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MH changes

Natslol123
Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
edited August 2019 in PIP, DLA, and AA
Hello, i hope someone can helo. I basically got a letter to dee they reviewed my case again because og the changes made by MHV DWP and that they dont beliebe it applies to me. They already have reeeeels of evidence saying why i need accompanyment when out and about. Anyway was told can have a MR on this area and i told them i would send in more medical evidence and a written MR. Im awaiting letters from my GP and a meeting with my CPN next week. In the meantime i contacted my MP as i dont trust DWP and my 3 yearly reviews have a massive impact on me. Ive not long come out the psyk ward as i cant deal with it. A memeber of her team said they contacted DWP to say i dont need to send medical evidence and the only way my award could be extebded was if i was to have qnother assessment when my award was up. I explained to her i requested a MR and that's why i will send them extra info. Also explained many people hqve had their award lenghth extended without reassessment as ive read so many times on forums. My esa has no end dqte as my doctor had put that my mental health and physical limitations are permanent and  unlikely to improve. I have requested this to be in my pip letter too. Does anyone have any experience of this? How likely are they to extend my award during the MR for plqnning and undertaking a journey if both my care co ordinator mental  health team and gp say my conditions are permanent t and unlikely to improve? 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    HI,

    PIP isn't about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activities based on the PIP descriptors. As you're talking about a decision that was made in the past because of the changes made to following and planning a journey then do be aware that they will only be able to take into consideration your condition at the time the original decision was made. Any worsening of condition since that date won't be taken into consideration.

    If you haven't already got face to face advice then i would advise you to do this. Good luck.
    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.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    edited August 2019
    Hello @Natslol123   Pleased to meet you welcome.

    Thank you for joining and sharing.

    I am one of the team of community champions. We guide, advise and help new members who join the community.

    Sorry to hear what you are going through.

    I would just like to add. I have mental health issues my self and know the most important aspect is to first get some support with any assessment.

    Also any advice or guidance as my friend @poppy123456 had added.

    One further piece of advice is to ask your support team who should be helping you to support you. Especially through the MR or even attending the assessment with you.

    This is something I recommend then the support worker can say how you are. Speak on your behalf.

    Often useful.

    Understand what your going through. Happy to be supportive. If I can help . Get in touch.

    Please take care wish you well.

    @thespiceman






    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Hi thank you for your replies. Yes the medical evidence ive requested states from 2016-present.i find it all so hard to deal with every few years. Its why o'e of my qs were even though my claim isnt up for reassessment yet, due to doing a MR becsue of them not increasing my mobility after looking at everyones cases because of the changes in law,
    If my supporting letter include the detrimental effect regular reassessments are having on my MH znd the fact bith my MH and PH limitations qre permanent how likely are they to take this into consideration? Re current lenghth of award x
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Natslol123 and a very warm welcome to the community! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us and I understand how stressful this can be. To echo other member, have you had any face to face advice about your claim?

    If you letters outline how this relates to the PIP criteria then this is a positive thing. However, it's unfortunately impossible for us to say if this will mean you are successful with the claim.
    Scope

  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Hi, yes ive got help from fightbqck4justice ive pqid them to do my MR as ive heqrd they have a good and successful reputation. My docs are suddenly being arses about my letter of support, wount allow me to speak 2 the doc, told me to write notes on xhat i want and drop it in which my support worker did. Rang for update admin woman that was meant to b sending tje notes to tje doc is on annual leave. Hqve to ring tom speqk 2 docs secretary. I feel like im sinking! :( my cpn is here tom to go tjrew writing a letter-shes my new cpn as my previous one left a few weeks back so i do't trust her as i dont know her and im very paranoid about and around other people. Im anxious worried sick, ive done nothing but lay in bed and cry. My gp was such a good support but now they have changed the way the surgery works im not even aloud to speak 2 him, as its classed as waisting valuable gp time 
  • Joanne_Alumni
    Joanne_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 188 Pioneering
    Hi @Natslol123,
    I have been reading your posts and you said that you are asking for an MR based on the planning and following the route of a journey descriptor of PIP.
    There is case law now that helps with this. In December 2017 the High Court ruled that the DWP have to consider "overwhelming psychological distress".  A person who cannot, even if accompanied by another person, follow a route because of overwhelming distress could score 10 points under 1(e) alone.
    Joanne 
    Scope
  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    @Joanne_Scope thank you for your reply. I think E is limited to c9nditions such as agrophoebia? Im probably wrong cant seem to digest anything. I got points for prompting even though i have a support worker assigned to me by the MH team for accompanying me out the house. From what ive read and been told in order to satisfy F 
     i need to show that
    1)i do leave the house on the majority of days
     2)i need accompanyment-why whqt would happen if i didnt have that accompanyment
    And some have said it has to be a proffessional trained in that area
    My MH review decision letter said "i avoid going out to avoid psychological distress" so need promting doesnt make sense to me. My brains like spaghetti junction :(
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    If you do not go out alone then the person that goes with you doesn't need to be a trained professional person, it can be anyone, family, friend etc etc.

