PIP assessor lied - MH

Natlou90x

Hey. 

I applied for PIP regarding my mental health. I've struggled for 9 years, it's declining and I struggle daily. I have lots of other difficulties due to my mental health, such as, difficulties concentrating, distraction, forgetting things and so on. I also have anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. My assessor asked me about bad days and then good days, although I explained I have more bad than good, she argued I had good days. I require support with, cooking due to becoming too distracted, I need to be promted to eat, take meds, personal hygiene and to change clothes. I also don't make any budgeting decisions, I don't leave the house but if absolutely necessary, my partner comes with me. I requested a copy of my report and the lady doing the assessment has said, because I've not proved I have a cognitive impairment then I'm not likely to have these symptoms of distraction and so on. I told her, to watch a film that's on for 2 hours would take 4-5 hours for me to watch as I'd pause it, do the dishes, pause again to bleach the bathroom, pause again to clean the kitchen sides and so on. Always having a racing mind to do something but because I can watch a film, I'm fine. She eventually scored me zero even though in the report she listed all of my difficulties but because I drive 2 times a month, the last time I left my house I managed to use my bank card to pay, I'm fine. I have gone through and highlighted everything I disagree with, I've written down why I disagree, I've also asked for MH advocate and will meet with CAB to helpe appeal the decision. My questions are though, how can I prove I've got a cognitive impairment? Upon researching this, depression causes confusion, distraction and other things I have, so how can I prove that? In my initial application I included a letter from my gp, a letter from my partner and it wasn't enough. She also said because my partner helps me, atleast I can get it done.. I'm shocked they twisted it so much. Has anyone had this and appealed? If so, what did you send with you appeal letters and do? Sorry for thr long post. Thanks for reading and any advice xx

rebel11

You need to give 'real world' examples, maybe get evidence, get a letter written on your behalf from someone that knows you well, deals with you day to day, they can give examples i.e. 'they are talking to you, but you don't respond, you have to be reminded to respond' etc. 

Albus_Scope

Hey there @Natlou90x and welcome to the community.

Sorry to hear you've had a rough time with the assessors, they really don't make it easy.
    As Rebel11 has said, you need to provide real world examples of how each descriptor effects you daily.  Are you currently on any medication for the depression? I found listing the meds and any side effects helped me. I would  write and ask for a MR (mandatory reconsideration) once you have the information you want to add. 

Scope has a great page full of information regarding appealing here. 

chiarieds

Hi @Natlou90x - & welcome to the community from me also.

Remember PIP is not about any diagnosis, but rather how your disability affects certain activities of daily living &/mobility the majority of the time. Have a look again at the activities/descriptors that are looked at: https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/pip-mental-health-guide/help-with-your-pip-claim/how-to-fill-in-the-pip-form/   altho this is about completing a PIP claim form, I think you may find it helpful to show where you may need support, prompting, etc.

I'd put your assessor's report to one side, &, if doing a Mandatory Reconsideration, which should be put in writing, say where you think you should have got points, & why, giving a couple of recent, detailed examples, as rebel says, 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.

You mention getting easily distracted if watching a film, but this doesn't have any relevance to the PIP descriptors, which it needs to be. However you say you have difficulty when cooking. Would you get distracted if boiling some potatoes & forget about them perhaps, or would a simple timer be sufficient to remind you to check on them? This would be a good activity to give a couple of those real world examples; what has happened previously? Do the same for the other activities you mention.

Unless you have a diagnosis of a cognitive impairment with a letter supporting this (If you haven't already sent this), then don't concentrate on that, just describe the situations in which you've struggled, again keeping it all relevant to the descriptors. Remember you possibly will be disagreeing with the decision when you get your letter, not the assessor's report.

