Pip stopped. What about my esa? — Scope | Disability forum
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Pip stopped. What about my esa?

crazyjan
crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
Help! Hope I'm in the right place to ask this. My pip has been stopped. Gone from enhanced in both sections to zero points. Literally suicidal as this can't possibly be right. Question is, will they now stop my esa? Will I now be assessed for that as well? I am in the support group. Thanks.

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    HI,

    Your ESA could be affected yes but it won't stop completely. Were you claiming the severe disability premium because you live alone and no one claims carers allowance for looking after you? If you were claiming this then this will also stop because of the PIP.

    For the PIP decision you have 1 month from the date of that decision to request the MR. I'd advise you to contact a local advice agency near you.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi crazyjan

    ESA is separate to PIP so loss of your PIP should not trigger an assessmant for ESA. However if you receive SDP as part of your ESA  then this will also stop.

    Have you asked for a copy of the assessment report ?
    You have 28 days from the date on your decision letter to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. You should put your request in writing saying which descriptors you should have score in an give 2-3 examples of what happens when you attempt each activity
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • Deb_Alumni
    Deb_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 180 Pioneering
    edited June 2019

    Hi @crazyjan

    I am sorry to read your post and concerned with your comment that you are "Literally suicidal as this can't possibly be right"

    You are a member of our community and we appreciate you. If you are having thoughts of suicide, it is important that you discuss them with someone who is qualified to help. Please call the Samaritans on 116 123 (free) or email them at jo@samaritans.org

    You might also benefit from reading MIND’s information on how you can help yourself: 

    http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/suicidal-feelings/how-can-i-help-myself/ 

    If you feel that you may be an immediate danger to yourself, please call 999 or go to your local hospital right away. 

    I see that our members have been in contact with you about your PIP assessment and have provided advice and support which I hope has helped?

    Best wishes

    Debbie


    Debbie
    Online Community Manager
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    Thanks everyone. I have requested a mandatory. Reconsideration. I don't get severe disability with my esa. I live with my husband who is now watching me 24/7 as I don't know how we will manage financially. He says well be fine, but we've lost nearly £600 a month! Also, the decision letter didn't sound as it it was about me. For example, she said I didn't appear anxious but I was crying, fidget, and my husband had to keep stopping me chewing my fingers. I hear voices and all this has made them worse. I have an appt with psychiatrist but not til the end of this month. Sorry, long rant but thank you all so much for being there.
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    I am relieved to know that my esa shouldn't be affected.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    If your husband was claiming Carers Allowance for looking after you then this will stop. If he was you will be £36 per week worse off for your ESA.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    Thanks poppy. You've put my mind at rest a bit. He wasn't claiming Carers Allowance so I take it my esa will stay the same. I'm really shocked over my pip stopping. My mental and physical health is worse than the last time I was assessed. I just don't understand. I took GP letter with me, it appears to have been ignored. Her point scoring was wrong all the way through. E.g. she said I didn't need help dressing and undressing and gave me zero. But I have a long term shoulder condition and have very limited range of movement , x Ray confirmation, eight months on waiting list for surgery. Husband has to help me wash and dress. Why did she give me o points? I should have had 4. Really sorry for my long moaning. Can't moan to hubby as he is pretty upset too. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    Then your ESA won't be affected.

    You say you took a letter from your GP with you? Did you send any other relevant evidence to support your claim? Letters from GPs aren't the best evidence to send because a GP very rarely knows how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

    For the MR request then you need to do as CockneyRebel suggested above.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    Ok. I will ask for a copy of my report. I'm scared to read it !
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    If there are any lies in the report you should ignore those because DWP/Tribunal won't be interested in any of those. Concentrate on the advice above from CockneyRebel. Any complaints about the report should be sent to the health assessment providers.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    No. I can't do it. I don't think I would cope with reading a copy of my report. I haven't stopped regularly bursting into tears since the decision letter arrived. Is it possible to carry on without the copy? I have moved recently (50 miles) so don't have access to CMHT who know me, but they did support me 2 years ago with my last pip f2f which awarded me enhanced daily living and mobility. I'm still being referred to new MH team here. I have asked my GP if there is a possibility he could write me a support letter along the lines of _ because of my diagnoses, the balance of probability swings in my favour that my life would be impacted in the ways I have described. I offered to show the assessor my arms, covered in scars, an absolute mess, , some obviously recent, as evidence of how I react to stress. How else can I prove I never prepare or cook a meal because this is what happens when I handle knives? If a CPN wrote this in a support letter, she would be believed?? But I'm not?? I'm so , so sorry for another long rant. Crying again now. I feel stigmatized, humiliated, embarrassed.... I am not a liar because I have MH problems, yet this is what the assessor and DWP are implying. No, I really couldn't cope with reading that assassin's report. Thanks again for listening.


  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    Sorry! Should be assessor's report, not assassin's report. Predictive text would be funny if there wasn't the possibility of this becoming true. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2019
    I'm sorry you're feeling this way. Please do get some help if you have any bad thoughts, the samariatans are always there for you to speak to.

    A letter from your GP isn't the greatest evidence to send because asking them to write something like that would be patient lead, so wouldn't be evidence. Your GP could also charge you for this letter and paying for a letter that isn't really going to help is pointless.

    Do you have any past letters from the mental health team? Was your GP sent anything from them? When myself and my daughter have appointments our GP is sent a letter and we are CC'd into it so receive the same letter. I usually keep all those and use them as evidence.

    It's also free to receive digital copies of your medical records, you have to pay for paper copies.

    A CPN could write a supporting letter yes, if they know you well enough. It should state how your conditions affect you against the PIP descriptors.

    Is there any advice agency you can go to for help? Maybe welfare rights or a law centre near you? Pop your post code into this link to see what's in your area. https://advicelocal.uk/

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    Thanks poppy. I'm going to drop the whole thing as I know I can't keep myself safe during this process. I have posted my request for MR, plus my husband wrote a long letter as well.(, but I doubt they would believe him either.) I can't do this. Even with a lot of help, I would still have to be involved in the process and I just can't cope with it. Been up all night, worrying and crying. It's not worth it. Thanks anyway for being so kind and responding so quickly. This is a great site.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    You're welcome. Most MR decisions remain the same. Please reconsider and fight for what you think you deserve. If you're successful all the money will be backdated to the date the PIP stopped.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • crazyjan
    crazyjan Community member Posts: 56 Pioneering
    My last update - 
    thanks to all on this site who have listened to my moans and been so friendly. I managed to send off my request for a MR. After waiting five weeks I received a text saying I should hear within ten weeks. Seconds after receiving the text I had a dissociative episode and badly slashed my arm. Hubby has contacted DWP urgently to request that they contact him, not me, and we've put it in writing, but I'm finished. I simply can't cope with the stress of the process. How can I go from enhanced PIP to nothing when my physical and mental health has deteriorated over the past two years? It's not logical. So the DWP has won. I really wish you all well, and good luck if you've got the strength to fight them.
  • buzzer
    buzzer Community member Posts: 106 Pioneering
    @crazyjan, sorry to hear the turmoil you are suffering currently. I have seen the effect this process has on my partner.

    Have you got the support of your CMHT or MIND https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

    May I suggest your hubby applies to be your appointee, this does help the process although it takes a few weeks to put it place. It will lessen the pressure on you. 
    Take care x

    Try & be kind to one another even if we may have different views. 

  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,882 Disability Gamechanger

Brightness

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