Going alone to PIP assessment

Hi,

I've read/been told that it's not good to attend a pip assessment alone, but I haven't got any friends/family to go with me and I don't have any other support (hence why I'm applying for pip so I can get access to support I need but don't have).

I've rung many places to try and get an advocate/volunteer but haven't been able to source anyone.

It's looking like I may be attending on my own. The assessment centre is local to me, so I am familiar with the area, it defo counts as a familiar place, as parking can be hard to get, I was going to go by taxi.

Are there any tips for going alone? I'm trying to not have a breakdown about it, because it can get me down.

Any dos and donts or anything I should watch out for?

Has anyone attended alone? I have my assessment coming up in Brighton but I have no partner, family etc. I also do not have any friend I can ask

I attended my PIP assessment with my son (who is a child). In the assessment report the nurse who “ass essed” me said that I had gone to the assessment alone. Even though she saw my son helping me out and also waiting for me in the waiting cell. I could not have brought him into the actual ass essment because I had to talk about gruesome bodily issues. The fact that the assessor lied and said that I went alone was used against me, and the Decision Maker used it to downgrade my award and not award certain points. I am in the process of appealing. I strongly urge you to record the ass essment. You will need to inform Capita/Atos/ Maximus (?) that you intend to record the interrogation. Then, during it, state that you are very much alone in the world, and could not find anyone who was able to come with you, even though you really need someone. Then if you have to appeal, make sure you transcribe the ass essment and make it clear to any Tribunal that you had no option but to attend alone, not that it was easy for you or that you wanted to. ALWAYS RECORD PIP INTERVIEWS.

I went to my WCA alone last year, due an absolute lack of possible companions.
So, I went to my GP a couple of days before, and begged for some diazepam, which I received.
When I sat down in the assessment, I gave the nurse a copy of the prescription, and told her I'd taken an anxiolytic to deal with the stress.
She wrote this down in her report, but also noted my calmness, and that I engaged well with her, for which she took points off me.
So, no use at all really, and she used the fact that I hadn't seen my usual GP as a reason to put me in the WRAG group.
This should get put right in my appeal, if I ever get one.

I'd still do it again, as I couldn't have known how dishonest she would be.

Those nurses are Tory voters with the same intellect and suspicious minds as a police constable.

Their job is to take awards off you, and every question is there to trick you.

I'd write lots of notes for each descriptor, to make sure you answer everything thoroughly. They like it when you only make half an answer.

I'd also tape it.

And I'd still expect to be conned, but that a good MR should sort it out.

Good luck.