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Urgent help for telephone assessment, please

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11 months 2 weeks ago #285824 by MunchaKing
Good evening guys,
Please forgive me starting a new topic, but I've searched and I can't find what I'm looking for πŸ˜”
I was contacted (I eventually answered the phone again, as they'd phoned several people who I'd mentioned in my forms) to the Capita person! I was told I'd be having a 'telephone assessment'. I received the letter and it's for next Tuesday. I've hardly slept since I've found out. I've got a number of different complaints, when the woman rang last week, I felt there was an air of real sarcasm about her, I said I didn't feel well, and she said "you didn't feel well the last time we phoned you"!! The last time they phoned was on withheld number and I went into free fall. I've no clue what to expect. I can't lose my PIP. I don't know what I'll do if they take it away. Please please can anyone offer me any advice? I get the enhanced rate for both parts at the moment. I thought I had until next year untill I had this ordeal to go through. The extension I had been given was until July 2024
Can they stop my money straight away? Any advice would be so very much appreciated.
Love, a really distressed Nik xXx

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11 months 2 weeks ago #285833 by Chris
Hi Nik,

It can happen unfortunately after an assessment. It did with me. I went from standard at both daily living and mobility to 0 points on both, and mine was stopped within a week of the assessment. I was re-awarded it again after contesting it, however it did take until Sept (from June) when I got mine back, with the backdated pay.
I think with the withheld number, you could do what I do and say that you're incredibly nervous of answering withheld numbers due to the amount of scams going about, having been a victim of it in the past.
There's never really any kind of guess work you can do when it comes to telephone assessments - I had 2 lovely people on the phone with my assessments for PIP and UC, yet when I got the assessors report on both occasions, the paperwork was packed full of incorrect information. A lot of people just say "lies" which it is true, but I try to word things a little differently if I can.

Hope this helps, but I'm sure there will be others who follow up with what may have happened to them in similar circumstances.

Regards, Chris.

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11 months 2 weeks ago #285854 by MunchaKing
Replied by MunchaKing on topic Urgent help for telephone assessment, please
Thank you so much for replying to me Chris, really appreciate it. I joined here after the phone call a few weeks ago, but can't find anything to help me with the assessment.
Thank you again.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Chris

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11 months 2 weeks ago #285858 by Gary
Hi Munchaking

If you look at our guides section above there will be a section on assessments, from your post, you do not say which benefit is being assessed.

Gary

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11 months 2 weeks ago #285899 by MunchaKing
Replied by MunchaKing on topic Urgent help for telephone assessment, please
Hi Gary, it's my PIP being conducted tomorrow at 1145
I can't sleep, feel sick. I've got such a wide varied set of 'problems' and needs. I'm so frightened of them trying to trip me up and of not being able the right answers to the questions. Thank you for your response. Nik xXx

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11 months 2 weeks ago #285904 by Gary
Hi Munchaking

If you have a look at our PIP guide at the link below you will see that there are a number of pages which include advice on telephone assessments. Yes, a lot of the questions are those that would have been asked if you had a face to face assessment. benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/pip

- Write yourself a bullet point list of any particular points you want to get over, so you have it by you during the assessment, tick them as you cover them during the assessment.
- have paper and pens to hand to make any notes such as the assessors name, date, time
- Record the assessment surreptitiously. (Never trust that there won't be a problem with their equipment!)
- make sure you are seated in a comfortable chair, you are going to be there a while and at table to make notes
- if you can't hear or understand what is being asked then ask them to repeat the question
- don’t let the assessor rush you and get you flustered.
- don't forget to have a glass of water if needed so you don't get a dry throat and lose your voice!

Don't forget to contact DWP 48 hours after the assessment and ask for a copy of the assessors report called PA4.

Gary

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