GP refusing to help with PIP

bluefox

So I made the brave decision to ask the GP to help with PIP like they promised a few months ago and got the response of oh ask them mental health team for help. 

I mean thanks a lot!

Puja

Hiya @bluefox
usually DWP will contact gp themselves eventually if you do a mandatory reconsideration or appeal in my experience as it costs them too…..

But usually a gp summary is free and counts as medical evidence and should be available within 30 days of requesting it from them 

but alternatively there are lots of other sources too that are recommended 

potentially you can submit some of these? 

please see this link for more info 
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-supporting-evidence/

best of luck with it all 🙂

calcotti

Puja said:..usually DWP will contact gp themselves eventually if you do a mandatory reconsideration or appeal in my experience …..

Not in my experience.

poppy123456

Puja said:

Hiya @bluefox
usually DWP will contact gp themselves eventually if you do a mandatory reconsideration or appeal in my experience as it costs them too…..

Usually they do not contact a GP or any other medical professional.

poppy123456

Deppi said:

The OP should get  specialist to write a letter, someone who knows them and has the capacity to make a comment other than just reporting hearsay or anecdotal information that came from the claimant themselves.

Anecdotal evidence from the claimant theirself is one of the best evidence anyone can send. The only person that knows exactly how your conditions affect you is yourself.

I achieved 2 paper based assessments last year for PIP based mostly on ancedotal evidence.

bluefox

So I have an issue. I can see in my medical records diagnoses from when I was 16 of depression and anxiety and different diagnoses but some of these haven’t been continually recorded. I really do need to ask why that hasn’t been the case, as it doesn’t really help me access better help either. 

calcotti

Deppi said:...Here we say anecdotal as a GP just type while you speak to them. This is not evidence of anything. 

This reads as if you've misunderstood poppy's post. By anecdotal evidence poppy means descriptions by the claimant of the difficulties they have carry out the relevant activities. Poppy is definitely not supporting the use of GP letters.

Deppi said:
You remind me my case they said I can mix with my 10 years old son, so i can mix with other people. 

Which is clearly an incorrect inference easily challenged at MR or tribunal if needed.

calcotti

Deppi said:
And yes, @calcotti their claim its easy to challenge, but a silly reason to end up waiting 29 weeks for a tribunal isnt it? 

Definitely.

bluefox

So I’ve asked my mental health team to help and they’re willing to in any case. Whatever I decide to do with employment. 

But I could use anecdotal, GP summary, diagnosis letter. What else?

poppy123456

Deppi said:

apologies to @poppy123456 ypu are 100% correct. Also if it was not you who said GP letters are prompt letters, sorry, i may have  confused that part. It's impossible to trace it, i should not said it not having the link. x

No worries. I couldn't agree more that evidence from a GP is potentially one of the worst anyone can send and as you correctly pointed out, i do advise this quite a lot here on the forum. Not only that, a GP often charges and i wouldn't pay for something that's likely to be of very little use.

calcotti said:

Deppi said:...Here we say anecdotal as a GP just type while you speak to them. This is not evidence of anything. 

This reads as if you've misunderstood poppy's post. By anecdotal evidence poppy means descriptions by the claimant of the difficulties they have carry out the relevant activities. Poppy is definitely not supporting the use of GP letters.

Thanks calcotti, i appreciate this.

poppy123456

bluefox said:

So I have an issue. I can see in my medical records diagnoses from when I was 16 of depression and anxiety and different diagnoses but some of these haven’t been continually recorded. I really do need to ask why that hasn’t been the case, as it doesn’t really help me access better help either. 

I don't understand what this has to do with any future PIP review. They very very rarly contact any GP and when they do they will likely be sent a tick box form to fill in and return.

You certainly don't need to send all of your medical records for any PIP review because that would be far too much information.

L_Volunteer

It sounds positive to hear that you reached out to your mental health team @bluefox. Well done on you, I appreciate that's not always the easiest.

Glad to hear they are willing to help you. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to your question but I hope someone will be able to support you with this. 

In the meantime, I am guessing it is any evidence that demonstrates how your disability/ies affect your everyday life and have for a minimum of 6 months.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you. We are all here for you and listening to you.

Take care for now and we will look forward to, hopefully, hearing from you again soon 

poppy123456

L_Volunteer said:

In the meantime, I am guessing it is any evidence that demonstrates how your disability/ies affect your everyday life and have for a minimum of 6 months.

That's not correct. For PIP you need to have had the difficulties/conditions for at least 3 months, not 6 months.

bluefox

poppy123456 said:

L_Volunteer said:

In the meantime, I am guessing it is any evidence that demonstrates how your disability/ies affect your everyday life and have for a minimum of 6 months.

That's not correct. For PIP you need to have had the difficulties/conditions for at least 3 months, not 6 months.

If you were given an ADHD/autism diagnosis September/January - as the condition is lifelong anyway, would that be okay for the 3 month rule or not?

poppy123456

bluefox said:

poppy123456 said:

L_Volunteer said:

In the meantime, I am guessing it is any evidence that demonstrates how your disability/ies affect your everyday life and have for a minimum of 6 months.

That's not correct. For PIP you need to have had the difficulties/conditions for at least 3 months, not 6 months.

If you were given an ADHD/autism diagnosis September/January - as the condition is lifelong anyway, would that be okay for the 3 month rule or not?

Indeed it would because i'm sure you had all the symptoms long before your diagnosis because as we always advise you, it's not about a diagnosis.

bluefox

poppy123456 said:

bluefox said:

poppy123456 said:

L_Volunteer said:

In the meantime, I am guessing it is any evidence that demonstrates how your disability/ies affect your everyday life and have for a minimum of 6 months.

That's not correct. For PIP you need to have had the difficulties/conditions for at least 3 months, not 6 months.

If you were given an ADHD/autism diagnosis September/January - as the condition is lifelong anyway, would that be okay for the 3 month rule or not?

Indeed it would because i'm sure you had all the symptoms long before your diagnosis because as we always advise you, it's not about a diagnosis.

Very true and it seems the assessor was smart for ESA as my psychiatrist says I have issues with planning, organisation and starting, switching and finishing tasks….

the psychiatrist has helped me recently speak to a nurse. So I think that issue is resolved now. 

bluefox

Psychiatrist won’t help either. I get it they work in a remote service online so they wouldn’t really know how I’m affected with daily living needs. 

What do I do?!

poppy123456

Send what relevant evidence you already have and also include a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies. Lots of advice on many other threads if you do a search.

bluefox

poppy123456 said:

Send what relevant evidence you already have and also include a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies. Lots of advice on many other threads if you do a search.

Is this normal, poppy? 

Can health professionals refuse. And does it really matter. I know I got it once but they could have just been being kind. 

poppy123456

bluefox said:

Is this normal, poppy? 

Yes

bluefox said:

Can health professionals refuse.

Yes

bluefox said:

And does it really matter.

No. As i asdvised.

poppy123456 said:

Send what relevant evidence you already have and also include a couple of real world incidents of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies. Lots of advice on many other threads if you do a search.

bluefox

But my friend said her Mum who isn’t as severe as me has managed to get the GP to write a letter AND she’s at the same GP as me. 

I don’t understand? I think my doctors must think I’m a hypochondriac or something. 

Awful!