How to Request a Home Visit for Your PIP Claim and What to Expect During the Assessment
If you are applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Great Britain, you may be asked to attend an assessment to help decide your entitlement. Most assessments take place at a medical centre, but you can request a home visit if travelling to an assessment centre would be difficult due to your health condition or disability.
Requesting a Home Visit
When you start your PIP claim by phone, you should tell the adviser if attending an assessment centre would be challenging for you. Explain clearly any reasons why travelling is difficult, such as pain, mobility issues, or reliance on special equipment or carers.
Home visits are not automatically granted but are considered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for claimants who genuinely cannot attend an assessment centre. The decision is based on your individual circumstances.
What Happens During a Home Visit Assessment
If a home visit is arranged, a health professional will visit your home to carry out the assessment. The purpose is to understand how your health condition or disability affects your daily life and your ability to carry out specific activities.
The assessor will ask about your ability to perform activities such as preparing food, managing medication, moving around, and communicating. They will take into account all relevant aspects of your condition, including physical, sensory, mental, intellectual, or cognitive impairments, and how these affect your functioning.
The assessor will consider:
- Approach: How you carry out tasks, what help or aids you need, and whether you can do them safely and reliably.
- Outcome: Whether you can complete the task successfully and to what standard.
- Impact: How the activity affects you physically or mentally, including symptoms such as pain, fatigue, or anxiety.
- Variability: Whether your ability fluctuates and how often you can perform the activity over time.
The assessor will consider your ability over a 12-month period, recognising that many conditions fluctuate. They will assess whether you can reliably complete an activity on more than half the days in that period.
Preparing for the Home Visit
Before the assessment, gather relevant information such as:
- Details about your health condition(s) and how they affect you.
- Any medical reports, care plans, or prescription lists you have.
- Information about any aids or support you use.
During the visit, be honest and clear about your difficulties. It helps to describe how your condition varies day-to-day and any support you require. The assessor’s role is to understand your situation, not to judge or challenge you.
After the Assessment
The health professional will write a report based on the visit, which the DWP will use to decide your PIP award. You do not need to provide a diagnosis during the visit; the focus is on how your condition affects your daily life.
If you have concerns about the assessment or the decision, you can get advice on how to request a mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
Official reference: https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim. Topic-specific official guidance. Always check the latest official guidance. Related forms: Browse our form category.
Important: This article provides general information. Government rules, forms and procedures can change, and this article may not reflect the latest updates. Check current GOV.UK guidance or the relevant authority before relying on it. ITG & Co. is independent and is not affiliated with a government department.