shellbell20

It's shocking how they twist it, your partner helps, he is a carer, it's not about the carer or how they help it's about you, so I don't feel that comment on the report was relevant.  I hear they are meant to take into account what happens a certain percentage of the time. I think Poppy said 50 per cent but I don't remember so don't quote me on that.  I am inclined to agree with the above suggestions, perhaps an impact statement? I don't know if you are allowed to give one for an MR but perhaps list your daily struggles and what triggers your anxiety, if anything does, as mine is constant, I have anxiety attacks daily and they just come from nowhere, but each time I feel like I am dying. I have been told it's the flight or fight response. If I don't feel that way I am tearful with suicidal thoughts and it swings around and around never ceasing. If I had to go out alone, then it would land me in bed for days. I have stopped going out not only for my mental, but my physical. I can somewhat cope with the physical pain with painkillers, although my mobility is not great and becoming worse,  but the mental anguish makes me not want to be here most days. I don't dress or undress unless someone helps me due to depression and physical limitations, but if I removed the physical limitation I still wouldn't dress or undress, my energy levels are zero to none and I am disconnected from the world around me as I don't feel safe in the world and I don't like myself very much.  So describing each day how you feel, as I have briefly done regarding my life might be the way to tackle it. So perhaps you can say how it felt going to the bank and using your card as you have mentioned, what cost it has to you emotionally, what distress it causes to go out and how it affects you during and after.  That would probably be descriptors, but I am not sure, all you can tell them is the truth of how you feel and how your disability affects you as a whole. Then as above it seems that you can also give a statement from family and friends. I am lucky with my family they know about my MH they have lived through it for 30 or more years, seen it declining protected me and looked after me, without them I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have eaten or taken medication or anything really. Glad you have someone caring for you. 

nee

Natlou90x said:

Hey. 

I applied for PIP regarding my mental health. I've struggled for 9 years, it's declining and I struggle daily. I have lots of other difficulties due to my mental health, such as, difficulties concentrating, distraction, forgetting things and so on. I also have anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. My assessor asked me about bad days and then good days, although I explained I have more bad than good, she argued I had good days. I require support with, cooking due to becoming too distracted, I need to be promted to eat, take meds, personal hygiene and to change clothes. I also don't make any budgeting decisions, I don't leave the house but if absolutely necessary, my partner comes with me. I requested a copy of my report and the lady doing the assessment has said, because I've not proved I have a cognitive impairment then I'm not likely to have these symptoms of distraction and so on. I told her, to watch a film that's on for 2 hours would take 4-5 hours for me to watch as I'd pause it, do the dishes, pause again to bleach the bathroom, pause again to clean the kitchen sides and so on. Always having a racing mind to do something but because I can watch a film, I'm fine. She eventually scored me zero even though in the report she listed all of my difficulties but because I drive 2 times a month, the last time I left my house I managed to use my bank card to pay, I'm fine. I have gone through and highlighted everything I disagree with, I've written down why I disagree, I've also asked for MH advocate and will meet with CAB to helpe appeal the decision. My questions are though, how can I prove I've got a cognitive impairment? Upon researching this, depression causes confusion, distraction and other things I have, so how can I prove that? In my initial application I included a letter from my gp, a letter from my partner and it wasn't enough. She also said because my partner helps me, atleast I can get it done.. I'm shocked they twisted it so much. Has anyone had this and appealed? If so, what did you send with you appeal letters and do? Sorry for thr long post. Thanks for reading and any advice xx

nee

I am so sorry you are having such a tough time, unfortunately the system is dreadful. Even more so when you have sent in sufficient evidence to support your claim. Not all assessors are compassionate about your mental health, and alot of them will write down a report of the opposite of what you have explained to them. You have done the right things in regards of sending evidence, the only thing you can do now is appeal. I would also like to suggest that you write an email to the MP in charge of mental health benefits and tag all the necessary people in the email including the assessor if possible. Explain in the email that you are suffering terribly, and with the help of your partner you are able to manage everyday tasks. Also explain that when your partner is not with you, you are not able to manage anything at all due to your anxiety, distractions etc!! Be as speceific in the email as you possibly can. I don't have any idea of the email address you will need, so if possible you could do a little research on google & see what you come up with. Don't give up so easily especially if you are suffering. No one should have to suffer and be made to feel as though they are not giving the correct information about their mental health. At the end of the day only you know what you are feeling and what you have to deal with on a daily basis. Stick with your truth and keep pushing.

good luck, I wish you all the best. I hope this helps a little xx