PIP Assessment at home

I have my PIP assessment next Monday, 16th December. I've had a few in the past, but have always had to go to their centre for it. I've deteriorated quite a lot since the last one in 2015, which is why I think that they've arranged this one to be at my home. Obviously this is more convenient for me, but I am wondering if they will want to look around the house, see me trying to do things etc, or if it is like their office-based assessments and we can just stay in the living room? Are there any other differences between having an assessment on their premises v. at my home?

Hi Floss

I had a home PIP assessment. The assessor showed her ID badge to my daughter who answered the door and let her in.
She did not ask to look around my home and when I offered her the chance, she replied it was not necessary. I'm guessing as long as your 'aids' are to be expected to be used for your condition then a visual confirmation is not needed.
The whole assessment lasted just under an hour, during which time I was asked questions relating to my disabilities and daily life whilst she typed into her computer. She asked me to stand and sit down. She examined my legs as I have osteoarthritis and because she could see visual deformity in my knee she did not touch it. The deformity was recorded on my assessment.
All in all, I felt the questioning was fairly minimal, possibly because I had supplied enough written evidence (doctors reports) to not necessitate lengthy questioning.
I will add that in my opinion, her style of questioning was leading in places and you should remember these assessors are not your friend, they are doing a job, however pleasant they may appear.

I second the advice to write notes! Always good to have something to compare the assessor's report against.

Don't do anything you wouldn't do normally - e.g. go to the door yourself, make an effort to tidy the place up from its normal state, clean, smarten yourself up (or even get dressed if you wouldn't normally be) - you're trying to get the assessor to understand what life with your condition is like under normal circumstances, not to airbrush it. Equally, you mention the living room - that's fine, if that's where you'd normally be - but if you would normally reside in the bedroom then it would probably be better to hold the assessment in there.

Also, remember that if you're at home you'll probably be relatively more relaxed, and that may affect how effectively your condition presents itself to a stranger: you may need to add more information about the negative side of it than you would have if you'd travelled to an assessment centre, with all the attendant stresses.

Finally, remember that the assessor will be taking mental notes all the time they are in or around your property, regardless of whether the interview is technically taking place or not. So if, say, they'd returned to their car and while driving away spotted you walking along the pavement when you'd said you were confined to the house, or something contradictory like that, they could still note it, I suppose.