Independent Occupational Therapy Functional Assessments for DLA & PIP Supporting Evidence or Support With Completing Your DLA or PIP Form

Applying for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can feel complicated, particularly when a person’s difficulties are not immediately visible to other people.
At Mosaic Children’s Therapy Centre, we offer independent Occupational Therapy functional assessments specifically designed to help children, young people and adults evidence the impact of their difficulties on everyday life.

Our Occupational Therapists can provide:

  • an independent assessment of functional ability and support needs;
  • a detailed written OT report to submit as supporting evidence;
  • help identifying and describing the support required in everyday life; and
  • practical support with completing DLA or PIP application forms.

This is not the official PIP assessment carried out on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is an independent Occupational Therapy assessment designed to provide clinical evidence that you can submit in support of your application.


Who Is This Service For?

Our DLA and PIP supporting evidence service may be helpful if you are:

  • applying for DLA for a child, young person or adult;
  • renewing an existing DLA award;
  • applying for PIP for the first time;
  • supporting a young person who is approaching 16 and moving from DLA to PIP;
  • applying for PIP as an adult;
  • finding it difficult to explain the impact of a neurodevelopmental condition or disability on everyday life; or
  • looking for independent professional evidence of functional needs to accompany an application.

We have particular experience of assessing people with autism, ADHD, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD/Dyspraxia), learning disabilities, sensory differences and complex neurodevelopmental presentations. At Mosaic we know that a diagnosis alone does not always explain how much help somebody needs. Our role is to help build a clearer picture of what everyday life actually looks like for that individual.

What Is an OT Functional Assessment?

Occupational Therapists are specialists in understanding how a person’s health, disability, development or neurodevelopmental differences affect their ability to carry out everyday activities. For the purposes of DLA or PIP supporting evidence, we are interested not simply in whether a person appears capable of doing something, but how they manage the activity in real life.
For example, somebody may technically be able to prepare a simple meal but still require considerable prompting to begin, supervision because of poor safety awareness, support to sequence the steps, reminders to remain on task or assistance to manage sensory difficulties. Similarly, a young person may physically be able to leave the house but be unable to plan or follow an unfamiliar journey independently.

These are the types of functional difficulties that an Occupational Therapy assessment can help to identify and describe.

What Do We Assess?

The assessment is individualised according to the person’s age, circumstances and difficulties.
Areas considered may include:

  • Personal care and daily living
  • Washing, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and managing everyday routines.
  • Preparing food and eating
  • Planning and preparing meals, using kitchen equipment safely, remembering to eat, sequencing tasks, sensory or feeding difficulties and the need for prompting or supervision.
  • Executive functioning
  • Starting tasks, planning, organising, sequencing, remembering instructions, managing time, maintaining attention and completing activities.
  • Communication and understanding
  • Understanding information, communicating needs, processing instructions and managing everyday interactions.
  • Sensory processing and regulation
  • How sensory differences affect self-care, eating, accessing environments, emotional regulation and participation in everyday activities.
  • Safety and supervision
  • Awareness of danger, impulsivity, vulnerability, emotional regulation and the amount of supervision needed to remain safe.
  • Motor coordination and physical ability
  • Fine and gross motor skills, coordination, balance, mobility and the physical demands of everyday activities where relevant.
  • Social interaction and participation
  • The person’s ability to interact with other people and participate independently in everyday situations.
  • Getting around and accessing the community
  • Planning and following journeys, coping with unfamiliar places, road safety, public transport, mobility and the support required outside the home.

Where clinically appropriate, the Occupational Therapist may also use standardised assessments and questionnaires to provide additional evidence of functional ability.

Evidence of What Someone Can Manage Reliably

A particularly important part of our assessment is exploring the difference between what somebody can sometimes do and what they can manage consistently in everyday life.
A person may be physically capable of completing an activity but still require significant prompting, supervision or assistance to do so.
We therefore consider questions such as:

  • Can the person initiate the activity themselves?
  • Can they remember and sequence all of the steps?
  • Can they complete it safely?
  • Do they require prompting, supervision or physical assistance?
  • How long does the activity take?
  • Can they manage it consistently?
  • What happens if support is not provided?
  • Can they manage the activity when tired, anxious, overwhelmed or dysregulated?
  • Is the level of support substantially different from that expected for someone of the same age?

This can be particularly important when a person’s disability is less visible, or where they have developed strategies for masking or compensating for their difficulties.

Is Your Child Turning 16 and Moving from DLA to PIP?

Specialist OT evidence for the DLA-to-PIP transition

The transition from DLA to PIP at 16 can be a particularly worrying time for families.
PIP is not simply an adult continuation of a child’s DLA award. The way a person’s needs are considered changes, and an existing DLA award does not automatically mean that the young person will receive PIP.
This can be especially difficult for neurodivergent young people. A 16-year-old may appear capable in many situations but still depend heavily upon parents or carers for:

  • prompting to wash, dress or complete personal care;
  • preparing appropriate meals;
  • remembering medication or health routines;
  • organising belongings;
  • initiating and completing everyday tasks;
  • managing appointments and time;
  • regulating emotions;
  • recognising risks and remaining safe;
  • communicating with unfamiliar people;
  • managing money;
  • planning and following journeys; or
  • accessing the community independently.

Over many years, families can become so accustomed to providing this support that it becomes difficult to recognise just how much help is actually being given. An independent OT functional assessment can help identify these areas of support and provide professional evidence of the young person’s current functional abilities and level of independence.

