PIP Assessments: Know Your Rights

What to expect at a PIP assessment Your assessment will be conducted by one of two private profit-making companies, Independent Assessment Service (formally Atos Healthcare) or Capita, contracted by the Government.

The assessors are not doctors - they may have some previous medical background, but this may be in an area completely unrelated to your condition.

The assessor will make judgments on what you say and do during the assessment and write this into their report - for example they may ask you how you travelled to your assessment, and then decide from this how far you can walk independently.

The questions they ask may not be of any relevance to your disability and may seem obscure - for example they may ask you if you watch TV. Describe what a bad day is like for you in relation to their question.

You may be asked to give physical demonstrations - for example standing on one leg.

Your rights You are allowed to bring a friend or support worker with you to the assessment. They can remind you of ways your condition affects you to help you to answer the questions. They can also take notes for you.

You are entitled to an audio recording of your assessment. We strongly advise that you get a recording!

If you receive a decision you don’t agree with following your assessment, you can make an appeal to a tribunal. 73% of claimants win their case when taken to tribunal.

If recording equipment is not available at the assessment centre, you can borrow the recording equipment needed from Studio 3 Arts in Barking, London, or from one of the centres listed by Recovery in the Bin. Alternatively, you can buy the recording equipment for around £120 using their recipe: recoveryinthebin.org/put-pip-and-wca-assessmentson-the-record

PIP ASSESSMENTS: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS A lot of people feel worried about attending their medical assessment for Personal Independence Payments. This pamphlet is designed by people with experience of the process, to support you to get a fair assessment.

Additional information and support: Disabled People Against the Cuts Recovery in the Bin Scope Citizens Advice WinVisible A booklet by the Right to Record Action Group Creative concept: Carina Murray Photography: Jimmy Lee Produced by Studio 3 Arts www.studio3arts.org.uk

ART FESTIVAL

CIRCLE + LINES JULY 23-25 | 5 PM NEIL RALEY MUSEUM

Why record your assessment?

We asked local PIP claimants based in Barking and

How to record your assessment

Dagenham about their experiences of PIP Government figures show high numbers of complaints about PIP assessments and reports by the Disability News Service claim ‘widespread dishonesty’ by PIP assessors.

If your assessor is aware you are making an audio recording of your assessment, you are more likely to get a fair assessment, and you also have evidence of your assessment to take to tribunal if you need to appeal the decision made about your claim.

assessments. Here’s some of the things they told us: During the assessment, it was an absolute nightmare, when I got my report back... I've still got the report. It shocked me when I read it. They said I was totally competent to do everything that I said I couldn't do. I had been lied about.

Yeah, it wasn't a good assessment. The fact that this assessor just completely ignored everything I said.

Being blatantly lied about in the results of your assessment as to what you said to them... that was very disturbing for me.

Hear more about this in our audio artwork: www.studio3arts.org.uk/the-right-to-record

If you have a telephone PIP assessment: Make a request in advance of your appointment for the assessment to be recorded, and then ask again at the beginning of your assessment.

If you have a face-to-face PIP assessment: PIP assessment rules state that mobile phones and laptops are ‘not suitable mediums’ for recording assessments. Recordings must be made on either CD or audio cassette. Throughout 2020, we lobbied the Government to ensure there is recording equipment available at every PIP assessment centre so that claimants do not have to source their own. The Government made a commitment to do so on the 21/02/2021. Make a request in advance of your appointment for the assessment to be recorded, and then ask again at the beginning of your assessment.