Refused my PIP

Singing

hi I have just had my pip cancelled. - I have schizophrenia affective disorder And this lady spoke to me for 20 minutes. I told her that I don’t take my clothes off or bathe and she is still scored me zero. She scored me zero for everything and the problem is I was telling her what she wanted to hear. Because it looked like a doctors office. And I was trying to be positive about my condition. But the truth is very different to the answers that she wanted me to give her. My question is will this stop my ESA. Because I cannot afford my rent or bills without that. Who should I talk to and what do I do now. Thank you. 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Singing
I am sorry to hear this, it sounds like a very stressful situation. I can understand your frustrations, you need to fit into the descriptors for each category, so for example, here are the descriptors for washing and bathing from the Turn 2 Us website:

Washing and bathing is a daily living activity. Add the points you score for this activity with the points you score for other daily living activities to find out if you may be entitled to the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
When you are looking at how many points you score for washing and bathing, think about what help you need most of the time to do it:

• Safely

• Well enough

• Often enough

• Fast enough

You score the points for the sentence that is true for most or over half of the time. If more than one sentence is true, you normally only get points for the sentence that is true for the most time. You can only score one set of points for washing and bathing, do not add them together.

No points
You can wash and bathe yourself without any help.

Two points
You can only wash or bathe yourself if you use a special aid.
You can only wash or bathe yourself if someone reminds you to.
You can only wash or bathe yourself if someone watches you to keep you safe.
You can only wash your hair if someone helps you.
You can only wash below your waist if someone helps you.
Examples of special aids:

• Bath grab rails or hoist

• Bath or shower chair

• Long handled bath brush

Three points
You need someone to help you get in or out of the bath or shower.

Four points
You need someone to help you to wash your body between your shoulders and your waist.

Eight points
You can’t wash or bathe at all and you need someone to do it for you.

I do understand how upsetting the PIP assessments can be but if you were telling them what they want to hear rather than what your day to day life is like, then they can only assess you on this. I understand that the assessments can be so tough when you are facing mental health challenges and lots of our members have said how unfair they feel the process is.

You can appeal the decision and we have some videos about how to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9eTgNyPo9Q

And if you want to speak to someone, you can call our helpline on 0808 800 3333

Singing

Thank you , in the letter she said she had ‘changed the descriptors previously chosen based on the medical evidence recieved’ whatever that means ? 

Singing

Mental health can include extreme paranoia. Even though I know what someone’s game is, I still find it close to impossible to navigate. I am fighting for my recovery and this assessment tries to make me fight for my Illness to be in control. It is so confusing. I hope that makes sense. 

Singing

Anyway I met this person Elaine Foster, for 20 minutes and she decided I am not allowed to live. Whenever I said the truth, she would frown and glare at me, or sigh and tut loudly and disapprovingly, then ask me a but would you say you can... yes or no question over and over in ten different ways until I just said yes and then she was happy. I honestly think I don’t even know what I was saying yes to because she wouldn’t let me tell the truth, each time I tried to. 

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poppy123456

Singing said:

Thank you , in the letter she said she had ‘changed the descriptors previously chosen based on the medical evidence recieved’ whatever that means ? 

It could have been the evidence you sent this time contradicted the evidence you sent the first time.

Singing

Thank you Shelia, I’m concerned because they stopped my PIP in December, then put it back on and now cancelled it again this March. And when it was stopped in December, they then also reduced my housing benefit and my ESA. Which left me with £68 pcm after bills not including food. I’m not joking either that’s how much they reduced it when my PIP stopped. 

Singing

Hi Poppy I do not think so because I sent them my GP’s list of my medical history. 

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Singing

I so will keep fighting it’s just so sad that this is happening x Not just to me but really actually happening to people. The mentality of it has gone far too far. This woman was close to my age and just no sisterhood or understanding there. 

Singing

Hi I yes I was given arrears, and then the next month pip was stopped again. 

Singing

Please don’t worry, I’ve just been trying to do things on my own and now I’m going to have to change that. 

poppy123456

It's possible that housing benefit and ESA to be reduced when you don't have a PIP award. It totally depends on circumstances.

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Singing

Well I am confused because in my recent esa claim I am awarded as severely disabled, and in pip recently as zero. Though the lady said she believes me it is real. In December when it stopped they also cut esa and housing benefit. 

Poppy may may I ask, how do I find out about how this could be, circumstantially?

I live alone with no savings and have severe mental health challenges. 

Singing

What grounds could they have to then cut esa and hb if pip is stopped ? Thank you 

poppy123456

littlesheila said:

Poppy123456 ESA SHOULD GO UP BY £30 A WEEK WEN YOU'RE NOT ON PIP I CAN'T UNDERSTAND why they have REINSTATED HER AWARD AND THEN 3 MONTHS LATER DONE IT AGAIN.. IT DOESN'T BODE WELL F ME !! HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS IS BEYOND ME!!!

ESA doesn't increase when you're not claiming PIP, not sure where you got that from. It depends on circumstances and which group you're in. If you're claiming daily living PIP and you live alone, no one claims carers allowance for looking you then you'll be able to claim severe disability premium. If you no longer have a PIP award then this SDP of £64.30 per week will stop. 

For housing benefit, one of the reasons why it can reduce if you're not claiming PIP is if a person is under the age of 35 and living alone then they will no longer be entitled to the 1 bedroom rate. They will only be entitled to the shared rate, this means less housing benefit.