pip assessment - request for gp report

livonia

Hello

my support worker helped me together with my gp,mental health nurse to complete my pip form (first time applicant) and my esa50 is in as i have been called for review.  So very stressed.  my gp wrote referring to the descriptors to go with my pip form and my mental health nurse explained i am not well enough for a f2f .  I also have fibro.  my support worker has had a letter addressed to him as 'dr' and it is basically request for a report and to my horror it instructs my 'doctor' that they are not to contact me to tell me they are completing a report on me or show me contents as this isn't necessary as its not covered under the privacy regs.  or words to that effect.  it seems that by signing to give dwp permission to contact for evidence have i signed away confidentiality and excluded myself from the process.  it says in there that my gp is only to report on observed symptoms etc.  **** !  I am on a meds change so feeling very paranoid so this sort of thing doesn't help me.  I am waiting to see a psychiatrist .  my support worker rang and they insisted my gp has also been sent the request for information.  it seems they haven't bothered to read anything i have sent to them.  i had very detailed letters from gp and mental health nurse. this is why i have never applied for pip before as the esa process sent me over the edge. 
 

Topkitten

I do not know what your legal rights actually are but just because someone states in a letter or any other communication that you are not allowed to know does not affect them. I suspect statements like that are to frighten people off so that they don't try to find out. Pathetic really but then so is much of the way these people operate.

I understand your paranoia as I suffer much the same way but the best thing to do is to simply disregard stupidity and bull your way through such people. Never panic, it's pointless, just move forward and do not give up. The whole system at the moment is set up to discourage people from claiming and their tactics are formulated to frighten people off from trying. Just do what you can when you can and make sure they understand you will not back down. These tactics will only work if you let them get to you and they will only waste so much time on each person trying to get them to back down. Exhaust their patience and they will skip you and move onto someone more receptive to their efforts.

TK

Yadnad

Topkitten said:

I do not know what your legal rights actually are but just because someone states in a letter or any other communication that you are not allowed to know does not affect them. I suspect statements like that are to frighten people off so that they don't try to find out. Pathetic really but then so is much of the way these people operate.

I understand your paranoia as I suffer much the same way but the best thing to do is to simply disregard stupidity and bull your way through such people. Never panic, it's pointless, just move forward and do not give up. The whole system at the moment is set up to discourage people from claiming and their tactics are formulated to frighten people off from trying. Just do what you can when you can and make sure they understand you will not back down. These tactics will only work if you let them get to you and they will only waste so much time on each person trying to get them to back down. Exhaust their patience and they will skip you and move onto someone more receptive to their efforts.

TK

The DWP it would seem are being proactive in advising medical professionals of what they can and cannot do, often with no legal backing other than the DWP's own version of what the law should be saying.

It's not for frightening off the patients but to tell the medical professionals not to discuss anything with you which to put it bluntly will only go to weaken the advice that they send to the DWP.
It's another way of interfering so that good evidence cannot be obtained - thus reducing the amount of awards being made.

Waylay

Wow, @Yadnad. Is this new?

livonia

Well not sure this is a good thing or not !Just had this from dwp
“We've received the written report of your PIP assessment. We will write to you once we've made a decision on your PIP. As a guide you should hear from us within 4 weeks. You don't need to contact us unless any of the details you gave us have changed. Thank you.” I’m so worried and ? already 

[Deleted User]

When did you submit forms? Xx

Yadnad

Waylay said:

Wow, @Yadnad. Is this new?

It's well known for ESA as an example that the DWP will write to the GP telling them not to issue any more sick notes as the patient (claimant) not withstanding the sick notes already issued has been found fit and able to work by the DWP and no further sicknotes are to be issued..
.

livonia

Yes I’ve written saying if my esa review changed me out of support group they don’t have permission to write to my go in outcome 

Yadnad

livonia said:

Yes I’ve written saying if my esa review changed me out of support group they don’t have permission to write to my go in outcome 

I would be very surprised if they abide by that.

livonia

Oh has it happened to yu

mikehughescq

Yadnad said:

Topkitten said:

I do not know what your legal rights actually are but just because someone states in a letter or any other communication that you are not allowed to know does not affect them. I suspect statements like that are to frighten people off so that they don't try to find out. Pathetic really but then so is much of the way these people operate.

I understand your paranoia as I suffer much the same way but the best thing to do is to simply disregard stupidity and bull your way through such people. Never panic, it's pointless, just move forward and do not give up. The whole system at the moment is set up to discourage people from claiming and their tactics are formulated to frighten people off from trying. Just do what you can when you can and make sure they understand you will not back down. These tactics will only work if you let them get to you and they will only waste so much time on each person trying to get them to back down. Exhaust their patience and they will skip you and move onto someone more receptive to their efforts.

TK

The DWP it would seem are being proactive in advising medical professionals of what they can and cannot do, often with no legal backing other than the DWP's own version of what the law should be saying.

It's not for frightening off the patients but to tell the medical professionals not to discuss anything with you which to put it bluntly will only go to weaken the advice that they send to the DWP.
It's another way of interfering so that good evidence cannot be obtained - thus reducing the amount of awards being made.

I don’t agree with your second paragraph but I wholly agree with the first.

livonia

is there a standard way to write to ask for a copy of the capita report, i want it ready in case i have to appeal.  

my gp has given me a copy of what she sent and she did contradict a letter she sent on one thing to do with travel which is frustrating and she contradicted the mental health support letter that was sent (!) only in as much as they said i definitely couldn't travel to on public transport and my gp said it would be very difficult for me and i could only do it accompanied - i note that they defined public transport too [profanity removed by moderator].  I could never go on a bus for example due to my anxiety however they also gave a taxi as 'public transport'  - i mean really?  as if on esa i could afford to pay for a private taxi. but apart from that it was very supportive. the report is with DWP for one of their wondrous decision makers. so the agony continues.

mikehughescq

No standard way. Just ask.

Taxi is probably just about public transport using a very wide definition and a very high proportion of people on ESA do use nothing but taxis to get about in certain circumstances. 

There is a danger of focusing on the wrong thing though. 

The better evidence for you right now would be to document a few examples of those occasions when you did travel by public transport and the full detail of what happened.