    I do agree that you need to show that you leave the house on the majority of the days though.
    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.
  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    @poppy123456 thank you for your reply im having my MR done by fb4j which could take some time and im gathering my letters of support from MH worker qnd GP which should be ready soon showing this x
  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Just a q if anyone can help? Ok so my cpn/care co ordinator is going to write le a letter directly addressing planning and undertaking a journey. I asked for a gp letter who will basically use his letter and base theirs on it. The gp chqrhe £30 which i dont mind paying if it will cqrry any extra weight? Is my CPN letter enough? Or will a gp letter (saying the same) add more weight? 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    In my opinion paying £30 for a letter from your GP saying exactly the same thing is pointless. A GP very rarely knows exactly how our conditions affect us against the PIP descriptors, if they do then it's likely to be patient lead.
    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.
  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    I have spoken in depth with my gp and with regards to MH they tend to go off letters that are on the system from my MH team. So thats why im guessing it will be pretty much the same qs my cpn 's letter, some sqy the more evidence the better, but i dont know if thats right,
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,359 Disability Gamechanger
    I disagree with "more evidence is better" less is often more. I wouldn't pay any GP any amount of money for a supporting letter for a benefit claim for the reasons given above. If you look at the information when you receive a PIP form, it will tell you one of the things they don't want to see is a letter from a GP because they rarely know anything more than the basic information.

    No one can tell you whether or not you should pay the £30 that's up to you to decide. I can only advise you to the best of my ability.
    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.
  • Natslol123
    Natslol123 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Thank you @poppy123456 i agree with you. Does ly supporting letter hqve to tqlk about planning a journey? Do they not assule if i cant go out without accompanyment i cant plan a journey? 
  • cristobal
    cristobal Community member Posts: 984 Disability Gamechanger
    @Natslol123 - I tend to agree with Poppy on this...

    Personally I'm not a believer in sending mountains of paper unecesarily although, as you say, there are some posters who think that is the way to go..

    Check carefully that it is actually 'evidence' of something - i.e. relates to what tasks you have difficulty with rather than a diagnosis...

    The more that you send the less likely that it is that someone will read it ...
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Natslol123   Please may I suggest if you need support around your MR and anything assessment.

    I would as I advised previously speak to your support team and get a report from them.

    I do understand what you are going through.  Having done many of these assessments and much more.

    Please also may I add the support team you have are there to help you and give you what you need. To maintain the level of your mental health.

    Either coping mechanisms or strategies.  With a plan and aim and a goal so you can cope on your own. 

    If you having problems talking to you support or CPN or any one in your team.

    Please can I advise write down what you need and want and require from a service.

    I often used to give notes to my support worker . Please can I ask can you read that.  Thank you.

    Please can I add also if you having problems with Doctors. Use Rethink. There an advocate charity.

    Work with those of our community. Who have mental health conditions.

    Represent you at meetings or attend with you any support worker meetings.

    Discuss before hand with you what you need to say before any meeting with those helping you.

    https://www.rethink.org.

    Telephone 0300 500 0927 .

    One other point I would not pay a Doctor a fee for a report.

    If you collect your prescriptions on line.  Can access your records through the website you apply for your prescriptions.

    I signed up to Patients Access.  A website which allows me to get my prescriptions on line, make appointments. Also down load any medical records.

    If I need to.

    I know last assessment asked Support team . Gave me a report. For the PIP Form. Also did attend with me.  Speak on my behalf.

    I hope this helps you.

    Please if I can help with anything please ask.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman

    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes

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