PIP was 2nd claim with new conditions but from 15 April 2025 new 3rd claim as advised.

Cressida100

Are you going to just keep reapplying forever more? At what stage will you accept that perhaps you are not eligible for PIP (at this present time). You have been given loads of good advice on this thread - please re-read it from start to finish. 

tifo

Cressida100 said:

Are you going to just keep reapplying forever more? At what stage will you accept that perhaps you are not eligible for PIP (at this present time). You have been given loads of good advice on this thread - please re-read it from start to finish. 

I've really only applied twice in the last 4 years, in 2021 and 2025, this time because of new conditions so i don't know where you get 'forever more' from. It's not like i'm making an application one after another.

marcia_

tifo said:

Cressida100 said:

Are you going to just keep reapplying forever more? At what stage will you accept that perhaps you are not eligible for PIP (at this present time). You have been given loads of good advice on this thread - please re-read it from start to finish. 

I've really only applied twice in the last 4 years, in 2021 and 2025, this time because of new conditions so i don't know where you get 'forever more'.

 Not every one with a disability or medical condition qualifies for PIP. The rules are very narrow and you just don't fit them. You contradict yourself at times which will show in your applications 

Muttleythefrog

You ignored my (and others') clear and repeated advice contrary to your amended threat title.. and have paid the price... this was my fear as to how it would play out applying again at this time. A longer history with more specialist input and outcomes of treatments would have served you better and probably prevented their apparent dismissal of any significant credible mental health problems causing current disability. Had you been successful I suspect the award would have been short due to the early stages of treatment. Your most disabling condition of MH (or more likely to see PIP relevant disablements in my calculated guess) is likely to be OCD yet you're not getting treatment for that yet and you seem to struggle to explain here how it disables you relevant to PIP activities so maybe they find similar.

The determination to get PIP has outweighed the patience and focus (missing out illnesses that cause you disablement - you describe the MH problems as new conditions in a post today but they're not.. these are long standing according to you but have been issues you've sort of grown to accept and live with as many mentally ill people try to do) that could well lead to an award. My advice is focus on your treatments and getting better, or better control and understanding of the MH problems, and possibly in a year or so revisit the PIP issue. Frankly though on PIP I'd be inclined to give up now unless MH problems persist after treatment and relevant disablements are clear to evidence and will be likely enduring. I suspect though you may do an MR and then appeal... the time to get to appeal where they will be looking at your circumstances at time of decision appealed I fear could place you in the evidence trap a new later claim would not. Strategy is key but it just looks like dice rolling until 6s land.

Now you've had two assessors according to you who have listened significantly to your described mental health problems and effectively rejected them as causing any notable disablements relevant to PIP... although the small points scored are likely from this source which is even more concerning as it suggests this time not only did they consider you have mental health problems but they actually evaluated them and concluded minor relevant or no impact. I wonder if you were giving (m)any relevant details... it's unlikely any documents you included as evidence from HCPs involved in your situation would so it is your job to impose in detail the mechanics of how MH problems affect you in the tasks preventing their reliable completion where applicable. I can only hope in these applications or assessments you are giving clear information that you do not provide here in terms of descriptors applicable. I am still not aware after 40 pages...of what you think you should be awarded for PIP if correctly assessed... either in terms of overall award or the activity descriptors... but ultimately its not us you need to persuade... I can only assume you're doing a better job of doing so with them (DWP Decision Makers, HCP assessors, tribunal panels) but thus far all outcomes suggest not.

Brutal truth time. "They don't seem to have taken account of the severity from the tests I take. I believe I should have got more than 2 points. The last time I did the proper PIP claim in 2021 these issues were there but are now more severe" - these are self declared assessments in effect I understand... you can score maximum just by reporting such... they're not validated as such and people can exaggerate or misunderstand their conditions... in fact mental illness is often associated with exaggerated responses/behaviours and failure to evaluate circumstances (many mentally ill people actually don't think they are)... there will always likely be scepticism over self reporting accuracy and they have to look in any case at the actual disabling effects relevant to activities... which these tests likely fail to mirror in any useful way. Also.. you're receiving CBT... talking therapies... people can get these for quite minor mental illnesses...they can get such for what would be expected to be temporary issues of difficulties... would one call it specialist input.. perhaps... but you're not being prescribed medication?... you've seen no psychiatric teams? Do you really have serious mental health problems relevant to PIP... you only seemed to discover (or rediscover) them when in your last assessment regarding sitting on public benches/seats but the input so far you have been given could be equivalent to someone suffering upset and finding routine difficult after losing their pet cat. In my own case I pursued a DLA claim and then PIP with Mental Health problems... it took the specialist inputs (including their documentation) and failed treatments to get to a position of being trusted for declared problems... I got nowhere fast with a few anti depressant drug therapies and talking therapies. These conditions need to be demonstrably causing severe disablement relevant to PIP activities... you need to take them through how the disablement plays out and support it or at least be consistent with other evidence I strongly suggest. You were never going to have the level of evidence I think would typically be needed at the time you hastily applied... and that assumes the problems are severe enough in any case to be relevantly scoring more points... and I cannot comment on that as you've never detailed such that I recall in any serious way... in recent casual post you mentioned washing/bathing and clothing but didn't mention mental health problems... these are activities of DL where severe mental illness will sometimes prove disabling for many claimants... and certainly more so than any need for a practical aid.

born_again

tifo said:

born_again said:

TBH, that is not a surprise.

I'm not surprised but did think there was a chance if they consider mental illness as last time they didn't. The physical issues are still there too but .... what can i say.

You last claim was declined mid April. Where you raised the mental issues on assessment call, so they would not take it on board, as it was not mentioned in the forms. You started then started a new claim on mental issues. So in 4 months you have had another assessment & 2 declines.
As advised you should have waited longer before submitting again 🤷‍♀️

Cressida100

Even though we have the opportunity and time to read about all your conditions on this thread it's still not very clear (to me) what you are actually claiming for?

Do you have a mobility problem apart from the gout? Why do you need a bath stool? 

You have had the benefit of great advice from an awful lot of people (including benefits advisors and ex PIP assessors), and even with all this help you have been declined again. I think it's time to call it a day at the moment and (maybe) reapply a few years down the line when you have given the MH therapy a chance. Your head must be frazzled. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. 

peteuk

I have said it before and I will repeat myself…

If it is easier for the assessor to support a nil with the evidence than it is a scoring discription they will do so.  Given the weight of evidence then I am not surprised it has not reached the high (and somewhat increasing) threshold to achieve a PIP claim. 

A driving licence and ability to drive can be used to dismiss a lot of the physical activities. This has been discussed on many threads.  Unless your doctor tells you that you are unfit to drive, the fact you don't drive means very little.   

I am sure I asked if you self referred to CBT or if you were referred by a doctor.

Remember it is the ability to undertake an activity, repetitively and to a set standard and the ability to do so the majority of the time.  If your washing everyday, then the majority of mental health issues will be disregarded, if you then suggest your gout is well contolled and flares up for a week every two months (time frame used as an example) then that is not the majority of the time.  So you might use a stool to wash, but the evidence says you dont need it for the majority of the time. 

HillStreetBlues

You certainly get 10 out of 10 for perseverance but unfortunately those 10 points don't count.

sheramber

They did take your mental health into consideration and decided it warranted 2 points. 

Just because you think you should have got more points doesn’t mean the assessor was wrong.

What evidence do you have that you should have got more points. 

ayupmeduck

Sitting to dress isn't considered at all and drive is counted for the physical activities in regards to movement, drip, dexterity etc