PIP assessors score what you say, how consistently your difficulties appear, and whether you meet the reliability test. Masking and over explaining often lead to serious misjudgments. . Here’s why it happens and how to protect yourself: . Masking looks like capability Example: If you explain something clearly, they may write “communicates effectively” even if you cannot do this in daily life. Tell them what communication looks like on a typical day, not during the call. . Over explaining hides t