PIP, ADHD and driving

hobbes278

I have ADHD and some mobility issues, I applied for PIP a couple of years ago and was rejected because they said my concentration was good enough to drive and therefore was good enough to remember to be able to meet the other daily living descriptors unaided.
I didn't ask for a mandatory reconsideration because I was devasted and just couldn't face the additional stress and anxiety but my mobility has got worse recently and I'm thinking of applying again.

I need to be able to explain why I can concentrate enough to drive without crashing but cant remember to eat and drink, take my medication, go to the toilet etc without prompting from my wife and multiple alarms on my phone but I'm struggling as I don't understand it myself.

I would ask my psychiatrist but she's private and would charge me to answer and I cant afford it!

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

chiarieds

Hi @hobbes278 - & welcome to the community. With your PIP claim I would just concentrate on the difficulties you have with the activities/descriptors that are looked at with PIP (rather than describing how you can drive). The following link I hope is useful in describing where you may need prompting, etc: https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/pip-mental-health-guide/help-with-your-pip-claim/how-to-fill-in-the-pip-form/

Give a couple of recent, detailed examples as to the difficulty you face for each applicable descriptor, i.e. when did it happen, where, what happened, did anyone see this, & were there any consequences to attempting/doing an activity?
Say if you can't do an activity 'reliably,' i.e. safely, to an acceptable standard, repeat as often as one would reasonably expect, or if it takes you much longer than someone without a disability.
Try keeping a diary for a week or so. Just complete a few questions at a time, & you can always add extra pages at the end. Just ensure you put your name & National Insurance number on each page. You can also ring the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to ask for extra time to complete the form, & you will be given another 2 weeks without question. Keep a copy of everything 'just in case,' & get a free Certificate of Posting from your Post Office when sending the form off.

hobbes278

Thanks for the reply. The worry I have is that they will decline me again because I can drive.

I want to explain why I can manage to focus whilst driving but don't have that same focus when making a meal but I don't know where to start.

poppy123456

Not awarding points because you drive is a very common copy and paste they use a lot. Driving isn't considered in any of the activities but can be used against you in some activities. However, you shouldn't put your focus on when you drive because it's not part of any of the activities.

When filling out the forms you should give a couple of real world examples of exactly what happened the last time you attempted each descriptor that applies to you. Include detailed information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were.

It would definitely help if you have some understanding the of the descriptors and what they mean before starting another claim. Using the same evidence you previously used could see another refusal too so please be aware of that.

This may help. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

Tronster

Hey bud.

They said the exact same thing with me on this. However when I did drive (I don't anymore) I was always with someone when I did and when I did my test with my instructor who was also my uncle and he sat in the car with me when I had my test. My partner also had to check the car to make sure I haven't left the keys in the ignition or or ensure the handbrake had been put on correctly. 

I should have my tribunal in March/April time so I'll let you know how mine went

Just so you know, I have ADHD/ASD myself, but just remember that it's not based on conditions that you have. It's based on how they affect you day to day so focus on that and also that driving isn't a descriptor. 

As poppy has said focus on the descriptiors in that link... extremely useful! It's a copy and paste answer to make you wanna give up... tribunals will look at this much differently. 

L_Volunteer

I would just like to add that it sounds a lot like executive functioning difficulties to me @hobbes278. 

The ADHD Foundation defines executive functioning as the following:

"Some people find planning and managing their time and possessions harder to do. Some people call this executive functioning skills. This is an umbrella of skills vital for future independence. It is a set of purposeful, goal directed, and problem solving behaviours."

Thie ADHD Foundation article also highlights that some of the challenges that executive functioning difficulties may cause include:

• Poor time concepts - not being time aware

• Hyper-focusing on other tasks and finding it harder to switch tasks

• Difficulties forward planning

• Difficulties remembering to remember what needs to be done until too late

• Difficulties deciding on priorities

I hope this at least semi-helps because I hear that self-understanding is really important to you at the moment and you are struggling with this in relation to this disparity. 

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you or if you have any questions or would like to discuss this further with us 

dieselsmum

i have adhd and drive claims pip long term but also have other medical conditions that go for me getting pip not just adhd but when it was the old system of dla i was learning to drive so adhd shouldnt matter if you are learning to drive i know lots of people with adhd and drive