Support With Completing Your DLA or PIP Form

We can also provide practical support with completing the relevant application form.
This is not about exaggerating difficulties or trying to find particular answers. Our role is to help you provide an accurate, detailed and evidence-based description of everyday functioning.
We can help you identify relevant examples and explain:

  • what the person can and cannot manage independently;
  • what prompting, supervision or assistance is required;
  • how frequently that support is needed;
  • what happens when support is not provided;
  • whether tasks take significantly longer;
  • whether an activity can be completed safely and consistently; and
  • the difference between being theoretically capable of an activity and being able to manage it independently in everyday life.

Choose the Level of Support You Need

Every application is different. Some people already have appropriate clinical evidence and simply need support completing their form, while others need new, independent evidence of their functional needs.
We therefore offer different levels of Occupational Therapy support.

  1. DLA/PIP Form Completion Support
    For people who already have appropriate supporting evidence but would like help completing their application.
    We work through the relevant areas of the form with you and help you describe functional difficulties and support needs clearly and accurately, using relevant examples from everyday life.
    This may include helping you explain:
  • what the person can and cannot manage independently;
  • what prompting, supervision or assistance is required;
  • how frequently support is needed;
  • what happens when support is not provided;
  • whether activities take significantly longer than expected; and
  • whether activities can be completed safely, consistently and reliably.

Includes:
Form-support consultation
Help identifying relevant functional difficulties and real-life examples
Support completing the relevant sections of the application

  1. Independent OT Functional Assessment & Supporting Evidence Report
    For people who need independent clinical evidence of their functional abilities and support needs.

This is a specialist Occupational Therapy assessment focusing on how disability, developmental or neurodevelopmental differences affect the person’s ability to manage everyday life. The assessment is individualised and may consider areas such as personal care, preparing food, eating and drinking, executive functioning, sensory processing, communication, safety awareness, supervision, motor skills, mobility and accessing the community. Where clinically appropriate, standardised assessments and questionnaires may also be used to provide additional evidence of functional ability. Following the assessment, you will receive a detailed Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment Report, which can be submitted as supporting evidence with a DLA or PIP application.


Includes:
Pre-assessment information gathering
Occupational Therapy functional assessment
Relevant standardised assessments where clinically appropriate
Clinical analysis
Comprehensive written OT Functional Assessment Report

  1. Complete OT Assessment, Evidence Report & Application Support
    Our comprehensive assessment and application-support package.

This combines an independent Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment and written report with dedicated support to complete your DLA or PIP application.
The aim is to ensure that both the clinical evidence and the information within the application provide a clear and consistent picture of the person’s everyday functioning and support needs.
This option may be particularly helpful for:

  • first-time applications;
  • complex neurodevelopmental presentations;
  • people whose disability or support needs are not immediately visible;
  • people who require significant prompting or supervision despite appearing physically capable; and
  • families who find it difficult to translate everyday challenges into written evidence.

Includes:
Full Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment
Relevant standardised assessments where clinically appropriate
Comprehensive written OT Functional Assessment Report
Dedicated DLA/PIP form-support appointment
Review of the application to help ensure functional needs have been described clearly and consistently

  1. DLA to PIP at 16 – OT Evidence & Application Support Package
    Specialist support for young people moving from DLA to PIP
    Is your child approaching 16 and have you received a letter explaining that their DLA will be ending and they will need to apply for PIP?

Moving from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be a particularly worrying time for families. PIP is not simply an adult continuation of a child’s DLA award. The way in which a young person’s needs are considered changes, and receiving DLA as a child does not automatically mean that they will receive PIP. This can be particularly difficult for families of autistic and otherwise neurodivergent young people.

By the age of 16, a young person may appear capable of completing many everyday activities. However, behind that apparent independence, parents and carers may still be providing a significant amount of prompting, supervision, organisation and practical support. Over many years, this support can become such a normal part of family life that it can be difficult to recognise just how much help is actually being provided. For example, a young person may physically be able to shower but need repeated prompting to do so. They may be able to make a sandwich but be unable to independently plan and prepare an appropriate meal. They may be able to walk to the shops but be unable to plan or safely manage an unfamiliar journey.
They may also continue to depend upon parents or carers for support with:

  • washing, dressing and personal care;
  • preparing appropriate meals and remembering to eat;
  • organising belongings and everyday routines;
  • initiating and completing tasks;
  • managing time and appointments;
  • remembering medication or health routines;
  • managing money;
  • communicating with unfamiliar people;
  • emotional and sensory regulation;
  • recognising risks and remaining safe;
  • planning and following journeys;
  • using public transport; and
  • accessing the community independently.

How can an Occupational Therapist help?

Occupational Therapists specialise in assessing functional ability and independence in everyday life. Our DLA-to-PIP transition package provides an independent assessment of what the young person can manage for themselves, where difficulties occur and what prompting, supervision, assistance or support continues to be required. Importantly, we consider the difference between what a young person may be capable of doing occasionally and what they can actually manage independently and reliably in everyday life.
Following the assessment, we provide a detailed Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment Report that can be submitted as supporting evidence with the young person’s PIP application. We then provide a separate appointment to support the young person and/or their parent or carer in completing the application form, helping to ensure that the information provided accurately reflects their everyday functioning.

The DLA to PIP at 16 Package Includes:

  • Pre-assessment information gathering
  • Detailed Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment
  • Relevant standardised assessments and questionnaires where clinically appropriate
  • Assessment of everyday independence and support needs
  • Comprehensive written OT Functional Assessment Report
  • Dedicated PIP application-support appointment
  • Support identifying appropriate real-life examples
  • Review of the application to help ensure functional needs are described clearly and consistently

We Offer Independent Evidence – Not the Official PIP Assessment

It is important to understand that Mosaic does not carry out the official PIP assessment on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Our service provides an independent Occupational Therapy assessment and supporting evidence that you can choose to submit as part of a DLA or PIP application.
We do not determine whether somebody meets the eligibility criteria for DLA or PIP and cannot guarantee that an application will be successful or that a particular level of benefit will be awarded.