Advice how to and when to explain my condition re current PIP

missmeringue

I am currently in receipt of PIP standard rate for both and has about another year to run.

I have the mobility part because of extreme anxiety and OCD and not being able to leave the house. I have psychiatric and psychology input.

I have been asked by my psychiatrist to try going outside once a week which I have been attempting. Much of the time it's impossible, my anxiety is so bad and my OCD means rituals take hours before even trying it. But I have managed it on occasion but still suffering overwhelming distress including falling and wetting myself during panic attacks.

At what point do I advise the PIP office that I am trying this. And how do I explain that as I could do it one day and then not be able to do it for another week.Also how do I do this? Do I need to request a form?

Any advice would be great as I'm making myself sick about this and feeding into an already horrible mental health issues.

poppy123456

Based on what you said here there's nothing to report at the moment. What's considered is the majority of the days over a 12 month period. Therefore 1 day every now and again will make no difference to your award for mobility. You need to be able to go out at least 50% of the days.

A claimant who satisfies 1E cannot also satisfy 1F. If they cannot undertake a single journey on the majority of days due to overwhelming psychological distress, then 1E will be the applicable descriptor, even if there are occasions when they could follow a familiar route, if accompanied.

missmeringue

Thank you @poppy123456. 

I read the assessor’s comment and it does say the majority of the time but I kind of read it as can’t do it all. 

Would keeping a diary help noting when and how I felt? My psych support and GP both know I’m going to be trying to do this so I’m not hiding it. I’ve been stuck in the house for five years and I know the cycle needs to change but I’m terrified of getting into trouble. Which feeds in to the other anxieties and then I feel defeated again. And I go round in the circle again. 

poppy123456

You don’t need to keep a constant diary. Claiming PIP doesn’t mean you can’t have a life. 

If you eventually get to the point of being able to go out the majority of the time then you can claim consider reporting changes. 

flour

poppy123456 said:

A claimant who satisfies 1E cannot also satisfy 1F. If they cannot undertake a single journey on the majority of days due to overwhelming psychological distress, then 1E will be the applicable descriptor, even if there are occasions when they could follow a familiar route, if accompanied.

Please can members be careful when quoting this paragraph from the DWP PIP guide without telling people its from the DWP and without context.

The DWP Decision Makers documents are famously narrow in their view and this advice could discourage a member of the forum from pursuing enhanced rate mobility through Mobility 1F or if refused mobility looking in 1C and 1D as alternatives.

The Law Centre at Citizens Advice say - 'Its important to know that descriptors c; d and f could also be satisfied by someone suffering from overwhelming psychological distress'.

Theres lots of information about this from the Law Centre at Citizens Advice. On page 41 - 43 here:

https://lawcentreni.s3.amazonaws.com/Advice-on-PIP-in-Northern-Ireland-Law-Centre-NI-Guide-for-PIP-Advisers-1st-Edition.pdf

The case law is here:

https://www.gov.uk/administrative-appeals-tribunal-decisions/mh-v-secretary-of-state-for-work-and-pensions-pip-2016-ukut-0531-aac

I hope people find this useful.

poppy123456

flour said:

poppy123456 said:

A claimant who satisfies 1E cannot also satisfy 1F. If they cannot undertake a single journey on the majority of days due to overwhelming psychological distress, then 1E will be the applicable descriptor, even if there are occasions when they could follow a familiar route, if accompanied.

Please can members be careful when quoting this paragraph from the DWP PIP guide without telling people its from the DWP and without context.

The DWP Decision Makers documents are famously narrow in their view and this advice could discourage a member of the forum from pursuing enhanced rate mobility through Mobility 1F or if refused mobility looking in 1C and 1D as alternatives.

The Law Centre at Citizens Advice say - 'Its important to know that descriptors c; d and f could also be satisfied by someone suffering from overwhelming psychological distress'.

Theres lots of information about this from the Law Centre at Citizens Advice. On page 41 - 43 here:

https://lawcentreni.s3.amazonaws.com/Advice-on-PIP-in-Northern-Ireland-Law-Centre-NI-Guide-for-PIP-Advisers-1st-Edition.pdf

The case law is here:

https://www.gov.uk/administrative-appeals-tribunal-decisions/mh-v-secretary-of-state-for-work-and-pensions-pip-2016-ukut-0531-aac

I hope people find this useful.

I quoted it here simply because with the information given by the member that it seems highly unlikely that they would score points for any other descriptors in following and planning a journey. The majority of the time the member is unable to complete any journey as indicated by what they've stated above.

Edit to add, i do agree that i should have posted a link, which i usually do. I can't be perfect all the time. Apologies.