OCD & PIP

2

Comments

  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,506 Championing
    Hi @griff11, I appreciate that with the current situation it might take a bit longer to hear anything back.

    How are things during lockdown at the moment for you and your family?
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    Hi @Chloe_Scope  I've had a letter from Tribunal asking inviting us to submit further evidence like a letter from me detailing how her condition affects her.  I've only just finished letter today as I became quite upset the first couple of attempts as seeing it in writing is grim.  I did the letter giving a bit of background of how it escalated, how we interact with her i.e support, reassurance (worse thing ever for OCD), the treatment we had helped her source both NHS & Private and reasons why and then a typical day.  I referenced in the supporting documentation she had supplied at appeal. The letter states the DWP have to respond by 16th June and they should supply me with details of their response. I've seen nothing yet.   Is there a timescale from this as to when the appeal will be held.  I assume it will be a telephone appeal if we are still in lockdown?

    At home we re still rubbing along!  4 adults, 2 working from home and as we are in Wales still more restricted with lockdown.  We don't/can't venture out much.  My hubby has had updated shielding letter from Welsh Govt. telling him to shield until August.  I've had to buy masks, which I really didn't want to do as this all affects my daughter's contamination OCD, but we might have compulsory situations as lockdown eases.  I've explained to my daughter it's just precautionary to try not to panic her and they are disposable.

    Hope all is well with you.
  • definitelymaybe
    definitelymaybe Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    hi griff11 i'm new here, hope  your daughter is doing well. Is there a way we could PM each other on here? :) 
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    I've sent you a private message.  First time I've tried, hope it reaches you.
  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,506 Championing
    Hi, just wanted to let you know that PM's are not moderated by our team. If you receive something that you are not happy with then please do email us at community@scope..org.uk.
  • definitelymaybe
    definitelymaybe Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    griff11 said:
    I've sent you a private message.  First time I've tried, hope it reaches you.
    thank you i've finally got round to replying! 
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    Received a text 30th June to say DWP had responded and we should get a copy - nothing yet.  Same text said hearing could be months away.  

  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,506 Championing
    Fingers crossed it's not much longer @griff11! 
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    Still waiting for date for appeal hearing!
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited August 2020
    griff11 said:
    Still waiting for date for appeal hearing!

    I think the average wait now is about 32 weeks, from the time you request the appeal.

    Face to face hearings are suspended still, so it could be a telephone hearing that she has. The best evidence that she can send is anecdotal evidence, just a couple of recent examples of what happened the last time she attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to her.
  • cupcake88
    cupcake88 Posts: 1,412 Trailblazing
    Hello there I just read back your post . I have ocd as one of my mental illness mine is based on keeping safe and checking every thing is safe in the house . I do not work I have had Periods of my life when I would work But hardly go in and hardly be able to focus so I understand . You can work and claim pip as far as I know so your daughter having a job shouldn’t of affected the pip decision .

    i really hope your daughter does get pip she sounds like she certainly deserves it I know how much ocd can take over your life .

    i had a phone assessment and I really made no sense that day so I doubt I’ll get pip but I hope I do . 

    So in the MR your only 2 points off from getting pip so fingers crossed your daughter will be heard by the tribunal . Please keep us updated and really best of luck  
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    @Username_removed from DWP reasons for their decisions it's based on fact ages of normal build (she's a size 10/12) !  

    @cupcake88 sorry to hear you also struggling with OCD and hope you have successful outcome from your assessment. 

    @p@poppy123456 I Hope I've done this by setting out a typical day and where the issues are .  Trouble is with OCD it constantly evolves .  So she's eased up on drowning the taps in kitchen where are washes her hands (kitchen feels safe washing zone to her so she does her teeth there too) but the accidental touching of her eg brushing past her has escalated.  Her mood has also got much lower and she just cried all day Friday because she felt so bad.  

    I also tried not ordering her medication for her - it's online and monthly reminder in her phone ( but that's often not used during day as too dirty to bring downstairs ). so for 2 months on  trot she's run out !  I'm doing it to try to force her to focus on the need to reorder and reduce her relying on myself or her partner for this!  
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    Just to update you she is still waiting for an appeal date.  

    On a positive note her work contract has been extended.  The full time working from home due to Covid has helped with her meeting her work committments and her employer knows about her OCD and are supportive so if she says she having a panic attack and needs to shower or just take some time to calm down they are happy for her to do so.  This has lifted her mood so much as her previous employer constantly criticised her for her Mental Health.  She now wishes she had gone for constructive dismissal when she resigned last year due to the Directors behaviour but she wasn't well enough to do so and the time limit is so short.

    She doesn't leave the house much unfortunately but is taking some vitamin supplements to help with her stomach issues she's just become so reliant on her partner to check each day she's taking her medication and me to order it!  I again tried not doing it and she had to "borrow" from Pharmacy as she'd run out and it takes 2 days to get prescription from GP.

    She's also trying to get a referral for a long standing middle ear issue.  She's had antibotics for repeated infections for over 2 years and had a nasty episode of vertigo where she was vomitting and severe head pain after bending head forward.  We might have to go down private route as it's proving challenging with NHS.  She uses a otovent daily to try to relieve pressure in ear which helps.

    Her OCD is still dominating her life.    A funny thing happened when she went away for a weekend with her fiance.  She refused to use hair dryer in cottage as she thought it was dirty.  So she sent him off around this remote village to buy a hairdryer!!    He was gone almost 2 hours searching for one by which time her panic attack had subsided and she decided to just use her antibac wipes that she takes everywhere with her to clean the dirty hair dryer.  So he returned with a new (and **** apparently) hair dryer and she's sitting there with dry hair!!  The man has the patience of a saint!  p.s. in case you are wondering why he didn't just wipe the hairdryer for her, it's because intially her panic attacks make her very angry and she's disassociates and is  unresponsive to any input plus therapists have also told us we must stop trying to "save" her by offering a solution.  This only feeds OCD.
  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,506 Championing
    Hi @griff11, thank you for taking the time to update us. I'm glad lockdown has helped her with work and that they have been a lot more understanding. Although I imagine it hasn't been easy.

    How have you been? :)
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    @Chloe_Scope I'm good.  Keeping busy doing nothing as I'm retired and my husband was shielding till mid August so limited going out and about .  My volunteering keeps my mind active though .  Hope all well with you 
  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,506 Championing
    Glad to hear that @griff11. :)

    The community is always here if you want a natter!
  • Comicmadtitan
    Comicmadtitan Online Community Member Posts: 69 Contributor
    Hey @griff11! I want to say I know what your daughter is going through but each of us are unique in terms of our mental health and how it affects us. But I too suffer with varying types of OCD including contamination OCD so I know how debilitating it can be, I really hope things go okay for her and the rest of you, and if you need to ask me for any insight into OCD and whatnot, don't hesitate to ask! 
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    @Comicmadtitan
    Thank you for your offer of support 
  • griff11
    griff11 Online Community Member Posts: 148 Empowering
    I had a phone call today from DWP who were reviewing the case before appeal and they wanted to clarify a few points  and they have changed the award to enhanced rate for both daily living and mobility.  She has to clarify for how long the award is but she thinks 2 years and a letter will be sent out confirming.  Daughter is so happy that she's believed.  My letter setting out a typcial day was described as very powerful!!  
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Great news @griff11 vet you are relieved especially not having to go through the appeal

    Really pleased she is doing better too

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