Help completing the PIP Review Form

sheZZa

At the beginning of January a lady came to my house to help me fill in my PIP review Form as I was finding it very difficult to complete by myself. I’d tried and made a right mess if it. My mood had dipped severely low, so much so that I am now under mental health services again, I suffer with depression and Bi Polar and a few other chronic medical ailments. The lady just copied from the form I’d already completed but thought was wrong, and before she  left I signed and dated the form without reading it. She never read it back to me either. I’ve been beating myself up ever since for being so stupid. It’s constantly on my mind and am very stressed and very worried. I phoned the DWP and asked for them to send me a copy of the form and at the same time I also informed them that I hadn’t read it and it hadn’t been read back to me. Today I received a copy of the review form that she had completed and am quite surprised. She has copied what I had written only worded it better. She has also omitted a few things I’d written but maybe I shouldn’t have included anyway. But I do feel a little more settled now. I saw my gp last week and we had discussed this situation. She said that I lacked mental capacity to sign anything. I saw her again today and she brought up the subject of the PIP Review again and she said I’m ‘not to worry as I’m not fit for work and she/they would fight for me if needed.’ By that I’m assuming she meant herself and my consultants and psychiatrist. She seemed quite cross about the situation with the DWP. I do feel reassured by her and am starting to relax a little. I am now, once again, attending a bi polar support group so hopefully onwards and upwards and I will soon be mentally stronger to fight the good fight if I have to. 

Pippa_Alumni

Thank you for sharing this, @sheZZa!

Yadnad

sheZZa said:

But I do feel a little more settled now. I saw my gp last week and we had discussed this situation. She said that I lacked mental capacity to sign anything.

Really?

Could I ask what action has been taken to protect you given that the GP has confirmed that you do not have the capacity to sign anything?

That situation appears quite serious and Power of Attorney should be in place. 

poppy123456

Agreed. An assessment is needed before confirmation can be given that a person lacks mental capacity, if this hasn't been done then the GP is wrong to tell their patient that they lack mental capacity. https://www.medicalprotection.org/uk/articles/assessing-capacity

sheZZa

I understand what you’re all saying and it’s got me thinking.  The only thing I can think she meant was at that time I lacked mental capacity which I did as I would never have put myself into that situation. I’m more than capable of filling out a form usually. My mental health was dangerously low and I would have agreed to anything. It is slightly improved at the moment and I am sure it will continue to do so. I am quite an intelligent person who had a good job and used to complete forms for others who needed support for whatever reason. I just couldn’t do it myself then due to my mental illness but I will ask her when I next see her xx

poppy123456

You can't say you lack mental capacity if you haven't been assessed as having this.

Someone lacking capacity - because of an illness or disability such as a mental health problem, dementia or a learning disability - cannot do one or more of the following four things:

• Understand information given to them about a particular decision
• Retain that information long enough to be able to make the decision
• Weigh up the information available to make the decision
• Communicate their decision.

sheZZa

Thank you.

April2018mom

I disagree respectfully. The rules of the mental capacity act are really hard to understand but the important thing to understand is that capacity is never set in stone. I’ve been told that neither DS or DD lack capacity when I have asked about it. What makes her think that? 

poppy123456

ilovecats said:

April2018mom said:

I disagree respectfully. The rules of the mental capacity act are really hard to understand but the important thing to understand is that capacity is never set in stone. I’ve been told that neither DS or DD lack capacity when I have asked about it. What makes her think that? 

DS?DD?

Otherwise known as dear daughter and dear son.