DLA to PIP Interview for my son.

Hi, looking for a bit of support and advice please?

My son has severe anxiety, low mood & OCD which he takes meds for. He was recently diagnosed with ADD & is due to begin a meds trial for this next week.

He has been in receipt of DLA for 2 years now, it was awarded after a year long process following a tribunal and an increased rate was awarded a year later at Man Reconsideration stage. He turned 16 a couple of months ago and has been given an appt for an interview at home the week after next. The letter says it will be ATOS who are going to come and see him.

He struggles with attending CAMHS or meeting new people as it is, the day they are coming is supposed to be his second day at his new school and he is extremely worried; he finds it difficult to articulate his issues and really doesn't like discussing them.

I have read through the guides myself and also with him but just looking for a bit of moral support I suppose but also concerned about whether this assessor will have any understanding of mental health? Are they likely to be a nurse or have any specific knowledge to be able to put him at ease? Will they ask me any questions? If he doesn't want to talk much (which is usual for him) how will they handle that?

Thank you in advance.

Thank you for your response.

A lady from DWP came to our house to help with completing the forms and she told me if someone visits for an interview that we should ask about their qualifications or suitability to interview my son?

Please can you tell me, is it okay to ask this? Is it rude to ask? If we do ask, should we do this on the phone prior to interview or when they arrive at our home? Same question goes for explaining his difficulties to the assessor.

Our GP has offered to to write a letter of support if there's anything she can add but she wrote a full report a few months ago for DLA and only change since then has been his ADD diagnosis and meds beginning. Is there anything anyone can suggest about this please?

Thanks in advance....

Hi 1540,

You are perfectly entitled to ask the assessor which discipline they come from - eg doctor, midwfe, physio. However, DWP take the view that the assessors have been specifically trained for the job and that is all that matters.

It is worth outlining you son' problems replying to the assessor on the day, this is the only way you can guarantee they have been informed!

If the GP can write something specifically related to the PIP descriptors, that would be most helpful.