PIP Assessment from the Carer's Point of View

Hi all.
My husband has ME/FMS and is currently on higher rate DLA for both care & mobility (and support group ESA). This morning he received his appointment letter for his PIP assessment. Obviously, he's running the standard stomach churning emotions regarding this appointment which we have been given only 10 days (5 working days) notice for.

Thing is, I'm wondering, as his carer, just how much I can do in the assessment. Usually in doctor's meetings, I'm his "walking diary". I do the remembering and recalling of dates, medication names and doses etc. I help him up, support his walking, help him sit down if he needs it, bend to reach things etc. Should I do any of this at the assessment - is it expected of me or should I sit quietly and let him struggle with it? I guess I should as it's this stuff that's going to be assessed.

I'm sorry - I suppose I am answering my own question really - it just completely goes against my nature as his carer to deliberately let him struggle with anything.

Any advise from any carer's who've been through this would be gratefully appreciated.

Hi and welcome to the forum. On the assumption that you are also new to the site the following link should help you find your way around.

Welcome to Benefits and Work

The claimant has a right to 7 days notice of assessments (7 days, not 7 working days). It seems that you got a little more than that.

The assessor will need to see how your husband manages and will want to speak to him primarily. You may be allowed to step in if he is clearly struggling and should be allowed to say a little, on your own behalf as a carer, at some stage. However, you do need to be careful as there is a danger of the assessment being halted if the assessor feels that you are 'interfering'. Have a look at our PIP guide, towards the end is a section telling you what to expect at the assessment.

PIP help for claimants

As an aside, did you write a diary of your daily caring duties and submit it with your husband's PIP claim?

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My husband had his PIP assessment today. It was originally supposed to be yesterday - they cancelled it less than 30 minutes before it was due to start and after we had sat in traffic for nearly two hours to get to the centre of Swindon for 9am. Then the woman from Newcastle Atos could only offer a rebook for the 23rd December (absolutely nothing else was available) and then hanged up on me! I called them straight back to ensure the rearranged appointment had been confirmed. It had, fortunately, despite the bad attitude of the original Atos caller.

We then set off back home, I get a text message as I'm driving (11 minutes after the original appointment should have started) which I read when we got in, asking for us to call Atos Newcastle back regarding our appointment. We thought they would cancel again. Instead apparently it was an automated text. They apologised, confirmed the appointment on the 23rd was booked (this was actually a really inconvenient appointment as my Xmas food delivery was booked for that time and say, I'd stayed up to midnight to get that slot and no more were available to rearrange it to).

The really nice chap I spoke with said that there was actually an appointment free today, would we like it. Heck yes!

So today we drove back to Swindon, and attended the PIP assessment centre. The interview was going OK, as well as could be expected I suppose, and was just winding up when I asked to make a statement. One of my comments led to the assessor asking about the documents / paperwork we'd sent in. All she had been sent - all that had been scanned onto the computer system was his form and prescription list - NOTHING OF THE 15 PAGES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND EXPANDED ANSWERS THAN HAD BEEN STAPLED TO THE FORM AND INCLUDED IN THE ENVELOPE. NONE OF THE PREVIOUS DLA FORM OR THE RECENT ESA FORM THAT *THEY* ASKED IF WE WANTED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL PHONE CALL STAGE AND WE'D ASKED FOR.

The assessor had not had half of the documents to read before the appointment! I was devastated, burst into tears. Fortunately I'd taken a copy of the additional pages with us so I could give that to her, but didn't take the other forms I'd kept scanned copies of.

Now we wait. I presume if things don't go our way, we've now got pretty good grounds to appeal, but we have to wait and see.

Now I just have to deal with a husband who's been running on pure adrenaline for two weeks. Crash incoming in 3,2,1...