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PIP Assessment - assessor medical knowledge

So my son has had his assessment back and was unsuccessful. I will go for MA but have a query regarding the assessor medical knowledge. My understanding is the person undertaking the report will not be medically qualified. Yet the person who completed my son's report has stated that there is no proof that my son has panic attacks as he is not prescribed any related medication. Now he is prescribed medication (fluoxetine/prozac) which he has been told by his GP and at least two psychiatrists is to help him with his anxiety. The manufacturers accompanying leaflet also states this medication is for treatment of anxiety disorder. On the basis the DWP does not seem to accept/want to know about medical opinion when it comes to PIP's, do I have to accept that the assessor is correct and these highly trained medical professionals (plus manufacturers) know nothing? Or maybe the assessor 'googled' fluoxetine, saw it was for anxiety but does not know about the relationship between anxiety and panic attacks, and I need to point that out?
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Replies
Now as regards the MR what you need to do is go through the report and look where your son didn't score points but you think he should have and try and give some real life examples of when he tried to do something but couldn't and why.
Some MR's do succeed but it won't be a bad idea to look into the appeals process and seek if possible help with that.
If you didn't cover it when you originally completed the PIP2 this will help you to work out what extra information you may need to include with the MR.
So, for example, does the claim pack explicitly list the meds but then go on to explain who prescribed; why and so on. If it doesn’t then you know what needs fixing. If it does then you next focus on your descriptions of those panic attacks. Notably, did you describe how often; what the triggers are; what happens explicitly and in detail when a panic attack happens and give detailed examples of specific incidents? Using a intake like “panic attack” is meaningless for example. They are totally different for different people. One person might scream and flee. Another person might be wholly silent and freeze to the spot. If the claim pack simply asserts that he has panic attacks but doesn’t include that level of detail then that’s the issue you need to fix in order to get PIP rather than the HCP or their report.
A HCP does not require medical expertise to spot gaps in evidence.
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