Could iPhone health data be used as supporting evidence?

wizboque

Hi all,

I’ve spoken to Scope multiple times but I have never posted here before. It’s a very long one I apologise.

I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2020 (after 25 years of feeling like I didn’t fit into the world, being told I’m just lazy etc.)

I have been through a significant amount of trauma in the past 2 years and paired with the lockdown, it made it much easier to retreat inwards. I have agoraphobia, a pathological need to avoid demands, all of the anxieties that come along with it, constant low mood and to top it off, I’ve had long covid since January, so I’m in no place to work.

My GP has been providing fit notes for me since my claim for UC started in October 2020 and it took over a year for my phone assessment because I wasn’t able to answer the phone the first time they called, so they placed me back in the “booking stage”. Once I got my letter saying that my assessment would be on X date at X time, I started to fixate on what they could possibly say so I didn’t sleep until 8AM.

The letter said that they would call between 2-6PM. They called me at 10AM asking me if I’d be available to take the call at the time stated (2-6), which was weird but I figured it’s part of the process. They then rang me 5 minutes later to conduct the actual interview. This completely threw me off because I was mentally prepared for 2-6. It probably caused me to digress onto points that were not relevant.

Eventually they placed me in the LCW group and I asked for a mandatory reconsideration which was denied, I’ve had a local service help me appeal for the tribunal and they’ve captured things pretty well but there’s an address to send supporting evidence.

Anyways, I found my health data on the apple app and I have an average steps of 1.8KM a day, which has been consistently low since October 2021, with a further dip in January (when I got covid). I was wondering if it’s a good way to prove that I don’t get around very much due to the combo affecting me.






Sensitive topic from here. TW / Suicide.


Also whilst I’m asking questions…
in the mandatory reconsideration notice it said that there is no evidence to suggest I’ve ever experienced suicidal thoughts, or acted upon them, and the benefit solicitor did not touch upon it at all in the new appeal but unfortunately I constantly think about suicide. I’ve written articulate poetry surrounding the topic of death.

I don’t have active plans to do anything silly but my mind kind of defaults to “it’s okay if you don’t deal with this, if it’s too much for you, you’re just going to kill yourself anyways” or “this is too much I just want to die” but I handle it as best I can. I’ve been speaking to the mental health practitioner at my GP lately.

I’ve been looking through my GP record to see what could be sent that’s not recent. (To establish that I’ve not just gone to the doctor and said all these things after my mandatory consideration notice).

I told my GP I made an attempt to end my life in November 2020 (at the time) and he noted it down as something along the lines of “jumped out of 2nd floor window, just wanting to escape”, implying it wasn’t a serious attempt. He’s a good doctor I think he just didn’t understand what I was saying at the time.

My autism diagnosis report doesn’t mention suicidal ideation but there are sections such as “when asked to describe his mental health, he replied ‘awful’” and “refers to his life as a series of unfortunate events”.

I have found a reference to dark thoughts back in 2017 with the previous MH nurse when I was first approaching the doctors independently - I’m guessing that would be relevant.

or should I just leave it down to what the solicitor has written and stay uninvolved?

TL;DR: Should/could I send my iPhone health app data as supporting evidence to show decline in my activity?

TL;DR 2: MRN says there is no evidence to suggest suicidal thoughts. Benefit solicitor did not address topic in appeal. I’ve found evidence. Should I send it?

poppy123456

I personallly don't think the iphone health app should be sent. The part where it says "there's no evidence of suicidal thoughts" is a classic copy and paste for lots of people that suffer mental health.

Try to put the assessment report out of your mind because concetrating on this will not get you a LCWRA award.

You have expert help from an agency near you. Please let them do what they are doing. The reason to have this help is to take the pressure off you. The reason your rep hasn't addressed this is because it's most likely not needed.

wizboque

Yeah I guess, I think it’s just because it was just filed on Friday and now I know it’s the final step. I just want to make sure I’m as thorough as possible because my experience so far has been… eventful to say the least. Plus I tend to hold onto something until the next big thing comes along and fixate on that, then whatever I was doing before doesn’t exist to me. I’m very out of sight out of mind.

I guess I just found it offensive that they would essentially accuse me of lying about how I feel. I just stated in my application that “I start to feel suicidal when I feel overwhelmed”. It’s just one line but they made a point of writing a whole paragraph about it. My application had around 50-60 different ways that my condition affects me and it feels like they honed in on one and attacked my character.

Honestly it feels like they’re nitpicking because they delayed me for so long that they’d have to back pay from February last year. I don’t know, the whole process has been a nightmare.

Ross_Alumni

Hello @wizboque and welcome to the online community Thank you for posting your opening message and telling us about your situation. I appreciate you going into detail and speaking so honestly and openly about what you have been through, and how you feel.

I just wanted to flag that I have sent you an email from community@scope.org.uk to check in with you. Please give it a read and consider getting back to us  

I hope you enjoy taking part in the community, it is a very warm and supportive place to be a part of so I'm sure you'll find it to be a positive outlet