PIP assessment nightmare might have been positive. — Scope | Disability forum
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PIP assessment nightmare might have been positive.

tabula123456
tabula123456 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
Hi folks, I just want to say hello to everyone before I go into what I want to say. So.... hello everyone.  

I recently had my face to face assessment (03/08/18) and although I have had many bad experiences in my life that assessment is up there with them. I had a severe panic attack in the room but carried on nonetheless. On Friday night and all of Saturday and Sunday. I seemed to have fallen off a cliff. My mood slumped at an incredible rate. But when I woke up this morning I was incredibly angry and determined never to go through that again. So I've started formulating plans to begin some sort of hobby in order to try and stabilise my moods that will eventually and hopefully lead to getting off this cruel system. My question is, if i started a hobby, such as bird-watching from my back door, which I used to do very casually many years ago, or take up oil painting again. Would I have to let the PIP people know I have started this? I'm not sure what, if anything, will come from it so I don't know if it's important enough to declare.

Thank you, in advance, for any help, it is much appreciated. 

Alan

Comments

  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering

    tabula123456
    tabula123456

    Hi Alan, I'm really sorry to hear about your assessment, which sounds like a horrible experience for you. But I'm glad you are feeling determined as a result. In regards to taking up the types of hobby you mention, I'd advise that there is initially no need to tell PIP about this. The changes which affect your entitlement to PIP are changes which improve your ability to do the PIP activities - eg washing/dressing, cooking, going to the toilet, getting about, interacting with people, communicating etc. 

    If you feel that any of these things have got easier for you, then you should let PIP know - and you would expect to be reassessed. But bird watching & oil painting in themselves don't suggest to me that you would necessarily be experiencing an improvement in the PIP activities (oil painting is a bit harder to comment on, as if you are using your hands to do this then your ability to paint may be related to some of the activities, such as dressing).

    For a full list of the PIP activities, see here.

    With your assessment being last Friday, you should hear from DWP within the next four weeks (that's the time scale they are currently giving following assessments!) Best of luck, I really hope the outcome is correct, and if it isn't, you will get lots of support on here if you decide to challenge it.

    Will
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • HazelRoethenbaugh
    HazelRoethenbaugh Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    That’s great advice Will. I am a very new newbie to this group. The first post I read is Alan’s asking for help and I was so pleased to read your advice in full with links to other areas that might be useful to Alan.

    I am so glad I clicked the link from Facebook ?
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    edited August 2018
    Welcome to the community @tabula123456: I really hope today is a better day for you, and that the above response from Will helps. You may also like to join in our recent community discussion about hobbies and interests. Do keep in touch and let us know how you get on, and we'll support where we can.
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @HazelRoethenbaugh, and a warm welcome to the community! Do get involved, and if we can be of any assistance, just let us know.
  • Yadnad
    Yadnad Posts: 2,856 Disability Gamechanger
    It all depends on where you scored your points. If you scored for something that you can now do then you should tell the DWP. 
  • tabula123456
    tabula123456 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    Wow folks thank you so much for your replies. It brought a little tear to my eye. I always new this kind of support was out there but I was never of the mind to join in. I'm more of a solitary person and feel quite antisocial and awkward at times, I seem to prefer it that way or at least I have convinced myself that I do. 

    Will's suggestions are excellent. I showed them at my assessment that I had no problems with upper body movements. And told them that I occasionally sit at the back door and have some tea. So I think that holding a pair of binoculars and a paint brush for short periods of time is not outside my scoring range. 

    Again thank you very much,

    Alan

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