What actually helped me prepare for a PIP assessment
Lived experience — one person's own experience, not a general rule. This is not professional, legal or medical advice.
- Category
- benefits and money
- Nation
- UK-wide
- Shared by
- Anonymous contributor
- Submitted
- 2 April 2026
- Published
- 5 April 2026
- Reviewed by
- Community moderation team
Demonstration content. Before my assessment I wrote a diary for two weeks covering my worst and typical days, not just my best ones. I found it easier to describe a bad morning in detail than to answer 'how often' questions from memory.
I asked a friend to sit in on the phone call and take notes, which helped me check what I'd said afterwards.
This is what worked for me. It is not advice about your own claim, and PIP criteria are set out in official DWP guidance.
- PIP
- chronic pain