PIP for mental health - what to do about supporting documentation?

Alice_Holt

vitaminz said:

As a side question I was diagnosed with dyspraxia and Sensory Processing Disorder as a young child, and this also greatly affects my daily living. I haven't seen anyone for this in about 15 years(!). I went through occupational therapy etc but in the end I'm just living with it. I have lots of proof I was diagnosed with these disabilities back then, and I will write down how it effects me, but is there even a point given I haven't seen any professionals for so long?

         Yes it is very important to fully detail the effects of this condition if it impacts on your ability to do the PIP activities reliably on the majority of days.

       It's not the diagnosis / ongoing medical interventions that are important but the impact the condition has on your life and specifically the PIP activities.


  Do look at the PIP guides available online and particularly the importance of 'reliably'. 
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-decisions-are-made/

Muttleythefrog

vitaminz said:

Thank you all for your great advice, I’ve asked my GP for my medical records for the last 2 years, hopefully this will help  

As a side question I was diagnosed with dyspraxia and Sensory Processing Disorder as a young child, and this also greatly affects my daily living. I haven't seen anyone for this in about 15 years(!). I went through occupational therapy etc but in the end I'm just living with it. I have lots of proof I was diagnosed with these disabilities back then, and I will write down how it effects me, but is there even a point given I haven't seen any professionals for so long?

Definitely include and detail (in PIP form and assessment if you get one) how each/any of your medical conditions affects you with the various activities as appropriate. These sound like enduring lifelong type disablements which anxiety and depression may be less likely considered to be... and so perhaps easier to demonstrate with historical diagnosis. That said I'm still relying on diagnoses of MH problems from now well over a decade ago and the associated medical reports and they are still used as evidence and considered.

Definitely take an attitude of being fully honest about your problems and avoid downplaying them.... I think particularly important to stress the last point given some of your problems are things you have faced as your 'normal'.