PIP Home Assessment

Hi, I've heard I've got a home assessment on Friday and am really nervous. i suffer from a lung disease which leaves me breathless and am medication including steroids for the rest of my life, so maintenance is the only option. My question is are the assessors allowed to go around my house and do i have to prove my walking etc ? Any advice greatly received. Thank you.

Hi gaye. I had a home PIP assessment last October. The assessor remained in my lounge with me and my daughter the whole time. She did not ask to look at other rooms. I did offer to show her my adapted bathroom etc but she said it was not necessary.
My assessor noticed that I have a deformity in my right knee caused by osteoarthritis and therefore did not ask me to perform any movements which could aggravate it. I also provided her with a very new letter from my ms nurse clearly explaining my visual impairment and walking difficulties and she added it to her report, which was then referenced to give me points and I was awarded PIP.

Thank you Gordon and Becky for your help, hopefully it will go ok.

Hello Gaye

I too had my PIP assessment at home in December 2019. I had a close friend with me and the assessment lasted 90 minutes. Never having had a f2f assessment, I confess I was more than a little nervous.

The assessor arrived on time, my friend let them in and I chose my lounge as the best place for me to have my assessment in. I did ask the assessor if they would like to see anywhere else in my home, but they said that it wasn’t necessary. Towards the end of my assessment, I was asked to do a few physical movements, but the assessor only wanted me to do them while sitting as having seen me stand, they thought it would not be safe for me to even try.

The assessor seemed nice enough and conducted my assessment in a relatively calm and professional manner. I would even go so far as to say that they appeared to empathise with my situation. On the whole I felt like they were giving me the opportunity to answer their questions, and my friend was able to offer a few of their own comments in support of my PIP claim.

I think if you go into your assessment as open minded as you possibly can Gaye, and you’ve reread your answers on your PIP-2 application form, then hopefully, you’ll be as relaxed as you possibly can be, given the circumstances. The one thing I would strongly suggest though Gaye, is to answer the assessor’s questions in your own words. As I said, the assessor I had seemed nice enough, they even made suggestions on how a question could be answered which I thought was very considerate of them. However, on reading their report it was clear that although they had given their justification for choosing a descriptor, their reasoning, by way of omissions, was in fact not accurate.

I wish you well in your forthcoming assessment Gaye, and don’t forget, you’ve got the B&W team plus a few thousand members all rooting for you.

Sue
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Thank you for your reply Sue, that has made me feel a lot better, although they have postponed tomorrow's home visit and are now coming on 13 February between 10 - 12 which means my friend can't be with me and I will have to be on my own !! But I will be sure to go over all the paper work and take your advice. Gaye x