Experiences of claiming pip on mental health grounds.

Poppie68

benniebert wrote: »

I heard the same. I don't claim any benefit for my problems, I see it as a waste of my time filling in the forms especially after seeing what they did to my wife's claim as well as to friends I know.


Amongst my many difficulties is mental health. I am still seeing a doctor at the Neuro Psychiatry dept at the hospital following brain damage to the frontal lobe caused by an accident years ago. \I wouldn't know where to start trying to explain my difficulties to a stranger.

According to earlier posts you say you HAVE claimed benefits for one of your many illnesses... You were on ESA for several years , did you forget about that one Andy?

benniebert

Poppie68 wrote: »

According to earlier posts you say you HAVE claimed benefits for one of your many illnesses... You were on ESA for several years , did you forget about that one Andy?

I did, over 5 years ago. And yes it was ESA for 2 years. We are talking about mental health problems and PIP.


If you want to take issue, I could have claimed DLA 20 years ago and would have had an award because the medical evidence and social reports would have backed up the claim. I chose not to.
So indirectly I have saved the government many £thousands. My income was already enough to live on and we had capital if needed without resorting to claim more which would have just been frittered away or added to our savings pot.


Nice name, but totally wrong old boy.

cbrown372

benniebert wrote: »

I did, over 5 years ago. And yes it was ESA for 2 years. We are talking about mental health problems and PIP.


If you want to take issue, I could have claimed DLA 20 years ago and would have had an award because the medical evidence and social reports would have backed up the claim. I chose not to.
So indirectly I have saved the government many £thousands. My income was already enough to live on and we had capital if needed without resorting to claim more which would have just been frittered away or added to our savings pot.


Nice name, but totally wrong old boy.

oh I remember when you were oldboy :beer:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.php?u=2206492

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4750935

dori2o

Chouette wrote: »

I wish I had a good experience to relate.
Originally on low rate care and mobility, I scored 0 points on moving to PIP. It very much focused on what I could physically do, regardless of whether or not I could motivate myself to actually do it and the reasoning on the refusal letter was a bit strange. Nothing I said about my suspected ASD could be considered because I'm stuck on the eternal waiting list for diagnosis, and the assessor was very clear that if I don't have a diagnosis it won't count for PIP.

I was somewhat baffled to read that I apparently told the assessor I go out shopping every day and chat a lot to my friends on the phone. I must have been delusional, because I get my shopping delivered and barely make it out the house once a week. And I HATE phone calls.

On the positive side, that triggered an ESA review, which I'm pleased to say got me moved from the WRAG group to the support group!

On balance, I think it was probably a positive outcome, but not for any reason connected to PIP.

The bit that I have highlighted is very concerning.

'the assessor was very clear that if I don't have a diagnosis it won't count for PIP'

It seems that the assessors are again assessing people according to their own rules and not correctly assessing people based on how peoples illness/disability affects them.

Nobody, excepy in very very few cases which generally revolve around life limiting conditions, is awarded any form of sickness/disability benefit based on diagnosis. The award of these benefits is supposed to be based on how the claimant is affected by the physical/mental issues the face day to day.

It is not and never has been necessary to have a diagnosis in order to claim DLA/ESA/PIP.

I sincerely hope that you challenged the actions of the assesor and asked for MR at the very least, or if necessary took the matter to the Tribunals.

Indie_Kid

dori2o wrote: »

The bit that I have highlighted is very concerning.

'the assessor was very clear that if I don't have a diagnosis it won't count for PIP'

It seems that the assessors are again assessing people according to their own rules and not correctly assessing people based on how peoples illness/disability affects them.

Nobody, excepy in very very few cases which generally revolve around life limiting conditions, is awarded any form of sickness/disability benefit based on diagnosis. The award of these benefits is supposed to be based on how the claimant is affected by the physical/mental issues the face day to day.

It is not and never has been necessary to have a diagnosis in order to claim DLA/ESA/PIP.

