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Mental Health review of PIP - have I been included?

ellea

HI all, I was searching on line for info advice about a PIP issue. I wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction? I had my review this year - I'm unclear whether I was included in the gov review of people who's mental health were not taken into account before the high court ruling in Jan this year re mobility and public transport - during the assessment I started recording on my phone. I had my assessment at home due to being unable to travel on public transport because of chronic anxiety. I also have RA . And since my last award my health has worsened both physically and mentally and I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and PTSD in the last two years.. The recording shows how much was left out, including medical letter evidence of new and worsening symptoms. The impact on my life has been played down, so little has been taken into account that my payment has been reduced. I have been asking for help with mobility for few years now and despite my circumstances changing for the worse, since the DWP have ignored this. My MP who I wrote to, does not seem interested in whether the DWP are treating claimants so unfairly!

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thespiceman

Hello @ellea Pleased to meet you welcome.

Thank you for joining and sharing.

I am sorry what you have been through. I am afraid the answers you seek to your questions. I am unsure of.

There will be members of our community or members of our team will be able to help you.

May I suggest speak to CAB for any additional benefit advice.

Also may I point out benefits are complex and confusing.

We are a friendly, supportive community. Care and share.

Please ask if we can advise on anything. Some one will know.

Please take care

@thespiceman

poppy123456

Hi,

DWP are currently going through all claims regarding the changes to following and planning a journey and there's thousands of claims to go through. They will contact you with a decision once they have looked at your and there's no need to contact them regarding this. I do know that some have already been contacted about this.

They can't take into consideration a worsening of condition while looking at your claim again.

Was there any reasons why you didn't ask for the MR when you had the decision? When was the decision made?

Your local MP won't be able to help you with this because most MPs would have no idea about the PIP descriptors.

Please be very careful when recording secretly like that. If you're caught recording the assessment without permission then you do risk your assessment being stopped, your file returned to DWP and you could be refused that benefit. My advise would be to get permission to record an assessment before the appointment date and use the correct recording equipment.

C_Herath2009

Apparently you have to take your own TWO Recording items(TWO )CD's?Anyone have cash to buy them?I was phoned said this was not available!!Very strange?So i said "Fine go Ahead -the recording on the day they phoned 2 minutes before we got there told me they could not Accomidate me(Relating tp the Recording??)That i had canceled?So they do NOT want you recording them?Even though it says its within
your rights??

poppy123456

You need to give 48 hours notice if you plan on recording an assessment and yes you need to use to CD/tape recorders and record 2 identical copies, handing 1 copy in at the end of the assessment. To be honest, you're far better off concentrating on the PIP descriptors and evidence stating how your conditions affect you than recording the assessment.

Yadnad

poppy123456 said:

You need to give 48 hours notice if you plan on recording an assessment and yes you need to use to CD/tape recorders and record 2 identical copies, handing 1 copy in at the end of the assessment. To be honest, you're far better off concentrating on the PIP descriptors and evidence stating how your conditions affect you than recording the assessment.

I presume that you mean concentrating on the descriptors and supplying evidence when completing the PIP2 form?

If in fact you are suggesting that all claimants will have the opportunity of discussing all of this at the assessment, then this is not the case for everyone. Some assessors actively encourage a two way conversation others are only interested in a yes/no answer.

poppy123456

Yep, that's exactly what i mean. Just finished filling out my daughters PIP review form and used extra A4 sheets and fully explained her conditions and the way they affect her against the descriptors.

ellea

Hi all thanks for your reply! I was told that my review was the 2 year review but I suspect because my claim was due to be reviewed, they stuck me in that category when I should have been included. My last enhanced care award was given at Tribunal in 2016, and I claimed for the mobility because of mental health, and overwhelming anxiety and stress when ever I used public transport.They refused, did not include, acknowledge my mental health issues around traveling. Now my mental and physical health has worsened they have ignored most of that too. No mobility because they say I can walk with an aid up the road so therefor I can travel unaided. Which seems ridiculously unfair because I have family and friends all over the place, and can not visit them. I also have limits on what I can carry on my electric bike and limited use of my arms, loading etc and its not going to get me as far as a train or bus. My quality of life in many ways is limited because and the DWP do not seem to care or expect me to want or need to venture further. I hope my support worker can help. Are the DWP not discriminating based on the high court judgement made earlier this year, which says they were being unfair and discriminatory toward people with mental health issues?

poppy123456

@ellea do you go out alone at all?

ellea

poppy123456 said:

Hi,

DWP are currently going through all claims regarding the changes to following and planning a journey and there's thousands of claims to go through. They will contact you with a decision once they have looked at your and there's no need to contact them regarding this. I do know that some have already been contacted about this.

They can't take into consideration a worsening of condition while looking at your claim again.

Was there any reasons why you didn't ask for the MR when you had the decision? When was the decision made?

Your local MP won't be able to help you with this because most MPs would have no idea about the PIP descriptors.

Please be very careful when recording secretly like that. If you're caught recording the assessment without permission then you do risk your assessment being stopped, your file returned to DWP and you could be refused that benefit. My advise would be to get permission to record an assessment before the appointment date and use the correct recording equipment.

