I have a client who has recently had a medical for her IB and was asked a variety of odd questions including what she does when she gets up (ie: a cup of tea first or wash first...) and what she watches on TV. I am just wondering what these apparently standard questions are meant to show? Any help? She has ME and perhaps trying to ascertain motivation or something...I don't know...but am struggling to see the relevance of the order she does things in the morning and what TV programmes she watches....!

Examining doctors have the habit of drawing (sometimes false) conclusions from the answers to apparently innocuous questions. No idea about the cup of tea/wash first question. However if client said that she regularly watched a TV programme whose normal duration is an hour, this might be used as evidence that she is capable of sitting comfortably without either getting up or moving around for an hour, and that she has the ability to concentrate and follow a TV programme.

To be fair to EMP's (I can't believe I just typed that - must be an oxymoron)
the guidance has always been that emp's (and tribunals for that matter) should not ask direct questions when forming their opinions. This applies to both IB and DLA.

Of course Ruth is right, the implications taken from innocent answers are often absurd.

I have always wondered why direct questions are not acceptable. The theory behind the interview appears to be that the indirect questions give the opportunity for the claimant to explain and give examples of how the disability affects them. But since so many claimants are so nervous or are not very articulate this theory falls down badly. I seem to spend more time with client's to try and prepare them to avoid this trap than any other disability benefit issue.

My experience is that when asked direct questions the answers don't fit neatly into the electronic IB85 whereas indirect questions can be slotted neatly into the pull down tab albeit with a bit of tweaking, twisting and removal from context. Or maybe I'm just cynical

I've seen "enjoys watching soaps most days" crop up a few times on IB85s. I think it must a standard answer on LiMA. I can't think of any common soaps that are differnet to half an hour, so is it a standard question to try and gather evidence for the sitting descriptor?

I have written those three sentences in good faith, but I'm damned if I can understand what planet any of the people who wrote LiMA or the majority of PCA EMPs come from.

I would think so...sitting and of course the mental health descriptor for concentration.

My favourite one of the moment is; "enjoys reading novels most days"! It makes no sense!

On a more sinister note....In a decision makers submission she states; "The Examining Medical Officer awarded 1 point in respect of the descriptor DLc". I thought the award of points was the decision makers job not the EMO's

My favourite, under Cannot concentrate to read a magazine article or follow a radio programme. was "client often completes crossword puzzles".

That is obviously not the same test at all - a magazine or radio program takes concerted concentration, while a crossword puzzle can be done for 2 minutes at a time throughout the day...

This was a case where the medical examiner scored client 1 point, her psychiatrist scored her 19, her GP 21 (though to grudgingly be fair the client had mental health problems and had attended the emdical on a good day when she not only thought she was fine, but that everything would be wonderful from then on - which a good examinier might have drawn some conclusions from of course)

Ok I'm just ranting now. Sorry.

Victoria J

I agree with previous postings. By asking what someone watches on the TV this can allow the Doctor to select from the choice of pre-selected answers on the LIMA software. Like Andrew, I frequently see reports where the person 'likes watching soaps'. I also had one once where the person 'likes watching football'. She had had her medical during the 2004 European Championships and mentioned that she had been watching the England games! Another pre select answer I suspect. The fact that someone 'likes watching soaps' often seems to be used as evidence for the sitting descriptor, which really annoys me becuase how may people sit in 'an upright chair with back and no arms' to watch the TV??

The real pearler for me is "uses phone to chat and text" which should read "only answers incoming calls when sufficiently motivated to do so"!

Exactly. But if they _did_ sit in an upright chair with no arms to watch soaps, is it eastenders or Coronation Street? That half time pee might be all they lived for...