PIP Telephone Assessment

About Parkinson's and health Symptoms
1

Hello, I have a Telephone Assessment on the 26th June, (first time applying)
I wondered if it is really very daunting?

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2

Hello waynesmith ā€¦ You donā€™t say if you are having this as your first talk with anyone for a Parkinsonā€™s assessment or whether this a follow up call. You also donā€™t say if you are on Parkinsonā€™s medication.

I was diagnosed with Atypical Parkinsonā€™s in June 2023 following a positive Datscan.

I now often speak with my Parkinsonā€™s Nurse on the phone & do not find it at all
stressful or daunting. Just imagine you are talking to a friend.

Do have a list of questions pre-prepared.

Any questions please ask.

Best of luck
Steve2

3

Just read your info ā€¦ I am a Nurse for 23 years, now work in digital patient records. my job has become harder since my diagnosis and i am awaiting a health/wellbeing appointment with the Trust i work for in Manchester, yes i am a Manchester United fan too and enjoy watching sport, going to quiz nights and eating out.

Manchester UK

Is this the assessment you are referring to ?

Steve2

4

Hi, it is a PIP assessment, sorry, thought I had put that in the context. Yes a healthcare professional will be phoning me to go through my claim.

PS I too work in Digital services in Manchester.

5

Sorry ā€¦ yes it was in big writing. I missed it.

I would imagine that the person doing the PIP assessment is a nice person & is on your side. After all it is not their money.

I was referred by my GP to a person who helped me get the Attendance Allowance
& a Blue Disability Badge.

Also got me a face to face GP appointment & got me an assessment for improvements to get my flat disabled friendly.

Donā€™t worry about it ā€¦ itā€™s a positive thing.

Steve2

She was a lovely lady.

6

Hello wanesmith.
I went through a PIP assessment about 14 years ago. They turned me down but I tried again, and this time I had a home visit and I was given the full benefit.
I believe that the present assessments are a lot easier, but I would tell them about the days when you are feeling really bad.
Good luck
Jackie

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7

Hi
If possible speak to Citizens Advice or any other organisation to help you plan and know what to expect.
Good luck!

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8

The assessment itself is not very daunting. However, the report that the assessor sends to the DWP doesnā€™t always correctly represent the conversation you had, some facts are distorted or missed out. I recommend you ask for the assessment to be recorded and also ask for a copy of the assessorā€™s written report.
I applied for PIP in Jan 2023 and the initial award was for 0 points. I requested a mandatory reconsideration and was still only awarded 0 points. I appealed and at the independent tribunal in Nov 2023 I was awarded 14 points for daily living and 4 points for mobility. The PIP award was backdated to Jan 2023.

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9

Thank you for sharing this, I was also awarded 0 points in the initial assessment and the mandatory reconsideration (despite being nearly 10 years post diagnosis and being on the waiting list for DBS) and am currently going through the appeals process so this gives me hope that I can still succeed.

I would definitely agree with asking for a copy of the assessorā€™s report and for the assessment to be recorded. I think the quality of the assessments is very variable, I was shocked when I read the assessorā€™s report as it did not seem like a fair reflection of my condition or the conversation we had. In particular they didnā€™t seem to appreciate the fluctuating nature of the condition and focussed a lot on how I was during the call when my medication was working well.

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10

It helps to prepare by thinking about common interview questions and jotting down key points you want to mention about yourself and the role. Also, find a quiet space with good reception if possible.

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11

Well, I got 0 points, very shocked!!

12

I have my PIP telephone assessment coming up. Are the questions they ask essentially duplicating/double-checking the questions and responses on the application form? Or are there any curve balls I can expect, maybe?

Thanks.

13

Hi Simon49,

My advice would be to approach it as if they havenā€™t read the forms and have absolutely no knowledge of what Parkinsonā€™s is and how it might impact you. My recollection is that they donā€™t ask the questions exactly as per the forms but more question around it.

They may ask questions like ā€œIs your medication effective?ā€ā€¦ be ready to answer with ā€œYes, butā€¦ā€ or ā€œTo an extentā€¦ā€ or similar. They may also ask you to ā€œDescribe a typical day.ā€ which is actually really hard with a condition like Parkinsonā€™s so you may need to explain that it varies etc.

It seems a bit of a lottery really, you may get a good assessor who understands the condition and the impact it has. This is what happened to me when I applied for ESA. Or you might get someone who clearly doesnā€™t know anything about Parkinsonā€™s, completes the whole assessment in 45 minutes and concludes that you have no significant issues, which is what happened in my PIP assessment. It is very hard to get the DWP to go against the assessorā€™s report so 15 months later Iā€™m still waiting for an appeal tribunal.

It can also be good to have someone with you who can support in answering the questions, take your time and remember to focus on answering based on how things at your worst e.g. if your symptoms fluctuate concentrate on how you manage when things are bad and stress that even though you have good periods you canā€™t do things safely, repeatedly and reliably throughout the day on any day. Repeat things if necessary. You can ask to take a break during the assessment if you need to.

Did you have support from Parkinsonā€™s UK in filling in the forms? If you call the helpline they can put you in touch with an advisor who should be able to give good advice on how to deal with questions on the call.

Hopefully you will have a good experience - I like to think that the majority of assessors will take the time to listen and some may even have an understanding of Parkinsonā€™s so I donā€™t mean this to worry you. However I think it is best to prepare for the possibility that you may get one who isnā€™t great as if this happens and you are ready for it you may be able to answer their questions well enough to avoid having to go down the appeals process which is long winded and frustrating.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the assessment. If you have any further questions, please feel free to message me.

Thanks
Paul

14

Thank you so much, Paul. Thatā€™s really very helpful indeed. Yes, I did work with a PUK person on the application form. But Iā€™m more concerned about the ā€˜on the hoofā€™ answers of the telephone call. Your advice for how to prepare is excellent, and I shall certainly be taking it on board! Thanks for taking the time to give such a full response :pray:

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15

I am very sorry to hear of the lengthy wait you are in for a tribunal. I sincerely wish you all the best with this.

16

I have always advised people to talk about their condition at its worst.

Regards

Doug

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17

You can also have someone on the call with you.

18

Good morning, I have just had my phone call from an Assessor and wondering How did your telephone call go and Were you awarded the PIP allowance?
My Assessor seemed very understanding about my problems with PD but Iā€™m not taking it for granted that she will award me the points I need to claim PIP?

19

I had 1 months ago, assessor was very sympathetic and really seemed to understand. I scored 0 on everything. Currently appealing. It seems you have to be on deaths door to get anything. Good luck .

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20

I believe PD fluctuates and you get good days and bad days, I think describing your worst days would help your cause , at least you know what the indicators they judge your condition on.

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