Work Capability Assessment for mental health

ChrisDMoran85

Hi,

I have a work capability assessment on 1st November and have been trying my best to prepare some notes. I just wanted to run this past you and seek any advice or tips that you may have.

I have bipolar with phsycotic features, OCD and depersonalisation. I also have chronic fatigue syndrome but not gonna mention that on the forum as this will turn into an essay. Ofcourse I will talk about this on the day of the assessment.

Here's what I have so far.....

My mental health and physical health have gotten a lot worse since I completed the work capability assessment form in August. Do you have 5 minutes to spare so I can update you? I have depersonalisation and physcosis 4 days a week now and my episodes last all day. If I was in the workplace, I feel I would be a danger to myself and other people. Stress triggers my psychosis and depersonalisation and I get very stressed at work due to anxiety and OCD. I have assaulted 4 different people over the last 2 years when I have had physcotic episodes, my brother, several times. My brother now locks knives and sharp objects away from me. I have put other people in danger at work by giving a guys medication to the wrong person when I had depersonalisation, making him ill. When I worked in retail, I had depersonalisation, mopped up a spillage and didn't put out a wet floor sign and an old lady slipped and fell. I almost got knocked down crossing a road with depersonalisation as my sence of distance is distorted and things seem further away. Lucky for me the guy in the car was paying attention and made an emergency stop. I have avoided going outside when I have depersonalisation after this. When I had depersonalisation, I took out a hot tray from the oven with no oven glove, held the tray for 5 seconds and my brother told me to put the tray down as I couldn't feel the pain as the condition makes you feel very detached from your body. After this, I no longer go in the kitchen as I also broke my microwave by putting cutlery in it. I have also given residents food poisoning in the past with depersonalisation by undercooking chicken so no longer cook after this. I am extremely aggressive when I have psychosis and sometimes fear for my life and I have no sense of danger and hazards when I have depersonalisation. I feel that any work place would be unsuitable for me because of my mental health conditions. This makes my very depressed as I want to work and earn better money but I just can't.

poppy123456

I don't think you should wait until the day of the assessment to tell them that. I think this is vital information and they should be informed sooner, rather than later.  The reason i'm advising this is because a lot of the time they will ask you questions for you to answer and speaking from personal experience you may not get the opportunity to tell them all of that before they start asking questions.

Some HCPs (not all) can be a little "off" and not give you enough of time to tell them everything you need to tell them. This is one of the reasons why filling in the form with all your information is so vital. Some of that information could have been included in the form.

For this reason i'd advise you to send that to the Health Assessment Advisory Service before the day of the assessment. They have an email address so you could send it this way or post it to them, if you prefer. If you post it then you need to make sure you have their correct address. You have another week until the assessment so this should be plenty of time for them to receive it. Make sure you put your name and NI number on it. Contact details for them are here, which also includes their email address.

One last thing, the last part of that here..

ChrisDMoran85 said:

 I feel that any work place would be unsuitable for me because of my mental health conditions.

I'd also advise you to mention work related activity in that and not just work. Even if found to have LCW they are not saying you're fit for work and won't expect you to look for work. They may expect you to prepare for work in the future by attending appointments.

With LCWRA then you won't have any commiments, other than agree to report all changes.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

ChrisDMoran85

That's great advice. I appreciate that. I phoned them to tell them my condition had gotten worse but they told me to relay this information to the HCP on the day of the assessment. I do not have an email address for them but will send them a letter tomorrow with all the information. On the day of the assessment I will ask them if they have received my updated statement but if they have not I will do my best to push them to get this information out. Thanks for your help in this.

chiarieds

Contact details here @ChrisDMoran85 - https://chdauk.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/

Email address: customer-relations@chda.dwp.gov.uk.

poppy123456

chiarieds said:

Contact details here @ChrisDMoran85 - https://chdauk.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/

Email address: customer-relations@chda.dwp.gov.uk.

Thanks! I thought i included the link to their website but i clearly didn't. 

ChrisDMoran85

That's fantastic. I will write them an email just now. Thanks so much for all your help folks. This forum has given me tremendous support reading other people's stories and I'm really grateful you folks have went out of your way to help me.

ChrisDMoran85

I see a mental health nurse every few weeks usually and I'm on olanzapine for my anti phsycotics. I haven't seen my mental health nurse in over a month as I have been too ill with my ME recently but I am going to ask for phone appointments going forward. I really hope I don't get sectioned again. I am really worried about that now. If I get the extra payment for LCWRA I think my mental health would improve as the only stress in my life is financial and from being in debt.