Mental health

janejr

Hi can anyone help me help a friend in distress. He has mental health and is applied for PIP. He is having help from mental health people and is currently having therapy. Part of he condition is severe anxiety and he struggle getting out of his home even to shop for food is a problem. When he is in an anxious situation he sometimes explodes and lashes out and is unable to calm down. His therapist has phoned DWP and explained he needs a home visit as he can't go to an assessment and they said tuff. The therapist was very angry with the DWP and has told my friend to contact his support worker. He tried this and he is away on leave. Now my friend is falling to pieces thinking he will loose everything. Please has anyone got any advice for him this has got to be wrong

cristobal

@janejr - if your friend can become violent I believe he won't be able to have a home assessment for safety reasons.

Sorry - I'm struggling to think of anything else. Maybe you could go with him?

poppy123456

Hi,

If the evidence he sent or his therapist told them that he's aggressive then they will definitely not do a home assessment becuase of this reason.

Does he have someone that can attend the assessment centre with him?

cristobal

@poppy123456 - did you copy my post? !!

janejr

His therapist hasn't said he can become violent she said to the DWP "listen I'm his therapist and I'm telling you he physically can not attend this meeting". She then gave her name and her qualifications. She was angry they said tuff.

janejr

Also DWP said he has cancelled three times and he hasn't. They tried to send him to Walsall and he lives in Birmingham. His therapist phoned them and said no he needs a home visit. Then a week later he gets an appointment for an assessment in an assessment centre in Birmingham. So that was just one cancellation. 

poppy123456

cristobal said:

@poppy123456 - did you copy my post? !!

When i replied there was no other comments, so no i didn't!!

Adrian_Scope

Hello @janejr, he might have more luck if his therapist can put it in writing for him rather than by telephone, do you think they would be willing?

janejr

She has already wrote him a very good report detailing his conditions including his anxiety and details on how it effects him saying he is to unwell to work. He struggles to care for him self and has a past history of self harm and attempted suicides

janejr

Will tell him to ask therapist for another letter stating he could not attend. Feel so sorry for him

cristobal

@janejr _ i feel sorry for your friend as well.

I can't actually see a way forward - if he can become violent then he's not likely to get a home visit, but he's unable to go to the assessment centre. Could you seek advice from the CAB or something - I can't believe that this hasn't happened before...

cristobal

@janejr - just a further thought....could your friend asked for the assessment to be done on paper rather than F2F??

CockneyRebel

For a home assessment, a GP's letter is required stating very specifically that the claimant cannot attend and why. I am not certain whether a therapist carries the same weight as a GP. in the eyes of the assessment provider

drewdundee

Tough situation, if i was an assessor knowing what you said I wouldn't go. Plus if he does lash out then I would not expect anyone to expect to put an assessor in danger like that. I guess someone will have to attend the centre with him or paper based assessment. Good luck either way

janejr

Thank you everyone for your advice. His out bursts are bought on by servere anxiety caused by his PTSD. He has never actually hit anyone it's more verbal and shouting he then usually gets himself away from what's making him anxious to try to calm down. Mental health sucks as there is not enough help. I'm trying to get him a support worker or social worker