PIP-AR1 - 3 MORE QUESTIONS: communication activities/point challenges/evidence

Hi twinkerzzz

1) The Communicating activity is about the claimant's ability to speak to speak in a way that people will understand and also to understand what other people are saying to them. An obvious example would be someone who is deaf or mute but it is possible to score due to cognitive or mental health issues as well.

There are also definitions for Basic and Complex verbal information, with the former being a simple sentence and the latter covering a complex sentence or multiple sentences.

The context is not considered, just the capability.

You should probably tick “Yes” if:

* you need to use something to help you hear people - for example, a hearing aid or amplifier
* you need to use something to help other people understand you - for example, an electro larynx or a pen and paper
* you need to use something else to help you at home, for example a light-up doorbell or textphone
* you use an aid either all the time or sometimes
* you need an interpreter or signer
* a friend or family member fills in the gaps in conversations
* you lip-read
* you have autism and find it difficult to communicate with people
* you have Tourette’s syndrome
* your medication makes it difficult to concentrate on a conversation
* you need help but don't get it

2) Yes, state what you have been awarded by the assessor in the PA4.

Then state what you believe you should have been awarded, follow this up with the WHY, you believe you should have been it.

You have to explain the why part, make sure that you understand the criteria that you are being assessed against, you can put the best case forward that is possible but you won't score points if you do not meet the PIP Descriptors.

3) It is perfectly OK for you to type your answers and attach them as extra pages to the form along with supporting documents, just make sure that each page has your full name and NIN at the top and that they are numbered, we recommend "page X of Y" so that it is easy to see if pages are missing. Make sure you clearly mark on the form where your answers are and on the relevant page that you are answering question X.

I would not split your answers across the form and attached pages, do one or the other for each activity (not question), splitting it risks the second part of your answer not being read.

Attach the pages to the back of the form using a staple or make a hole in the top left corner and use a treasury tag, string or ribbon to the form. The pages need to be easily detached so that they can be scanned by the DWP.

Gary

Hi Tinkerzzz

In terms of question 9 whatever examples you choose in relation to your mental health you will have to show that they happen for the majority of the time for them to be counted. So if you say that you need support (regardless of whether you currently have it) to understand or express basic or complex information, then you would need to explain why and what condition impacts your ability to do so. Make sure that you've checked out the meaning of basic and complex in this context.

So using the example you've given regarding your severe depression - The DWP would want to know that for the majority of the time you can only speak single words and therefore require support to make yourself understood. But be aware if you say that for some of the time because of your paranoid ideation, you then refer to topics in conversations that others don't understand, the assessor will assume at that point you are using more than single words - unless you say otherwise.

We can't tell you what you should write here because you're the expert on your illness and understand how it impacts you. I come back to the fact - yes, you can use your mental health difficulties on question 9 - you just need to show how it impacts you for the majority of the time. How you will be scored, will be up to the assessor.

BIS

twinkerzzz

Just to add, to score higher you are going to show a need for Communications Support can you do this?

Gordon