i got phone call 6.30 this evening i have to attend a dhss medical

Ted_Hutchinson

A guide to the personal capability assessment has the descriptor statements and the points that apply to each statement.
As you will have gathered these descriptor statements are not put to you directly but the decision as to which apply is deduced from how you describe your typical day.
You need to read through each of the Mental Health Descriptor statements and honestly ask yourself which apply to you most of the time.
You then have to spend the time between now and the assessment thinking about these descriptor statements as you spend you day/nights and make a note, either mental or write it down, of examples of behaviours which fit with a particular statement.
Offhand and not quoting it exactly (the above link is an adobe file which takes time to download and I'm still on dialup as E7 haven't provided tech support or a MAC yet) one of the statements is on the lines of "unable to particape in activities previously enjoyed" or words to that effect.
So when you are describing how you spend your "typical" day you may care to mention an activity that you used to do but can no longer manage. Sticking to the truth will give your answers the veracity you need. So after breakfast you might (if it was the case with yourself) say you would like to read the papers as you used to but cannot manage this now as you find it difficult to concentrate on the stories and reading more than a paragragh is too much for you, not only that but just the headlines bring you to tears/make you mad/distress you unreasonably so that you get upset.
This is just an example of how you can bring into your description of how you spend your time sufficient detail to enable the GP or the computer programme to tick the right boxes. The point I make about being truthful and others have made about relating the answers to your condition, make it less likely that your answers will appear inconsistent.
It is possible that you could say something which is compatible with one of the descriptors but which may appear incompatible with another of the descriptors which does apply.
So if say you own up to the fact that you post on the internet quite a bit, this might give the Assessor the impression that you are a Computer whizz kid and can concentrate on difficult things for long periods. So you might have to provide sufficient detail about the time spent online, the difficulties and frustrations your condition creates and the detail the type of use you put the PC to. It may be the case that you find it difficult to communicate face to face with people and that online communication is all you can manage and even that with difficulty. You may have been banned from various sites because of your erratic and abusive behaviour? This is the type of detail needed to get the right boxes ticked but if you are telling fibs or exaggerating by making mountains out of molehills your body language will give this away.
When I had my DLA assessment I pointed out how I was not as strong as I was previously and mentioned the lump hammer I bought recently from a local surplus store and now couldn't use it at all. The GP looked at me and said "Well I fancied one of those as they were a good price but I knew my limitation and realised I wouldn't be able to manage it so left it in the shop" No sympathy there.

the_blue_angel

thanks for your help ted

the_blue_angel

hi would you be so kind as to give me a rough idea on how to anserws to these so i can put them in the right way when ansering the question i have anxiety depression
thanks steve
“Do you have a telephone?”
“Do you phone your friends and family?”
“Do you watch Eastenders?”
“What do you do with yourself all day?”
“Do you watch television?”
“Do you use a computer?”
“How did I get to the medical centre today?”
“Have I had any accidents recently?”
“Do I have a social life”
“Do you drink alcohol”
“Are you taking medication”
“What medication are you taking?”
“Do you go to the hospital as an out patient”
“Do you live alone”
“Have you had a partner recently”
“Do you eat in, or out”
“Do you do your shopping by yourself”
“Do you have a telephone?”
“Do you phone your friends and family?”
“Do you watch Eastenders?”
“What do you do with yourself all day?”
“Do you watch television?”
“Do you use a computer?”
“How did I get to the medical centre today?”
“Have I had any accidents recently?”
“Do I have a social life”
“Do you drink alcohol”
“Are you taking medication”
“What medication are you taking?”
“Do you go to the hospital as an out patient”
“Do you live alone”
“Have you had a partner recently”
“Do you eat in, or out”
“Do you do your shopping by yourself”
Can you follow a basic cooking recipe.
Do you know the dangers in the kitchen such as gas/electric/
Do you feel anxious being here.
Have you lost sleep thinking about coming here.
Do you drink alcohol.
Do you use any street drugs.
Do you go out alone or prefare being with someone else.
Do you like to spend time with your family.
Did you fill in the form yourself.
How did you get here?
How long did it take?
What is your condition?
What meds do you take and how often and how long for?
How long have you had the condition?
How often do you leave the house?
Can you do your own housework cooking etc?
How far is the shop that you goto and how often do you go?
How often does your condition affect you?

Broken_hearted

I would answer with the truth. Those questions are wierd.

crutches

answer truthfully.Thats the only way.
If your application is denied then appeal where you can appeal to real people NOT a computer assessment.
good luck.I have one in april.

twink

my friend has ms and her dr advised her to think of her worst day when filling in forms etc

hjb123

Yeah you have to answer as to your worst days and relevant to your condition. You cant ask people how to answer the questions as it is you that is ill - not other people

cattie

Anxiety & depression affects different people in different ways. So just answer the questions honestly & you'll be ok. No point in lying & then being caught out in some way.

JailhouseBabe

Mainly to agree with everyone else, it really is better to be truthful. I had to attend a medical last year, and had only put on my claim form that it was my back injury that prevented me from working.
When I attended my medical expecting a physical examination, the dr sat me down and asked a series of questions first. She then told me we needn't bother with a physical exam, as it was obvious from my answers and my demeanour that my depression was severe enough to keep me at home!

nogginthenog

najtaek wrote:

pipkin
you should hear one way or the other. It could be that a letter has been sent to your GP for more information or maybe you are just waiting for an appointment to be allocated to you. This can take sometime.
Some illnesses are passed immediatley without the need for an examination. Sometimes waht the GP says is enough for the case to be passed without examination.

And if you are truthful about your illness you shouldn't have any problems if you do have to go for an examination.

Blue Angel-
The Doctors there are not paid bonuses to try and get people off benefits contrary to rumours.
Obviously the physical examination, the answers to their questions and the medication and treatment have to balance.

Good luck anyway

The statement doctors are not on bonuses is not strictly true,the 0fficial line is that they are on incentives to get people off IB and into work, read into that what you will. In fact all DWP departments and employee's are on incentives to get people back into employment and off benefits.