PIP claim 2nd time with new conditions

tifo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1054417#Comment_1054417

With due respect, this is not relevant to my PIP claim which i've not been successful with …

Girl_No1

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1054417#Comment_1054417

That makes sense the uptake being less than the eligibility.

Personally, I know a couple of people with Enhanced Mobility who do not have a mobility car.

They prefer to use the payment to maintain their own car and save for a new car when needed.

They, and people like them, would account for the difference between the number with eligibility for Motability (>1m) and the actual uptake being less than 1m.

Trevor_PIP

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1054615#Comment_1054615

Thank you.

Trevor_PIP

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1054532#Comment_1054532

I just thought I would correct a glaring error.

tifo

I've had the assessment today and, like last time, received the DWP text "we've received your PIP report" an hour later so don't know if this is a good or bad sign. I do understand the reports are done online and will probably be sent to the DWP after the assessment but so soon?

The assessor did concentrate on mental health a lot and overall asked less questions and let me speak more. In the end I wasn't sure she'd gone through everything and I asked, she said "yes, i've gone though it all".

She repeated the same questions a few times and my answers were the same, as they would be because my conditions don't change.

tifo

"I just thought I would correct a glaring error".

It's clear that people with disabilities can drive, the motability scheme is made for them, and being able to drive shouldn't be a reason to decline …

rubin16

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1055320#Comment_1055320

It depends on certain factors, like for instance if you drive a manual car with no adaptions rather than an automatic. Motability doesn't just give people cars, they adapt them too so certain people who couldn't drive before or struggle can now have an adapted car and drive easily.

The pip question about driving can be valid, as people who don't need adaptions and drive a manual show no problems and show they have good arms and feet control.

tifo

I didn't get PIP again, but this time only 2 points for 'mixing with people'.

Again, driving license used in several descriptors and even though i'm on NHS talking therapies at the moment for (social) anxiety and depression it's been ignored. For mental health they say "no evidence of current specialist input" even though I sent all letters and emails as evidence, which includes names of the people who treat me. I've had 3 sessions out of 12 and the next 12 sessions will be for OCD (talking therapies does 1 or 2 issues at a time) so will continue until at least middle of next year. For OCD they say "so specialist input" but it's all within NHS talking therapies sessions.

For washing and bathing i said i use a stool to sit down and wash my lower limbs but didn't get any points for using an 'aid'.

And the assessor seemed so nice as well and took a lot of time on mental health.

I'll ask for the assessment report but I already know (from experience and this decision) what it will be like.

tifo

Here goes ....

I've received the assessors report for the assessment this month and whilst she has noted almost everything we discussed correctly, there's a few errors, she'd then discounted it all for the descriptors.

In every descriptor the report refers to the score from the previous assessment in March this year (the one which didn't include mental health) but I thought this was a new assessment? In that case i got 2 points in 2021 for 'managing therapy or health condition' and that is still relevant today so I should get the same.

Worryingly, for me, she's used the lack of a blue badge as well as having a driving license as one of the reasons to decline a descriptor. 

Every descriptor includes either "has a driving license" or "no blue badge" and some say both, i'd say the use of the lack of a blue badge is unfair because I applied once several years ago and was immediately refused with no assessment. Most people don't have a blue badge unless they're on PIP and i'm clearly not on PIP. She asked at the assessment "do you have a blue badge".

She's also used lack of any help for my OCD as a reason even though I made it clear that the therapy for that will start after the therapy for social anxiety and depression, the counsellor even said that in today's session because OCD affects how I interact with people.

In the 'communicating' (7) and 'reading and understanding' (8) descriptors she says "Mental health not within scope of this activity" so i assume it hasn't been considered for these? Though i say my mental health does affect how i communicate with people (this is an area we concentrate on a lot in therapy)?

And in 'planning and following journeys' activity she says "Physical conditions are not within scope of this activity". I would have thought my physical conditions such as eye, gout and OA would be included because the physical pain of the journey would cause me distress?

The 2 points for 'engaging with other people' are for (b) needs prompting but I think this should be at least (c) needs social support, as i made it clear that i need social support from another person, normally my wife, or a friend when in social situations as the anxiety kicks in with all the affects that come with. This is also something we're looking at extensively in therapy.

For the 'washing and bathing' activity I think it should be 2 points for (b) needs to use an aid, as i made it clear i use a stool to sit on and wash my lower limbs for every shower.

So, 2 points for managing therapy or medication, 2 points for using an aid when bathing and 4 points for social anxiety when engaging with other people gives me 8 points in daily living. I would argue that engaging with other people could be (d) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant as i do have severe social anxiety and combined with OCD it stops me from going out etc in private and public places/events.

In mobility activities, i should receive 4 points for (b) needs prompting with a journey and 8 points for (c) cannot walk more than 50 metres or at least 4 points for (b) cannot walk more than 200 metres. That's 8 points or more for mobility.

The points are for how I am now at the time of the assessment this month not how i was in March this year (no mental health in PIP form) or in May 2021 (first application). I was actually worse in this one for mobility and would've said (d).