PIP: planning a journey psychological distress, is it worth reapplying?

cathony39

I was wondering if anyone knows about the new ruling for pip mobility under mental health for planning a journey. I got refused the mobility element in may last year got awarded 4 points but in the assessment the lady said she agrees that I must be prompted and that it can cause me significant psychological distress which I believe was the criteria for the award. I have severe social anxiety and rarely go out but could never go out alone full stop. I'm just wondering of I should ring dwp or wait to see if they get in touch. Has anyone else heard anything about this please 

EmmaB

Hi @cathony39
It depends whether you just need prompting to get out which would be 4 points [Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant]. 
Or if you can't follow a journey because your mental health makes that difficult and therefore you need someone with you then you could get 10 points [Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid] or 12 points [Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid]. 
If you are really agoraphobic and never get out you'd get 10 points for criteria e [Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant].
It just sort of depends how your mental distress impacts on this activity really, if you really can't go out alone then it's likely you'd score points.  If you can sometimes go to familiar places alone then you might score points for unfamiliar places... 
If your circumstances have changed or you think you are eligible for this part of PIP now then you would need to contact DWP to declare a change of circumstances.  Bear in mind though they they will look at your whole award ie daily living AND mobility, and they can increase or decrease, or leave as the same, the number of points you have.  I'm not trying to put you off but it's worth knowing...
Best wishes.
Emma

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @cathony39 and a welcome to the community! Did you appeal the decision the first time around?
Thank you @EmmaB for your advice! Like Emma has said, you would ether have to wait for your review or you would have to put in for a change of circumstances to say your condition has got worse. We can support you with whatever you decide what to do so please do stay in touch

cathony39

No I didn't appeal because I was grateful for the initial award but was a bit miffed why I didn't get a mobility award then the new ruling came out a few weeks after my claim so I'm just wondering if I should get my carer to enquire or wait to see if they get in touch.  Thank you for your responses

poppy123456

Hi,

There's no need to contact DWP regarding this. They are in the process of reviewing all claims that had a decision after 28th November 2016. Once they've reviewed your claim (no re-assessment needed) then they will write to you with a decision. There's no timescales for this but the backlog is most likely huge because of the amount of claims they need to look through.

cathony39

Great that answers my question thank you

stonker01

No don't rely on them looking at your claim 
My partners claim wasn't looked at and she falls into the criteria which is a claim made on or after 28th November 2016 
Scored low on the journeys section 
She only scored 4 when she never comes out of the house without me and it's not a lot even then only if absolutely has to 
She was instead brought in to have an assessment her claim isn't even near it's end date yet 
Anyway she has been scored zero 
Loads of fibs said on report 
Anyway it's been pointed out they tried to say she didn't fit into the time scale which is on or after 28th November 2016 I said look again I have the award letter in front of me and words were oh yes she does.
Basically ignored a high court ruling and brought my partner in for a very distressing face to face assessment and kicked her off it based on lies lies and more lies 
Wonder why?

poppy123456

As stated in the link posted above, there's no need to contact DWP about the following and planning a journey changes.

stonker01

Take it from me they failed to do this with my partners and brought her in way before hers was even due to end and scored her zero on everything 
On the phone to a case manager who said my partner didn't meet the time scale I said look again as I have the award letter in front of me to which the manager replied oh yes she does 
Which esculated my partners MR from urgent from a previous conversation to asap 
So if you want to phone them do so it's free your not doing any harm 
It's your claim if you have a concern that's what the advisors are there for they didn't say no one can 

poppy123456

stonker01 said:

Take it from me they failed to do this with my partners and brought her in way before hers was even due to end and scored her zero on everything 
On the phone to a case manager who said my partner didn't meet the time scale I said look again as I have the award letter in front of me to which the manager replied oh yes she does 
Which esculated my partners MR from urgent from a previous conversation to asap 
So if you want to phone them do so it's free your not doing any harm 
It's your claim if you have a concern that's what the advisors are there for they didn't say no one can 

Your partners was a review, which take place a year before the award is due to end.  This thread isn't about reviews, it's about the rules changes to following and planning a journey. They are currently looking at all decisions made after a certain date. Please read the link posted above.

stonker01

Yes looking at all claims made on or after 28th November 
Looking at all pip claims BUT focusing on mental health 
The high court ruling was won by a lady with agoraphobia who said her humans rights had been breached and the mobility section discriminated her because she didn't have a physical disability 
The high court agreed that she had been discrimanated against 
All cases where a claim was made on or after 28th November 2016 and those who struggle to GO TO A FAMILIAR  place without someone with them or at all due to psychological distress because of agoraphobia, autism, severe anxiety etc are there actual focus and this was started in 2017 and it was stated no one will have to endure a face to face assessment for it
My partners claim was December 2016 has never ever left the house in 21 years without me, never would go out on her own and only does when really has to which isnt easy either and scored just 4 points on this.
My partner has been brought in for a face to face assessment they failed to look into her claim from December 2016 
I can't seem to stress this enough 3 weeks into MR and speaking to a 4th case manager the 2nd manager putting the MR as urgent when he seen my partner did in fact fall into this criteria 
The 4th manager I spoke to then made the MR down as to be dealt with asap 
They failed to look at my partners case 
My partner has now scored 0 on a face to face assessment without her award on the mobility section being looked at like the high court stated 
If you can't see my point I give up 
My point and a proven one is they ARE failing to look or look properly at the ones who fit the criteria and plenty of people who made there claim after 28th November 2016 who have issues with the journeys to familiar places section are not aware they may be in fact entitled to a higher score and possibly backdated money 
Instead are being called in for face to face assessments and all of a sudden score 0 points and there claims disallowed  and didn't know about this high court ruling 
We didn't until after the face to face assessment 
I can't make it any clearer than that 

stonker01

You can't see that my partners claim made after 28th November wasn't looked into like a high court stated 
That my partner was brought in for a face to face assessment and scored 0 
When the dwp have actually realised she fell into the criteria 
I suppose only people who have issues following or planning journeys to a familiar place due to psychological distress who made there claim on or after 28th Nov 2016 
Scored 0 or low and have been brought in for an assessment and suddenly scored 0 and there current claim stopped would understand 

stonker01

I will break it down shorter 
If a claimant in December 2016 only scored 4 points on this section of mobility even though they have never been out of the house alone without me but only if my partner really had to and I mean like needing hospital treatment due to panick attacks and distress detail would be very long anyway  this would now score more under the high court ruling 
Therefore my partners claim should of been looked at again WITHOUT the need for assessment 
It didn't happen 
End of 

poppy123456

Your partners claim was still a review and she was contacted 1 year before her award was due to end.  For reviews most people have face to face assessments. You're not seeing the point here.

This is different to the claims that are being re looked at because of the changes to the descriptor. They are in the process of looking at all claims regarding the following and planning a journey descriptor and for this no one will have another re-assessment. I have already had my claim looked again and received a decision on this a few months ago, i wasn't re-assessed again. I don't claim for mental health and my award stayed the same.