Great care will need to be taken here, this is because the claimant should consider whether they are being watched, not just during the assessment but also prior. For instance, many centres are not easily accessed and a member of staff may observe how you approach the centre itself. We would suggest reading through your application form before attending as this will be their guiding document, they will have sought out discrepancies and contradictions.
When attending the assessment centre itself you should always assume that you are being watched and possibly recorded on CCTV – consider how you would explain the following….
- Being watched walking say 400 metres to the centre from the car park, then through it to the reception desk – possible over 1Km in total (you may have claimed limited walking distance)
- Waiting in line to register your attendance – you may have said you have pain standing
- Filling in the mileage expense form – you may have said you get confused easily or struggle with forms.
As a general rule our approach is to not pay for professional or legal help if you are comfortable doing it on your own, however, because of the value of IIB claim then we suggest that this is a time when you should consider whether professional advice would be prudent.
The medical will be a one-to-one situation with a qualified examiner who will discuss the issue with you, this is then followed by a short medical examination. It is imperative to inform the examiner if you become uncomfortable or are not easily able to manage any requested tasks.
2.51