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PIPs Face to Face tomorrow - help please!

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7 years 6 months ago #169337 by Nenen
My husband and I both have a PIPs assessment tomorrow. These will be carried out in our home by the same person (ATOS) one after the other. Obviously we are both disabled but we have been managing for years by helping each other do everything (slowly and painfully but we get there eventually). Unfortunately our conditions have worsened (husband's especially so) which means we are really struggling and finding it impossible to manage (we currently pay someone to help us but this is not sustainable long term without PIPs). I have downloaded and read the information pack which suggests we will be asked about work, pets, computer use, socialising and hobbies. I assume this is to make it look like we live a full and active life. The truth is we both push ourselves to the limit in order to enjoy our lives as best we can in the circumstances. Therefore, we would be really grateful for some advice on whether the following is going to count against us and, if so, how we mitigate any attempts by ATOS to use this against us
1) We both work part time from home (sedentary occupations as my husband is a counsellor and I am a private tutor - we both work for an hour at a time with breaks in between clients). I gave up my teaching career 3 years ago as I was unable to manage my disabilities in the workplace (despite what my employer decided were 'reasonable adjustments' - although 'Access to Work' provided support this was not enough to prevent my employer from making my life an absolute misery).
2) We have a cat and two dogs (we got them before our health deteriorated and they provide much needed distraction from our pain etc). We pay someone to walk our dogs and have raised bowls to feed them. We feed all our pets dry kibble as we can't manage to open tins etc.
3) When I feel up to it, I use a computer and an iPad for relaxation, play gentle games (Farmville) use Facebook etc My husband is a technophobe!
4) My husband's hobbies include reading, listening to music and watching art films. Mine are writing poetry and short stories, art and crafts which don't require too much effort or grip, e.g. card making and crochet.
5) I attend a craft group in our local village church once a week if I am feeling well enough.
6) We occasionally go to the cinema together if we are both feeling well enough. On good days we do what we can,. However, this often means we suffer for days afterwards.

I'm terrified that the fact we can do all of the above will mean we won't be awarded PIPs. Any advice gratefully received.

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7 years 6 months ago #169355 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic PIPs Face to Face tomorrow - help please!
Nenen

I have to say this is a first, I've never heard of back to back assessments like this.

An immediate issue will be information from one assessment being used in relation to the other. So if one of you says that they can only manage an activity from the other, then this may count against that person when they are assessed.

As to the issues you raise in your post, just be honest and explain how you manage them, but be aware that the assessor may try to use the activities that you do to question whether you have problems with completing the PIP activities. As an example, you both appear to go out so you may struggle to score points for the Mobility component.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Nenen

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7 years 6 months ago #169360 by Nenen
Replied by Nenen on topic PIPs Face to Face tomorrow - help please!
Thank you Gordon, however I'm a bit confused by you saying that because we both go out occasionally we may struggle to get the mobility component. Both of us have chronic pain on movement and struggle to walk even a few metres without pain. my husband suffers from dizziness and I am prone to falls. We can only go out on good days... Less than once a week. Will this prevent us from getting mobility payments?

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7 years 6 months ago #169363 by slugsta
Replied by slugsta on topic PIPs Face to Face tomorrow - help please!
Hi Nenen,

The assessor/DWP would like your activities to mean that you live a full and free life. Your job will be to emphasise the pain and exhaustion that you experience at the time and afterwards. You do not have to be completely free of pain to be judged as being able to complete the activity. Don't forget the reliability issue

• Safely – in a fashion that is unlikely to cause harm to themselves or to another person.
• To a necessary and appropriate standard – given the nature of the activity.
• Repeatedly – as often as is reasonably required.
• In a timely manner – in a reasonable time period.

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Nenen

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7 years 5 months ago #169726 by Nenen
We had our assessments at home last week. Altogether (for back to back assessments with my husband and then me) she was in our home for over three hours.

The lady who did them told us she was a physiotherapist. She appeared quite nice most of the time, although she did keep on trying to tell us we should be able to do some things, e.g. cook for ourselves, if we used more aids. We currently heat ready meals in the microwave but she seemed convinced we should be able to do more than this, despite everything we explained to the contrary and all the reasons we gave as to why this wouldn't be possible or safe.

At times she spoke to us as if we just weren't trying or hadn't bothered to get the right equipment. At one point I burst into tears because I felt so humiliated that none of my doctors had told me these aids were even available and I felt as if I have been struggling unnecessarily, for years in some cases. Then she said that PIPs was there to give us money to be able to buy these sort of aids so I'm at a loss to know whether or not she was giving us points for being able to do these things with aids or not! I'm all for using anything I can to keep as independent as I can, but how can anyone know, (least of all us) whether or not these things she spoke about could help us when we've never even seen them before, let alone tried to use them? I've got no idea whether or not we could use things like 'chopping devices' adapted knives' and 'lightweight aluminium pans' 'safely and in a timely manner'?????
Anyway, in the light of all this, I'm desperate to see a copy of her report and would be grateful if someone could tell me how I go about getting this copy? I'm sure I've read on here I have to ask the DWP but I can't find the info. Do I just ring the PIPs helpline?
Thank you

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7 years 5 months ago #169774 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic PIPs Face to Face tomorrow - help please!
Nenen

Just phone the DWP office dealing with your claim, number will be on the letters from the DWP and ask for a copy of the report.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Nenen

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