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PIP New Claim help!

izziiha

Hi!
I have OCD, Social anxiety, depression and anorexia. I am applying for pip because:
1. I struggle to eat and prepare food. My partner has to supervise me making microwave meals because that's all I'll eat and he has to be there or I won't do it
2. I need to be supervised whilst eating or I won't/or I'll binge.
3. I can't manage my own medication; my partner puts them in a tracking box thingy and has an alarm on his phone and has to actively get me to take it - prompts me to.
4. I stay in bed due to depression and struggle to dress and shower. I need to be prompted and encouraged to do both. I also often dress inappropriately for social situations due to anxiety surrounding my body and my partner has to send me back to change when I do get dressed. Otherwise I remain in same clothes day/night
5. I struggle to interpret how people feel about me and if I say the wrong thing, and often then communicate badly. I also ask repetitive questions due to OCD (maybe 20 of the same question in an hour) and this limits my social ability.
6. Opening my bank makes me super anxious and I refuse to speak to the bank so often things I need to do regarding that take weeks or months, my partner has to help me.
7. I can't drive due to my meds, and I sometimes struggle on public transport due to ocd and not wanting to be touched by people or touch things people touch.

I submitted my application with a letter stating my inital anorexia diagnosis from a few years ago that also records my history (noting I started my OCD when I was 11) and also my support report from University after getting my DSA.

Do you think this is all enough? Am I eligible? I am so so so anxious about it I keep panicking a lot. I almost feel like a fraud and at the same time I am scared of them denying me.

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Comments

katho31

hi @sandyxxx woodbine has given a good link that you should read xx

izziiha

According to the points I have enough points to qualify so I hope that means I could get this. Thanks for the link

izziiha

woodbine said:

Hi @izziiha welcome to scope. How are you today? You seem to have the right idea that PIP isn't about your condition but about the care and or mobility issues that arise from it I've added a link at the bottom which explains the descriptors and the points they score, to get standard rate care you need at least 8 points 12 or more means enhanced rate, same for mobility 8-11 points standard 12 + enhanced.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

Do you feel my evidence submitted is good enough? x

katho31

hi @izziiha, i do really hope you are successful

if you post and ask for someone to help you, they may be able to provide the links that you can go onto and the advice from most links are very informative, im still learning to provide/post relevant/useful links as im pretty new, joined may i think?! they helped me so much, im very grateful and would recommend. adrian from scope is good and chloe too, i think they work monday-friday? again keep online and get a folder, bullet point the relevant info for your condition/s. keep them near you, date your inabilities to do certain tasks,ie, danger to yourself/others. anxiety and what the result in your mood/ fear of being in ie, supermarket, people near you, sweating/panic attacks.its not the 'condition/disability' its the impact and the issues that irise fromthis, ie, care you need, supervisedcooking/ danger to yourself/others when out, aids u need, toilet seat attatchment, grabber to pick up book/tablets. hope ive helped a little

janer1967

Hi @izziiha I just wanted to say welcome and wish you luck for your claim. You have been given lots of good advice and lots for you to take in.

Keep us updated on your clsim

izziiha

Username_removed said:

Nothing to be anxious about. Unlike many on here you have the right idea about PIP and your focus on the impact of prompting is spot on. Even with the best of claims it's not possible to accurately predict an outcome. You are unlikely to score points on your point 2 as that isn't really what the activity is about but the others all look ballpark. There is sometimes a gap between what an award ought to be and what is awarded initially. However, if things go wrong you will have several bites of the cherry to challenge the decision and nothing to lose from doing so.

Your health conditions are such that you would benefit hugely from advice. Please have a look at https://advicelocal.uk/ for something local to you.

The only thing to think about is giving examples for each of your points. So, for example, think about the last time you attempted each activity or needed to be prompted to do so and write about that in detail. Asserting that you need prompting to avoid dressing inappropriately is one thing but it's not evidence. It becomes evidence when you give an example of a recent occasion when that happened. What was the occasion? When? Where? What would have been appropriate? How inappropriate was inappropriate? What did your partner have to do? And so on. The more detail the better. Do that for each activity, if you haven't already, and you are well on your way.

Hi! Thanks so much for this, this is super helpful. I have already sent off the initial form booklet and perhaps, now you've said that, not written it as evidence enough in that way but I shall definitely either confirm that in F2F or telephone (when that happens) or in the MR if needs be.

izziiha

Username_removed said:

If you've not had a telephone assessment then there's nowt to stop you sending it off as additional evidence now if you wish. One or two real examples per activity. Just remember to put in a letter saying which claim it needs to be linked to and putting your name, NINO, the benefit claimed and date of birth on each (numbered) page so anything which gets lost can be linked up again. I would write/type between half a page and a page per example per activity. Any more than that is overkill and probably gets unfocused and rambling.

It won't matter if some examples are longer than others. What matters is that you put in all the detail of each incident that there is to put in. If for one activity that's three paragraphs but for the next one it's a page and a half from beginning to end then so be it. It balances out.

I wouldn't wait until the assessment as they won't take it on board at all. Get really great examples in and even the worst HCP can't unravel it.

Sending it off now then, do I send to the free post address?

Adrian_Scope

Hello @izziiha. I hope you're feeling a little more relaxed and confident regarding your PIP claim?

izziiha

Adrian_Scope said:

Hello @izziiha. I hope you're feeling a little more relaxed and confident regarding your PIP claim?

I am a little, I've sent it off now (the additional evidence). Unsure if I need to let them know if it's coming. I only got the text saying they got my initial 40 page form questionnaire a week ago so I assume I sent off the additional within plenty of time. Sadly this time has made my illness significantly worse, I am finding life in general a little overwhelming and I am unsure how to protect myself.

Adrian_Scope

Great job on getting it together and sent off so quickly @izziiha. No, you don't need to make them aware that it's coming.

This time has been especially difficult in so many different ways. Can I ask if your partner is still able to be at home with you at the moment?

izziiha

Adrian_Scope said:

Great job on getting it together and sent off so quickly @izziiha. No, you don't need to make them aware that it's coming.

This time has been especially difficult in so many different ways. Can I ask if your partner is still able to be at home with you at the moment?

My partner is home most of the day with me now but as work is starting up he will be leaving me alone again soon (as we don't have a choice or we can't afford rent otherwise) so it's just a little stressful.

lulu1949

@izziiha oh bless you, try to keep calm and you always have friends on this site to talk to , look in the coffee lounge and chat away ?