PIP assessment? The word ‘but’ is your best tool.

Inevitably most PIP applications or reviews result in an assessment and I’m sure that everyone has heard or read about how other people’s assessments have gone wrong. Of course, it can be argued that people rarely speak about assessments that have gone well, however, it can’t be denied that assessments are stressful and that afterwards people often wish that they had said things differently. Well, there is one simple tool that you can use to help you to explain things, and that is the word ‘but’ and here is how you use it. 

Whenever you answer the assessor’s questions, in your mind, end your answers with the word ‘but’, as this will prompt you to talk about the problems around that activity that you may not have mentioned, for example:

Assessor’s question: “Can you/do you speak to people in shops or when in a GP surgery waiting room?”

Your answer: “Yes but only with short answers because inside I am terrified that they will want to have a conversation or start asking me personal questions, I say enough so as not to appear rude and try to sit away from other people.”

It is important that you always give the details of how an activity impacts on you at the time of doing it and afterwards. Here again ‘but’ is a very useful prompt, for example, “yes I shower most days, but it now takes me longer than it used to and makes my pain worse, so I have to rest afterwards.”

But can also prompt you to talk about the help you need from another person.

Assessor: “So you can use public transport?”

Your answer may be “well yes but only if someone is with me.”

So, you can see that this little word ‘but’ can have a big impact on the answers you give during an assessment. A lot of people believe that as they have given detailed information on their application form, that the assessment is a formality, don’t underestimate the importance of the assessors report. In my experience the decision maker will give more weight to the assessor’s report than your application, so it is important that you are prepared and something as simple as a piece of paper by your phone with the word ‘but’ written on it could be the best tool you have.

Also remember that you can have another person with you during the assessment whether face to face or on the phone. If your assessment is by phone the other person doesn’t have to be with you in the same house at the time of the assessment in order to be on the call with you.

P.S. the word but can also help when completing PIP or Limited Capability for Work applications.