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I feel that this system of forms/book filling, assessments etc makes my health even worse

Emma52

I kid you not I waited in a reception area with a skeleton residing in the corner, probably left there from Halloween which was weeks ago. I waited for half an hour longer than my appointment time only to be interrogated for having the audacity of being disabled - AKA a PIP assessment. No one asks to be disabled. No one asks to be in a position of being unable to do a days work anymore. Surely assessing a persons health to determine benefits should be between GPs, Medical Specialists, Consultants and those collecting the information.
To go through their assessment reaffirmed the stereotyped label 'disabled'. It made me feel like a less valued member of society being held to account for not being capable of being part of the workforce anymore.
I've lost friends who committed suicide whilst fighting for the benefits they were entitled to. I walked in on one [Removed by moderator]. I still miss them all.
I feel that this system of forms/book filling, assessments etc makes my health even worse. Does anyone else on here feel the same way.

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poppy123456

PIP isn't about your ability to work, people claim PIP and work. No, i don't think GPs/Consultants or Medical Specialists should do the assessments, if they did then waiting times for appointments for medical reasons would be even longer than they already are.

Emma52

poppy123456 said:

PIP isn't about your ability to work, people claim PIP and work. No, i don't think GPs/Consultants or Medical Specialists should do the assessments, if they did then waiting times for appointments for medical reasons would be even longer than they already are.

Emma52

My apologies I should have made myself more clear. What I meant was that if a doctor can confirm you have a disability then people should get their benefits without having to go through an assessment at all. Hope this helps.

Emma52

Emma52 said:

My apologies I should have made myself more clear. What I meant was that if a doctor can confirm you have a disability then people should get their benefits without having to go through an assessment at all. Hope this helps.

Emma52

Also you mention my error in PIP being about non working people, I must have been on a dizzy one last night and thinking more about benefits in general. PIP is about being able to look after yourself, do things yourself, being capable of doing things with or without help. I still think the assessment way of doing things is very wrong.

poppy123456

Emma52 said:

My apologies I should have made myself more clear. What I meant was that if a doctor can confirm you have a disability then people should get their benefits without having to go through an assessment at all. Hope this helps.

Having a disability doesn't automatically entitle you to PIP. Not everyone with a disability will qualify.

Community_Scope

Hello @emma52,

We just want to let you know we’ve edited your post because it contained a description of a suicide method. For more information about why we removed this, please consider our online community house rules.

All the best,

Tori

Online community team

Tori_Scope

Am I right in thinking that you're talking about how you think the system should be, not how it currently is @emma52?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. It seems as though this is something you're really passionate about.

I'm not sure I know what the solution is, but I agree that navigating the benefits system can be extremely confusing and distressing for people, for a multitude of reasons.

I'm really sorry to hear about your friends. Have you sought any support to help you process your grief? Mind have some information about this, which might be worth checking out.

Emma52

Tori_Scope said:

Am I right in thinking that you're talking about how you think the system should be, not how it currently is @emma52?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. It seems as though this is something you're really passionate about.

I'm not sure I know what the solution is, but I agree that navigating the benefits system can be extremely confusing and distressing for people, for a multitude of reasons.

I'm really sorry to hear about your friends. Have you sought any support to help you process your grief? Mind have some information about this, which might be worth checking out.

Yes you are quite right about my thinking it is how the system should be Tori. Also I went to the cremations and grieved on my own, it most likely won't be the last one I attend. I sometimes feel like disabled people are being culled which makes me sad but there's nothing I can do about it.

Emma52

Community_Scope said:

Hello @emma52,
We just want to let you know we’ve edited your post because it contained a description of a suicide method. For more information about why we removed this, please consider our online community house rules.
All the best,
Tori
Online community team

That's ok Tori, I'm quite new here and still learning.

Tori_Scope

It's no problem at all @emma52

You're not in any trouble, we just remove that kind of content for the safety of anyone who might be reading the thread.

We all grieve differently. Some like to do it on their own, but others prefer to speak to others about it. Whatever works for you is fine

It can often feel as though we're helpless. I'd like to think that, by sharing our stories, raising awareness, and advocating for each other, we can influence positive change.

Emma52

Community_Scope said:

Hello @emma52,
We just want to let you know we’ve edited your post because it contained a description of a suicide method. For more information about why we removed this, please consider our online community house rules.
All the best,
Tori
Online community team

sorry still learning

L_Volunteer

I can hear how you are still learning @Emma52. Is there anything, in particular, that would make still learning more manageable for you at the moment?