

Questions about bathing, dressing and undressing, Asked me what i ate for my main meal replied ready meals she then asked why i didnt have fresh vegetables, etc. so i explained problems with my hands.


She seemed to keep going backwards and forwards from one subject to another dont know if she was trying to catch me out. Asked me about incontinence and how i dealt with it.


She asked me about sleeping pattern. Basically she asked questions relating to my health conditions and how they affected me. When asking me about depression I got upset and started crying she straight away said she wouldnt ask me anymore questions on the depression as it obviously upset me and she didnt want to do that as she was not there to upset me and asked me if i wanted to take a few minutes and get a drink to recompose myself.

During the assessment she mentioned she had had allergies to tablets that i had had allergies to and had said whilst she was a nurse so i said so your a nurse then she said yes I was a nurse specialising in spinal injuries, etc. (I'm thinking well your definitely not qualified to assess on mental health then, maybe my back and leg problems you are.)


I had to get her my medication and she listed this and she also remembered at this point that i hadnt shown her identification which apparently are supposed to show at beginning of assessment or should i say consultation.


Suddenly she realised it had just gone 1.30pm and said that she had never spent so long doing an assessment so i asked if that was a bad sign she said no but i had noted that she had been doing an awful lot writing when i answered her questions and often had to wait for her to finish writing before she asked me another question.

She then said that she had to do some simple examinations of my arms and legs and i had to move my head up and down and from side to side she asked me to bend over and bend down which i refused to do as i knew i would be in pain afterwards and she quite happily accepted this and my reasons why i wouldnt do it even suggesting reasons why i couldnt do it.


So all in all not as bad as i expected even tho it was exhausting. Before she left she gave me a 2 pages from Atos Your pip consultation explained and said she was also leaving me an Atos booklet in case i wanted to complain and how to. (They must be expecting a lot of complaints lol).

She also said that it was DWP who made decisions that Atos did not make any recommendations like what happens after ESA WCA. Decisions are made only by DWP and if I dont hear within 4 weeks then I should contact them. So now a long 4 week wait to see if I lose my DLA low mobility and have to appeal.

Thanks for this tb,

I really hope that you do receive a favourable decision.

Whether that will be within 4 weeks is a different matter.

The way things are with PIP and ATOS, I wouldn't hold your breath !!

Cheers and please keep us updated.

bro58

Hi i couldn't find my previous topic so adding to this one.
You may remember that i was turned down for DLA last year and appealed. Appeal was heard in January 2014 and i was awarded indefinite low mobility.
In August 2013 i applied for PIP as i had moved house and things had changed i had been advised that i shouldn't have in case i won my tribunal and was warned that if i went ahead i might lose any award made at the tribunal.
So i didn't send the forms back and had been told that if the forms weren't sent back by the date on the form then i would have to phone and reapply again. So i didn't send the form back.
In December 2013 i received a letter from ATos saying that they had written to my GP for information. So i quickly typed on the pc pages with the questions and answers as i cant fill in forms by hand and there was no downloadable form available and included more information and letters. I did try to cancel my pip application twice but both times i was told that i couldn't.
I had my assessment on the 10th March by Atos nurse who specialised in spinal injuries and lasted 2 1/2 hours, I listed my illnesses as ME, Worn disc in back, arthritis in knee and ankle, iBS, Agoraphobia, panick attacks, depression, etc. So was a bit bemused as to why i had an assessment done by a nurse specialising in spinal injuries as both my ESA and DLA was awarded because of my agoraphobia, my other problems weren't taken into account at all.
The DWP received the assessors report on the 14th April and when i phoned on the 30th April i was told that it was waiting to be allocated to a DM and should be within the next couple of weeks, a couple of days later i received a letter apologising for the delay but there was a backlog and would take longer than usual.
Well today i received my decision letter dated the 19th May awarding me standard rate Care from the 19th June, 2014 awarded nothing for mobility. I'm astounded as i never thought i would get anything for care. My DLA will cease on this date also so i'm assuming they're treating it as a change in circumstances.
So i phoned the number as the letter said i could discuss the contents of the letter and was told that a person would phone me in 5 days time and that this would be a Mandatory reconsideration so no back pay. i told the person that i was happy with the Care Award but wasn't happy with not getting anything for Mobility. She said that they would be looking at both again that they wont just look at the mobility. I believe i have further letters which the assessor refused to take.
I'm worried now that if i don't get anything for mobility of which i do believe i qualify at least for the low rate that it will affect my next assessment for ESA later this year given what the assessor wrote at my home assessment for pip, which was different to my ESA assessment which i went too only because it was local and had someone to take me where it was stopped after 20 minutes because of the state i was in.
Of course i wasn't too anxious at home i was in my safe environment that i know and can summon aid if i get probs as i i have a call alarm living in sheltered accommodation which also has CCTV and an entry phone.
Sorry i know i should be grateful for the award i've got but now i'm panicking about my ESA

i did tell them i might have more info but looking at other posts it says that they ask you when you speak to them on the phone