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Pip reassessment, Dr letter, alcohol.

Tumilty

Hi I hope all well at these stressful times.

I was texted by the people who do pip reassessments for DWP and was told I'm being reassessed and because of my severe anxiety/depression I won't be able to do a face to face so my Dr wrote me a letter that also included my medical history which includes times when I've self medicated with alcohol at various times in my life,words like ’problem drinker’ used on the form she sent me. My Dr says this is part of the illness just like abusing benzodiazepines but I'm worried it will have a negative effect on my reassessment.

What do people think of this please as I'm unsure how the DWP or company doing the assessment will see this when/if I send it along with the form I fill in.

Not sure whether to ask my Dr not to include this.

Regards and thank

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Comments

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

I would say the phrase 'problem drinker' is unnecessary and not of any help to a PIP assessor.

I don't think 'abusing benzos' is a helpful phrase either. That doesn't prove anything about your practical ability to complete the PIP descriptor tasks on the majority of days.

Were you specifically asked by PIP to provide a GP letter? If not, I wouldn't include it personally. I have made it clear on all of my PIP forms that I couldn't complete a face to face assessment due to my conditions, never added a GP letter for it.

Dendoo

When they ask the Gp for Information it states do not add embarrassing or harmful information as your patient has a right to see these forms . Why couldn’t they have just wrote has used alcohol at times if they really thought they must .

Tumilty

It was listed in the drop down medical history list printed off computer not what Dr wrote. I will post image in a while..

Tumilty

This is how it's phrased & in various other parts of the medical history list i'm just wondering if it should be enclosed . I have self medicated but does this not warrant my award. I was advized here to enclose as much evidence as possible when i send the form back.

Regards

OverlyAnxious

The point of evidence is to show what you can & can't do with regards to the PIP descriptors. That list isn't of any use to PIP as it doesn't show your functional ability at all.

I wouldn't include it personally. But if you do want to include it, you could use a black pen to redact those phrases. Must admit I'm surprised that's being used in a formal medical setting at all.

Tumilty

Yes i understand about the pip descriptors now & that a medical history list is a waste of time, showing what pills i'm on etc.

Maybe i could just enclose the letter that was written which is helpful as in she writes of my ability to do certain tasks like i taxi to appointment, i can't do busy spaces & the initial request was for her to ask for a none face to face, mentions overwhelming anxiety attacks & my situation with my parents carer too, which i guess could help along with involvement with primary care mht.

The only thing is at the bottom it says 'please find enclosed a summary of my history & medications' & if i left that out they may wonder why.. Maybe i'd send that but i'll see what happens when my form comes assuming i'll get one

Dendoo

you could always say if it comes up yes I have because of how I feel . 🤷‍♀️. I’m prob going to get pulled for smoking the little I do . Smokers are lepers these days even though it’s legal and brings in plenty tax! I’m not a big smoker but it’s been my crutch. I don’t expect anyone to understand that it esp a none smoker one in my shoes but it is what it is ..everyone does something others don’t agree with not that it’s anyone’s business at all! I noticed on my gp summary it mentions light smoker , given advice declined cessation classes . No mention I’m already doing that off my own back from my own pocket , I use a nicotine inhalator too.

Tumilty

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1022273#Comment_1022273

yeh i know but i can see these people who do these assessments not being as sympathetic to that, self medication was terrible but worked.. Some say that don't do it then anxiety goes away, same with any other drugs that help but that's not true if the anxiety has been there a lifetime

Dendoo

I think the best thing to do is let it fly over your head I know easier said than done but don’t let it worry you when it’s not even happened yet. I’m sure they see these comments everyday multiple times and a lot worse x

Tumilty

i know but that is story of my life. I worry about everything & your right all can do is wait but i'll call dr's. It all gets a bit much at times.

mix_dage

Hi @Tumilty,

I would have a read of this link and the subsequent links to case law regarding pip and alcohol.

Hopefully it will ease your mind a little.

https://www.mikebolton.co.uk/blog/pip-and-alcohol-and-drug-addiciton/

alcohol dependency is a medical condition.
Alcohol Use Disorder is a “mental condition”… for the purposes of PIP (applying the principles in R(DLA) 6/06)

Dendoo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1022335#Comment_1022335

I know I do same myself I am trying harder not too x

Albus_Alumni

It's quite normal for medical records to contain things like that and it's not meant as a slur in any way. For the purposes of PIP, as Mix_dage has stated, it can be a positive thing, as it shows that you sometimes self medicate, which can have an adverse effect on daily activities.

Tumilty

Thanks @mix_dage it's a good read although I'm still unsure whether to just send the letter and not the history as I guess meds and and an occasional drink don't affect the prescriptions.

@Albus_Scope yes I can see that and the idea that I can't do this or that because I have the occasional drink doesn't sit well with me. If I get an assessor that thinks I probably go and spend all money on booze which isn't the case at all but just depends on the assessor I get.

I have struggled as it goes hand in hand with anxiety hence what says on the medical history list but now I just have a few beers to take the edge off things.. I guess tipexing out stuff wouldn't be good idea.

Regards

OverlyAnxious

I wouldn't recommend Tipex-ing things out as that makes it look like a mistake. If you want to redact something it should be done in thick black pen to make it obvious that it's been intentionally redacted.

WhatThe

A JCP District Office once told me that my highlighted evidence and documents with staples in were inadmissible.

No idea whether they were just being awkward or whether it's official policy.

Tumilty

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1022616#Comment_1022616

Yeh agree, I think probably best to just send the letter that describes how my Dr knows my daily stuff. The medical record just sees, in my mind as someone who sits at home drinking.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1022621#Comment_1022621

If you mean highlighting with one of those fluorescent pens then I think that affects them being scanned/copied clearly.

I wouldn't put too much trust in any advice that comes from a JCP office though.

Tumilty

A black marker pen can look like 'what am i hiding so i reckon just send the letter. I had my text saying maximus were reassessing me on behalf of dwp so i guess i'm waiting for a form to fill in & see if it asks me to send any evidence in & go from there. I don't expect medical records matter with pip decision makers

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