PIP Home Assessment - Can You Be Assessed at Home?

If you can't travel to an assessment centre due to your health condition, you can request a home assessment. The DWP is supposed to offer this as a reasonable adjustment, but in practice you often have to push for it.

Who Can Get a Home Assessment?

There are no strict rules about who qualifies. The general principle is that if attending an assessment centre would cause you significant difficulty, distress, or risk, you should be offered a home visit. Common reasons include:

• Severe mobility problems making travel impossible or dangerous
• Agoraphobia or severe anxiety about leaving the house
• Conditions causing unpredictable symptoms (seizures, fainting, severe pain)
• Being housebound or bedbound on most days
• No accessible transport available
• Cognitive conditions meaning you become confused in unfamiliar environments

How to Request One

When the assessment provider contacts you to schedule your assessment, tell them you need a home visit and explain why. Be specific: "I cannot leave the house due to severe agoraphobia" is better than "I find it difficult to go out."

If they refuse, ask to speak to a supervisor. You can also ask your GP or consultant to write a letter confirming you cannot reasonably attend a centre. The assessment provider has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

If you've already been given an appointment at a centre and can't attend, call the number on the appointment letter immediately. Don't just not turn up - that can result in your claim being closed.

What Happens During a Home Assessment?

The assessor (usually a nurse or physiotherapist) visits your home and conducts the same assessment as they would at a centre. It takes 45-60 minutes. They'll ask about all 12 PIP activities and may ask you to demonstrate simple movements.

Things to Be Aware Of

Don't tidy up. If your home is usually messy because your condition prevents you from cleaning, leave it that way. A spotless house contradicts a claim that you can't manage daily tasks.

Have someone with you. A partner, carer, or friend can provide additional information and take notes on what the assessor says and asks.

Don't offer refreshments. If you tell the assessor you can't prepare food, don't then make them a cup of tea. This sounds trivial but assessors have been known to note it.

Be honest about your worst days. The assessor is seeing you on one day. Explain that today might be a better or worse day than usual, and describe what the majority of your days look like.