“I contacted OPAL when I needed information about my upcoming PIP Assessment as it was a process that I knew absolutely nothing about. I filled in the contact form on the OPAL website and an OPAL Adviser got back to me to talk it through. We discussed exactly this PIP assessment consisted of and I agreed to be referred on to Ceartas for advocacy support in this situation.
As well as going with me to the assessment, my advocacy worker met with me beforehand to discuss what to expect and helped me prepare. We discussed the criteria reviewed and the type of questions that would be asked at the assessment to determine just how able I was, which included questions like: ‘ how able am I to walk a certain distance’, or ‘am I able to prepare a meal.’ This helped me maximise my chances of getting the correct support and benefits as it gave the assessor a clear understanding of my needs, which proved successful when it came to the decision.”
