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Pip

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  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    edited July 2019
    Poppy why do you always point out the negative things. You arent very helpful. How can you say most stay the same when everyone knows that there is a good chance at MR. Usually this is by seeking help to help with your claim to make sure your affects of your illness are justifiable via the relevant evidence. 
    @suzy_sugar2005 - forgive me but it's difficult to give the facts a positive spin - only 18% change at MR, 82% remain the same so the overwhelming majority don't get the result that they were hoping for.

    Your post that "everyone knows that there is a good chance at MR" sounds very positive but it is completely wrong.

    Similarly 'any medical history showing how it is affecting you can be very helpful'  - this is very true - but the fact is that most medical notes, consultant's letter's, repeat prescriptions etc do not fall into this category. 

    This is because most medical professionals diagnose and treat illnesses - and any reports they make are to record what they think is wrong with you, why, and what they propose to do about it. This 'evidence' will most likely have no mention of the impact that your condition has on daily living.

    I have a file stuffed full of GP's and consultants reports - dozens of pages - but only three pages are of any use as regards PIP. This is a report from an OH consultant who examined me to decide whether or not I was capable of remaining in my job. He diagnosed nothing - but reported the difficulties I had getting up/down, concluded that I couldn't use a keyboard, how long I could work due to tiredness etc. 

    In my opinion Poppy is correct in what she says in her post (and others) - few cases change at MR & there is little point in sending lots of medical notes that say nothing about how your condition affects you. 

    You obviously disagree with her, and me, but, as with any advice, it's a matter of deciding whether it's accurate or not and then deciding whether  to follow it.

    That's a matter for you...

    Good luck to you, in any event.....
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    I am just so confused with it all. Dont even wanna continue applying for it anymore. I cant figure out what's best to do. It's just all too much and I'm constantly crying. 
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    @suzy_sugar2005 ... I'm sorry to hear that, genuinely.

    If you're getting confused there's probably nothing to be gained by offering any further advice.

    You're confident that attaching lots of medical notes is the way to go - stick with your opinion, and go with that!

    ...and let us know what happens..

    Good luck!
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    @buzzer Amen to that. 

    @cristobal unfortunately for me it's the only way to prove my illness. Being constantly fobbed off with wrong treatments is not my fault so my behaviours and how it affects me daily unfortunately for me rely on hospital admissions and police reports. How else can I expect them to believe I act in that way. Me explain to them and they believe me??

    Given my illness you might want to think about 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,345 Disability Gamechanger
    I will also like to point out that using medical terms really doesn't help you. All you have to do is explain in simple everyday words and tell it exactly how it is. If you can't do something regularly, reliably at least 50% of the time over a 12 month period then you need to explain why you can do that activity and what happened the last time you attempted it.


    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.
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    Ok so what about fluctuating conditions that are kept at bay with medication and secluding myself away from my triggers. 

    How do I show that and how do I show what I'm like off meds. They need justification. 
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    edited July 2019
    @suzy_sugar2005....

    I agree with you!

    Medical notes are the best way for you to "prove your illness" - but that's not what PIP is about; it's about how your illness prevents you carrying out daily tasks.

    I don't know whether this will help you or not - I hope that it will.

    I kept a diary over a couple of weeks - nothing fancy, just an A4 page which I photocopied so I've got a page for each day. Each page listed what I had difficulty with, as a reminder. For me it was getting dressed, preparing food, and bathing that were the main things...

    After a couple of weeks I'd got notes that said, for example, On 'Day 1' I was too tired to do anything so I couldn't cook lunch, I dropped my plate, my legs were stiff so it took me longer to get dressed and i couldn't get my socks on so I went without, I couldn't get in the bath etc etc.

    I found this useful - although I do know that others don't share my opinion!

    It's also, in my opinion, a good way of showing how often something happens if you are asked. When asked by the assessor "How often does your wife have to put your socks on?" I could say, confidently, "Every day this week, and five days the week before."

    My condition is obviously different to yours but I think I'd explain why you are different when you are 'on and off' medication, and what help you are getting from my GP. My meds wear off, for example, but they're the best bet overall...


  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    I have difficulty concentrating. I cannot do most descriptors in a timely manner. For example with me 

    If I was suffering from an out of body experience due to overwhelming psychological distress I cannot function properly. 

    This is the risk I face every day 

    My triggers are my emotions and they can cause me to act inappropriately and impulsively. 
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    So with regards to how often I cannot say because my meds calm my anger and anxiety 
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    But I have medical evidence of years of seeking help for it and admissions and trying different meds 
  • saz11
    saz11 Community member Posts: 121 Pioneering
    edited July 2019
    @poppy123456 Your helpful and clear advise given is what is needed. Information from DWP can be very confusing so i just look on here and usually always find the answer. Keep advising your knowledge is invaluable and thank you for giving your time to share.

    @cristobal Your last post on keeping daily notes very helpful i will start using this.
     




  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    edited July 2019
    @suzy_sugar2005 - I think a diary could really help.

    Rather than say 'I cannot do most descriptors' then you will, at some stage, have to be more specific. Maybe start with the ones that you think you have most problems with and add some more later on as you think about them?

    I found it was useful to ask my partner - there were some times when i thought that I was fine, and yet she said i was really down!
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    I started a diary over a week ago and I'm doing well to keep up with it, basing it around my emotions. 
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    @suzy_sugar2005 well done!

    Do you have anyone that can add things that maybe they see but you don't?
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    No one understands in my family I am alone with my 2 boys just fighting for a better healthier life
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    edited July 2019
    @suzy_sugar2005 - sorry to hear that.

    Might not be appropriate but are you able to seek face to face advice if it was local?

    Good luck anyway...come back if you need anything else....
  • suzy_sugar2005
    suzy_sugar2005 Community member Posts: 61 Courageous
    No only when they have told me no then welfare rights. But I think that's the best route because I need to focus on my health and this is not helping 
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    @suzy_sugar2005..you're right...your health is the most important thing..

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