Hi Poppy, I am unclear whether they should have actually included me? but didn't for there convenience. I asked for the MR and they tweaked the next decision makers report but still left out and played down both my physical and mental health and its impact on my life.Ignoring symptoms of PTSD and its affect of my life, and how it makes all my other health issues worse too - no acknowledgement. I found out out that recording is not illegal and I realise they could have stopped it if they had known. But to be honest I am beyond caring, what they have done and are known to be capable of makes it hard to trust the way in which they operate. The reason I contacted my MP is because I have evidence that the DWP are deliberately falsifying/manipulating claimants assessment so as to justify a reduction in payment or worse cutting peoples payment completely. I thought as a MP who works for the people she would want to know what was happening..It seems not. If the process was fair and the DWP were not going out of their way to avoid giving people the help they need I wouldn't feel the need to record! And I wouldn't be in this position, having my payment reduced because they cheated!

ellea

I believe I did all the questions about descriptors when I filled in the form but to be honest half the time I don;t know what day it is, the fibr and the RA and the PTSD means I struggle and get distressed. And I was that way through much of the assessment but the assessor said I look a bit strained or tense for a moment. Which is not true along with other info I gave him. I also sent the DWP evidence of my PTSD and treatment plus my GP letter which shows symptoms worsening and new diagnosis they ignored this in the MR refusal. I will be getting someone to get the recording down on paper.

CockneyRebel

Are you appealing to the tribunal ?

about 70% of appeals are successful when the descriptors and criteria are proven

poppy123456

You haven't answered my question...when you go out do you go out alone?

ellea

poppy123456 said:

You haven't answered my question...when you go out do you go out alone?

I haven't been online so... Yes I go out alone. I live semi rural so when I go out its usually empty of people.. less stress , panic and anxiety. Why do you ask? I have anxiety disorder and PTSD amongst other things which has made it to impossible to cope with traveling further than the town I live in. Public transport and busy places cause me overwhelming stress..so I cant do it alone. Id prefer to be independent and not need someone there, that is why I have been asking for the mobility for some time now.

ellea

CockneyRebel said:

Are you appealing to the tribunal ?
about 70% of appeals are successful when the descriptors and criteria are proven

Hi, thanks, yeah Im appealing and hoping my mental health support worker is going to help and refer me to a financial/ benefits adviser..Make a note of all the things in the recording that were not included in the decision makers report. And copies of the medical evidence from health workers etc.To be honest I thought when I filled the form out and sent it off that I filled one of those out. Then when I had the home assessment I hardly remembered it or the assessment..I was so stressed and agitated.I only remember it because of the recording. He seem to sometimes ask the same question more than once but in a different way. Unfortunately every claim I have made since 2012 I've had to go to tribunal..

C_Herath2009

No i have Complex PTSD ,Clinical Depression -Best not ask plus Brain Injury and lots off broken bones -My Dad takes me out sometimes i just want to pull the duvet over my head and sleep for a year or 2/3 but i have my SON..Some friends many have vanished ..They put everything down to mental health -whilst i accept all my mental health problems-A Broken ankle and Brain Dammage are not usually caused by Mental health i have a problem with my ligaments -plus people quiz me that i don't recognise?Like its funny game?I got lost in the local Supermarket ,would still cross the road without looking i have no sense off money i can no longer write or count...And people make me ether want to cry or yell at them -I go when i can with my Dad to collect my Son ..Most days are happy today is not (I find my phone my lifeline -when i can trust people but ofgen get wrong end off what they are on about..I have a fab Mental Health Social Worker ...She is way better than who i was dealing with before (Have you tried Guided Meditation on Youtube Self Love?)or Happy Songs ?Under Now Songs I think Now Summer Party 2018 is great for ages i just could not listen to Music look at any photos off my son without crying -it just upset me so much ...In Hospital the first two my cousin sent me where fine ,then i started ???Said no more (Happy times i feel so guilty for being in Hospital?)I felt like i was doing time and i missed him so much ..Then i had the first lot off therapy i could deal
with (Trying to move on from the past,i realised that i had a reason to be here that people that had damaged me as a child-where not worth wasting my breath on and finally ...Wrote down everything that i thought had contributed to my Mental health #ISSUES there was a lot and i could not decipher what i had written!!)Surounded myself by Beautiful Pictures off the People that i loved (My Son..a few friends and lots of family )Some had sadly gone .I eventually put there photos up wrote the simple goals that i wanted to achieve it took a YEAR to realise that in order to forget these bad things i had to FORGIVE...Hard thing to do but i thought lets not waste time on all this negativity ,could come whaming back at anytime and i just did not ever want my SON going through what i had ...I would be willing to go through it all again than have him SUFFER and he is my Happiness pill (Plus anti depressants and Anti convolsants ,A lot off VITAMINS -People can ether accept me or go away..Last thing i needed was people telling me to move on and forget the past(It hurt like no physical PAIN EVER-and had the reverse effect !!I had to get to that stage myself (Take it 5 minutes at a time i still do...)I am at the moment improved i have a new GP who Listens -and a Physio who i trust (Christmas is very hard ...)It reminds me off the people that i miss...Not as badly as it did ...Eachone is getting better...I hope thar you have people that you TRUST are non Judgemental i spent months in Hospital(General and Psyche like a bomerang )I am
honest with my son i had no idea how much compasion and how much i was loved the others can bite the dust!!I got rid off the jibberish writing ...Try the guided mindfullness ?Maybe find a pet to walk with someone?)I also spent a year hiding from the world even a coffee woth my Dad is progress..