Advice re. medical evidence

Frances123

Hi,
I'm applying for PIP for mental health reasons and wanted to know if I should just supply information from records on my mental health or do I also send info regarding other conditions ie.  hypertension, high cholesterol, asthma?
Any advice much appreciated.

KatrinaWaves

If the hypertension, high cholesterol and Asthma mean you have additional care or mobility needs, then yes. If they don’t, then they are irrelevant to your PIP claim. 

Frances123

Thanks, I'll just send the printout with the conditions and meds taken for them in that case.

calcotti

Frances123 said:

Thanks, I'll just send the printout with the conditions and meds taken for them in that case.

Sending information isn't sufficient. You need to explain on your PIP2 how your health conditions affect your ability to undertake the prescribed activities. The information is supporting evidence.

Spoonie_Turtle

If they genuinely don't affect your ability to do the activities assessed by PIP then just listing them, proof of diagnosis, and a short explanation that they don't affect you would be fine. (Some people might say well just don't bother including them, but it's probably best to give full, accurate information.) But don't forget, even if a condition by itself doesn't affect you but when combined with another condition does have an impact, that's what counts. So if perhaps one condition exacerbates the symptoms of another and that combination then affects how you do the activities, remember to tell them that.

Margaret_100

Most people have good and bad days or periods of time. Include these and try to give an idea of their frequency rather than say ‘sometimes’. Keeping  a diary can be helpful and if you want you could send this with your evidence. If you possibly can get a health professional to write a letter explaining how your condition affects your ability to do the prescribed activities. This link may help. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form/

Should you be unfortunate enough not to get PIP don’t give up get some help and carry on with the process.

poppy12345

Include a couple of real life examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you is also useful.

A letter from a health professional isn't the most useful because they will very rarely know how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

Frances123

calcotti said:

Frances123 said:

Thanks, I'll just send the printout with the conditions and meds taken for them in that case.

Sending information isn't sufficient. You need to explain on your PIP2 how your health conditions affect your ability to undertake the prescribed activities. The information is supporting evidence.

Sorry, I meant just send the printout of the other conditions...
I've been working on giving them the nitty gritty of why I find various things difficult, trying to remember that with PIP that's the info they need...I think I'd find a lie detector less stressful, lol

Frances123

Spoonie_Turtle said:

If they genuinely don't affect your ability to do the activities assessed by PIP then just listing them, proof of diagnosis, and a short explanation that they don't affect you would be fine. (Some people might say well just don't bother including them, but it's probably best to give full, accurate information.) But don't forget, even if a condition by itself doesn't affect you but when combined with another condition does have an impact, that's what counts. So if perhaps one condition exacerbates the symptoms of another and that combination then affects how you do the activities, remember to tell them that.

Yeah thanks, see what you mean...obviously the anxiety worsens the blood pressure, but I'll just mention that instead of sending a load of doctors reports re. that.

Frances123

Margaret_100 said:

Most people have good and bad days or periods of time. Include these and try to give an idea of their frequency rather than say ‘sometimes’. Keeping  a diary can be helpful and if you want you could send this with your evidence. If you possibly can get a health professional to write a letter explaining how your condition affects your ability to do the prescribed activities. This link may help. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form/

Should you be unfortunate enough not to get PIP don’t give up get some help and carry on with the process.

Thanks Margaret....I've just had copies of my medical records sent to me so I can include the relevant bits...I know a diagnosis and list of the past 25 years of various meds and therapy doesn't prove how it affects me day to day, but there is some mentions of me being tearful, stressed by the needs of a challenging son with LD,Autisim and epilepsy...I think challenging is the nice way of saying sometimes I'm just a punch bag...but if I can do the dishes? Lol..that's ok then...they'll just have to take my word for it that my house is like crap creek, I smell and spend most of my days folding my arms around myself and rocking back and forth...probably TMI ...sorry...but I will persevere with it...

Frances123

poppy12345 said:

Include a couple of real life examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you is also useful.

A letter from a health professional isn't the most useful because they will very rarely know how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

Will do Poppy, thanks....I do wish the CAB were open to get them to help fill it in....managed fine, well stressful obviously, with my sons claims, but seems so much harder with the mental health issues...you have to give all the info that you're just so embarrassed about ...