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DLA TO PIP assessment - Mentally unstable

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ch0pp3r
ch0pp3r Community member Posts: 3 Listener
edited October 2017 in PIP, DLA, and AA
Hello folks 

First time poster and I’m looking some general advice regarding a DLA to PIP change over. Been on DLA for 10 plus years and any reviews were always paper based after the initial medical. 
I sent in my application form about 9 weeks ago and I received my Capita initial claim leaflet saying that I may be called to a medical. I have been doing lots of research and I’m fully aware of the underhand methods that Capita go to to deny claimants. 
Current medical conditions. 
Anti social personality disorder (mentally and emotionally unstable, history of violence) 
Large sliding hiatus hernia (mimics heart attacks) 
Meniscus tear in left knee requiring surgery. 
Temporal lobe epilepsy. 
My right shoulder dislocates on a regular basis and I have limited range of movement due to scar tissue in the tendons. 
Meniere disease (vertigo, hearing loss, balance instability) 
Disc damage in my lower back which also causes sciatica. 
So basically if I was a horse I would have been shot a long time ago lol 
I searched the internet and completed the form in as much detail as possible stating how I was restricted for most sections due to the above conditions and then got my mum (my carer) to complete the further info section detailing more or less what I had already said in the form. 
I’m on about 18 different tablets a day as well including anti psychotics, anti seizure meds etc which all have their own lovely side effects. 
So a day later I received a letter to say I’ve an assessment this coming Monday. I checked the dates and the initial claim letter was sent and a day later an assessment letter was sent. So none of my care givers have been contacted and I’m guessing that my questionnaire hasn’t even been read. 
I read through the gov.uk guidelines and as far as I can see none of the guidelines have been followed and it’s just basically everybody has to have an assessment approach. So now what do I do? I’m now in a condundrum where if I ring Capita and say I am mentally unstable and if I have a medical it might not end well, they could misconstrue that as a threat (my psychiatrist wouldn’t even put me forward for group therapy as I have a very low threshold for frustration and getting questioned for 90 minutes I’m guessing won’t go well) I would think that a paper based review would be the best way to proceed but how do I get them to do that? Would they really try and force me to have a medical when it states in their guidelines about staff safety and psychological welfare of the claimant, as even getting the letter today has caused me to be in rage mode all day.
I can contact my GP and get access to my medical files to support a paper based review but that can take 21-40 days. 

Any help or advice greatly appreciated 

Thanks

Ch0p

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
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    If you believe that you will present a danger at the assessment then you should inform capita. However, be aware that generally you will only be allowed to rearrange an assessment once without good cause.
    You should also ring the DWP and inform them also, request a call back from a manager and explain the situation

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
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    Can your mum call them to explain all this?
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • ch0pp3r
    ch0pp3r Community member Posts: 3 Listener
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    Hi

    thanks the replies. I rang the Law Centre to ask if they had heard of a situation like this. Said no but are checking guidance and will get back to me but said to ring Capita. Which I did. Dude said to ring on Monday and cancel the appointment because if I did so today I would have another appointment generated by the system a lot more quickly so it should give me time to contact my GP or psychiatrist and ask for them to do a letter saying I need a paper based review due to my issues and then get that sent in to Capita along with any further med info so I am currently waiting on call backs from both 
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
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    Hi ch0pp3r, 

    There's not really much advice I can give you that you haven't already done, for PIP to do a paper-based assessment and for you to come out of it with a positive decision will require strong medical evidence from your GP and psychiatrist so you're on the right track. Good luck!

    Lee
    The Benefits Training Co:

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