I sincerely hope that you challenged the actions of the assesor and asked for MR at the very least, or if necessary took the matter to the Tribunals.

Whilst what you've said is true, from experience, they only take you seriously if you have a diagnosis. Unless it's rare. In which case, you may as well not have a diagnosis. I have a complex medical condition and have a very common side effect as a result of. Any literature you find online will tell you that you (or your child) may have this problem with this diagnosis. GP says I have this problem. Medical services, who have never met me, says I can't possibly have this problem.

dori2o

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Whilst what you've said is true, from experience, they only take you seriously if you have a diagnosis. Unless it's rare. In which case, you may as well not have a diagnosis. I have a complex medical condition and have a very common side effect as a result of. Any literature you find online will tell you that you (or your child) may have this problem with this diagnosis. GP says I have this problem. Medical services, who have never met me, says I can't possibly have this problem.

I completely agree. I was turned down originally as I didn't have a clear diagnosis despite having been in pain for a number of years. If I'd of know thenwhat I know now then I would have fought much harder to have this looked into further

Nowhere in the descriptors however does it mention anything about diagnoses' and it's about time that the DWP/ATOS/Capita etc etc were brought to task on this issue.

If you have had a long term medical condition then the evidence regarding its affects etc would be held within your medical notes, whether that be GP/Hospital etc and therefore you should be able to provide enough evidence to show that you meet the descriptors which is all that matters, with or without a diagnosis.

Indie_Kid

dori2o wrote: »

I completely agree. I was turned down originally as I didn't have a clear diagnosis despite having been in pain for a number of years. If I'd of know thenwhat I know now then I would have fought much harder to have this looked into further

Nowhere in the descriptors however does it mention anything about diagnoses' and it's about time that the DWP/ATOS/Capita etc etc were brought to task on this issue.

If you have had a long term medical condition then the evidence regarding its affects etc would be held within your medical notes, whether that be GP/Hospital etc and therefore you should be able to provide enough evidence to show that you meet the descriptors which is all that matters, with or without a diagnosis.

I actually advised to reapply for DLA once I'd got my diagnosis and the accompanying evidence. Unfortunately for me, CMHT were rather awkward over this.

benniebert

dori2o wrote: »

If you have had a long term medical condition then the evidence regarding its affects etc would be held within your medical notes, whether that be GP/Hospital etc and therefore you should be able to provide enough evidence to show that you meet the descriptors which is all that matters, with or without a diagnosis.

Right, so in my medical records - hospital and GP - there should be evidence regarding the effects of a properly diagnosed condition?


Err no don't think so. Since when are hospitals or even a GP even remotely interested and have a need to write a report, about the effects of the condition on my way of life or of the drugs that I have to take?


I have box files of copy records and no where in any of them is there a mention of the effects of what I am suffering from.
There are notes a plenty of medical and surgical issues as well as the daily charts whilst in hospital - but none about how my life has changed and about how I have had to adapt.
Why on earth would they want to write about that?


However if you want a report into those aspects, then the best way is to apply for a self referred care assessment from Social Services. But be warned, they are generally the last people you want to get involved with!!!!!
They have an annoying habit of never leaving you alone - they seem to think they know better than you do on how you should be living your life.


As a quick example. An old friend did just that - all he wanted was a perching stool and a bath lift. He ended up with a bodged up job of creating a half step at his front door, white plastic coated huge handgrips screwed to the walls of every interior and exterior door, a second 15' handrail on the stairs (left unpainted) and a portaloo for downstairs. His home was transformed from a lovely well appointed detached home to something akin to a council run care hostel!

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Oh dear...wasn't expecting a battle.

benniebert

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Oh dear...wasn't expecting a battle.

No battle, just genuine friendly banter.


Some posters believe that fairies come down every night and sprinkle fairy dust on everyone so that their problems are solved by the time they wake up in the morning. They have this vision that everything is right with the world around us and the systems put in place by the elected politicians actually work and give us an enormous amount of help and support.


The rest of us see life as one big struggle and understand that no one will help you better than yourself.