PIP assessment 0 points for bipolar and now a tribunal asking for medical records has anyone

louilou · March 2018

I was diagnosed with bipolar as a teen. I was adopted as a baby and my parents were warned by social workers that my birth mum had manic depression, personality disorder etc.

When I reached my teens my parents were on the ball as I started to show signs.

I was in complete denial because I didn’t want to be anything like that woman called the birth mum.

By age 33 things had become so bad, I had a complete break down and could no longer work.

My employer
had already put lots of reasonable adjustments in place as a result of my disability because I was covered by the act. To be fair I was given a lot more leaway at work and was allowed to work in my own little room.

Anyway whilst off sick,
I went to the dr and he referred me to my local mental health service, trouble is, I couldn’t function, I couldn’t even get out of bed, I relied on my family for everything.

I didn’t attend the follow up appointments,
they discharged me because they couldn’t get hold of me and tried via letter, telephone etc!
People with mental health may understand this and why I didn’t want to go, I was in Denial and wanted to put everything off
and forget about it. My father applied for pip on the back of some advice,

I was awarded enhanced rate care and standard mobility until July 2018.

The pIP
made life so much easier for my parents,
in October 17 and I had another break down, my parents called the local mental health crisis team as I was so suicdial,
the crisis team informed my father that I had not attended the apps at the mental health centre!!!!

She advised that she was referring me straight back and this time I would get home visits!!!
the trouble is my first app wasn’t until jan 29th 2018.

During November I got a PIP
letter asking me to attend a medical at Sunderland!

Sunderland’s medical assessment centre is located in the busy city centre! I suffer with panic attacks and we felt that the Durham centre would be much better as this is on a quiet industrial estate.

So the app was changed for Durham, upon arrival with my brother, I suffered a huge panic attack, I had to wait outside and the assessor had to come and find me!

She was the same lady who I saw the last time,

She advised that she could see that thinhsbhad not improved, asked a few questions and advised because I was so distressed I could leave via the fire escape in her room. I didn’t sign out of the building.

Anyway, December came and I didn’t get any pip payment, so I waited and got a letter to say that I had scored 0 points

Apparently I showed no signs of distress, the assessor saw me run (it makes no difference as I can run unless my hernia starts to bother me, not the reason I claim pip)

She had told so many lies in this report!

She felt I wasn’t on medication for bipolar so it must not be bothering me!

Has she tried bipolar medication

They are awful and there isn’t a good one, they all have awful side effects !!!

I feel that the fact im not on meds

proves that I need help to manage my therapy

Since my parents learnt that I have not been attending my apps

They learnt that I can have home visits and this has is bene agreed with the mental health team.

How can I go from enhanced to this!

I immediately applied for a mandatory reconsideration

And this said the assessor had no reason to lie and nothing to gain from telling untruths !!!

Ok so why are they told by their managers to lie ?

I applied for a tribunal

I have waited months

All of a sudden last week I received a letter asking if they could access my medical records

Of course they can, but how long will all of this take?

I am happy for them to get my medical records as the DWP did not attempt to contact my dr

The only concern that I have is

I only had my new assessment in January

I have just got another app to see my nurse

So she hasn’t had time to know me and no my conditions and there affects

On top of this

I was seeing my DR all of last year for FIT notes because I was off work

they stated BIPOLAR disorder on the notes and I have sent copies to the tribunal

I also received panic attack medication and a hospital app to get the camera down my throat

Because of chest pains I had been suffering from.

So will the fact that my dr was writing fit notes for bipolar be enough evidence ???

As it doesn’t back up the descriptors needed for pip

There is only my family know what care I need with the tasks in the pip

JennysDad · March 2018

Hello @louilou and a warm welcome to the community. I am glad you have found us but very sorry you're having such a tough time.
I'm not a benefits expert at all, and I don't want to risk sending you up any blind alleys, but we do have experts here who will be in touch with you as soon as possible. Please bear with us, and they will respond.
You will also find others here who face or have faced similar difficulties, and I have no doubt some of them will be in touch with you too.
Please keep in touch, and please take care of yourself. You matter.
Warmest best wishes to you,
Richard

louilou · March 2018

Thanks so much

[Deleted User] · March 2019

@louilou Reading your story is like reading my own

evesy · December 2019

Hi thanks for posting. I am currently off sick as had complete melt down at gP surgery , referred to Psychiatrist very promptly. Have come off lithium and now on sodium valproate. I am bipolar and up and down each day . Can not and don't want to return to work. I have been struggling for years and years and had enough. It just makes me iller and this has been the result on so many occasions!! Whilst I will be seeing a benefit advisor very soon I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for completing PIP form especially relating to bipolar?
Happy New Year All,

TEACUPTERRIER · December 2019

Hi my story is the same as yours. Bi polar is one of my many problems and I too have faced problems with doctors and pip assessment over not taking bi polar meds. They just made life unbearable and as my bi polar is mild I'm better without them, although I would say that some people's bi polar needs medication if it's bad, but that's not everyone. I'm waiting for a tribunal and I'm getting copies of all my medical records and taking relevant ones with me. I'm sending them to the court service too. If you want a copy of any of your records, just call up the gp, hospitals and clinics that have seen you for your bi polar, and they will send you the forms to access your records. Every hospital and clinic has their own services for this so you have to call them all to get records from different places but its worth it. Hope this helps.

poppy123456 · December 2019

evesy said:

Hi thanks for posting. I am currently off sick as had complete melt down at gP surgery , referred to Psychiatrist very promptly. Have come off lithium and now on sodium valproate. I am bipolar and up and down each day . Can not and don't want to return to work. I have been struggling for years and years and had enough. It just makes me iller and this has been the result on so many occasions!! Whilst I will be seeing a benefit advisor very soon I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for completing PIP form especially relating to bipolar?
Happy New Year All,

Hi and welcome,

No one can tell you exactly how to fill out a PIP form because it's not about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activity based on the PIP descriptors and we are all affected differently by these conditions. No 2 people are the same. There's never enough of room on the form to put all the information you need so use extra sheets of paper but make sure you add your name and NI number to everything you send.

What you need to do is fill out the form with as much detail about how your conditions affect you as possible. Adding a couple of real life examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you.

Send relevant evidence with the form to support your claim because they very rarely contact anyone for this. The onus is on you to make sure it's sent.

Expect a face to face assessment because most people have them.

Good luck.

[Deleted User] · December 2019

I have no choice but to work as I now get no help at all even although I do have the same as above - enjoy it while you can before they cut your benefits like me.

evesy · December 2019

Hi Tulip
I started at 30 hours then more recently they were cut to 16 as part of adjustments due to continuing decline in mental health . I was advised to see CAB which put in a claim for UC. As you may be aware they deduct 67 p from every £1 you earn. This was not enough to cover previous outgoings however on my uc entitlement I can just survive. I have done this before and know i can do it again and once the new meds kick in I would rather stay well and when ready do some community volunteer work or similar. Hope that makes sense.
Have a good 2020..
ps i will up date you with my PIP application and any info that may be of benefit to you for the future.

[Deleted User] · December 2019

i have given up entirely of any hope after 2 unsuccessful appeals and the humiliation of it - the whole things is slanted towards physical disability

evesy · December 2019

It seems that way however I have collated considerable info on applications from peeps with bipolar and my benefits advisor will be seeing me again soon. Did you have support from professionals all the way? It is a mine field and yes it makes you feel like climbing everest over and over but people have achieved this. Take care,keep in touch and don't hesitate to vent anything.

poppy123456 · December 2019

evesy said:

Hi Tulip
I started at 30 hours then more recently they were cut to 16 as part of adjustments due to continuing decline in mental health . I was advised to see CAB which put in a claim for UC. As you may be aware they deduct 67 p from every £1 you earn. This was not enough to cover previous outgoings however on my uc entitlement I can just survive. I have done this before and know i can do it again and once the new meds kick in I would rather stay well and when ready do some community volunteer work or similar. Hope that makes sense.
Have a good 2020..
ps i will up date you with my PIP application and any info that may be of benefit to you for the future.

If you're working less than 16 hours per week then you can send in fit notes from your GP which will start the limited capability for work process off. After 29 days (although longer sometimes) you'll be referred for a work capability assessment. You'll then receive a form to fill in with all your information about how your conditions affect you. Once this is sent back you'll most likely to asked to attend a work capability assessment. Once a decision's been made on that claim if you're given LCWRA then you'll receive an extra £336 per month from the 4th month after you send your first fit note.

If you're given just LCW then your money will remain the same. With both LCW and LCWRA you'll receive a work allowance, this means you'll be able to earn a certain amount of money before you start to see deductions, which are 63p for every £1 you earn. How much your work allowance will be will depend on circumstances. See link. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Work-allowance-Universal-Credit

poppy123456 · December 2019

Tulip890 said:

i have given up entirely of any hope after 2 unsuccessful appeals and the humiliation of it - the whole things is slanted towards physical disability

Hi,

may i ask which benefit you're talking about please? and when you say appeal do you mean Tribunal?

Either way, lots of people claim PIP and limited capability for work for mental health as well as physical conditions.

[Deleted User] · December 2019

Yes pip after I was on DLA for the best part of 10 years - I now get absolutely nothing including the working tax credit I used to get - I had professional representation both times from citizens advice - so literally have to force myself to work whether I am well enough or not - I believe the government hope that people will either do this - kill them selves with work or just kill themselves full stop.

poppy123456 · December 2019

DLA and PIP are different benefits with different criteria and claiming DLA for many years doesn't automatically entitle you to PIP. Unfortunately, if you don't meet the descriptors then you won't score the points for an award. Lots of people successfully claim PIP with mental health conditions it just depends how they are affected by them.

Although people do claim PIP and work, if the work you do contradicts the reasons for your claim then this can go against you.

thespiceman · December 2019

Hello @evesy Pleased to meet you.

I am one of the community champions.

On the forum.

Please may I suggest get some support in your PIP claim.. From mental health charities used these three.

https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

Telephone 020 7697 3300

https://www.mind.org.uk.

Telephone 0300 123 3393

https://www.rethink.org.

Telephone 0121 522 7007

Please can I advise on mental health, benefits, welfare, anything else.

Might not be in all areas.

Useful attending tribunals, assessments.

Hope that helps.

@thespiceman

thespiceman · December 2019

Hello @Tulip890 Please if you having problems accessing support for your health conditions.

Please get in touch see how I very much can help.

I am one of the community champions, have a lot of knowledge, information on any relevant support.

All community members what they have, cope with, deal with. There is a charity, organisation .

One point the whole benefit system is complex, confusing. There is no favouritism to wards disability in any assessments.

I have been claiming long time. Have disability, mental illness.

Is get help, support. Use some one to assist you. Ask them to fill in forms.

Know very often what to put in them.

Please if I can help further get in touch.

@thespiceman

evesy · December 2019

thanks spiceman will keep you posted.

PIP assessment 0 points for bipolar and now a tribunal asking for medical records has anyone

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