Lies on pip assessment report

Letters of a diagnosis are good but not the greatest. PIP isn't about a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect you daily. Conditions affect people differently and you'll never get 2 people the same, which is why PIP isn't about a diagnosis.  Evidence that's needed should be based on those descriptors. Printed list of all current medication is good but you'll need other evidence to go with this.

I'm not sure what your local MP can do to help you but there's no harm in trying.

They very rarely contact anyone for evidence, if they do it's rare. Does your GP have anything in your medical records that you can use as evidence? Usually when i go to hospital appointments the letters that are sent to my GP are CC'd to me too. Do you not have any sent to you.

Please also bear in mind that you can only cancel an appointment once, so think carefully before canceling any.

I would advice sending them a letter from your GP stating the reasons why you need a home assessment. I know you were told it won't help but i'd at least try if it was me.

I also know that in extreme circumstances they will pay for a taxi for you to attend the assessment, if they won't agree to a home assessment. Could your support worker go with you, if a taxi was granted? This could be an option here.

Hi

I do have medical evidence on my records yes but they are refusing it is of any use and also my GP said there is a charge for report.

I have long standing history on my medical records of mental health also trauma involving various of things I should be dead i am lucky to be alive i know but i am not living a normal life i have provided evidence of professionals involved also hospital admittance from fitting on public transport. 😓

I dont know if i can go through with this consultation

Hi,

Lots of GP do charge for anything you ask for from your medical records, it's pretty much standard now across the country.

When you say you've given evidence of professionals involved do you mean you gave their names? Or actual paper evidence about your conditions and how they affect you?

You say you have a support worker, is this arrange by a Social Worker? Or just someone you know that support you?

Its a professional supporting me employed from my local council.

She can give me lifts to appointments and supports me with phone calls and advise. It took me along time to admit i needed help i just tryed ignore how i was feeling. I had an awful childhood was abused by a family member when i was 5, attempted suicide by consuming bleach at 13, admitted to hospital in 2001 with 10% chance of survival after domestic violence incident resulting in an attempted murder charge against me .i had to have a tacheoptmy theres all medical evidence about this. My son was then still born in 2011 my ex partner turned to alchol and killed himself age 35 in 2016.

I put the names and addresses and phone numbers of professionals involved. My GP as also agreed for them to contact her aswell but they won't.

I filled in the form how my conditions affect me best i could.

Its difficult when i have no much support.

Is there still time to request more evidence from my GP?

It's very very rare for them to contact any medical professional. The onus is on the claimant to send the evidence with the form.

Just filling out the form isn't enough as evidence is needed to support your claim.

You can ask your GP yes but like i said there maybe a charge for any evidence they can give you. This can be anything up to £50 if it evidence taken from your medical records. For a letter from your GP then it could be less than that. It totally depends on the GP practice how much they charge.

You can ask someone that knows you well to write you a letter of support. You can also write a diary yourself. Both of these are classed as evidence. Back it up with other medical evidence.

I couldn't tell you if all of that will be enough to get them to agree to a home assessment though. You didn't answer my question about someone going with you to the assessment if they agreed to a taxi. They can agree to a taxi in extreme circumstances and they will pay for the cost. If that appointment time is too early then you can of course change it but only once, so think carefully before doing this.

I really don't know what else to advice you at this point. Lots of people are awarded successfully for mental health conditions, it's just proving those descriptors apply to you that's the difficult part. Good luck!!

Thankyou for all of your advice.

The transport part is not a problem as support worker as own car.

I can't change the appointment time it as already been changed once, struggling daily to do anything and i have been housebound for months.

The thought of leaving my front door sends me into panic. I do not want to see anyone😓

You're welcome.

I wish there was an easy solution to a more straight forward PIP claim but sadly there isn't. I wish you good luck with your claim and hope that you're successful. If the decision does come back as a refusal then there's a far better chance success of the appeal route MR/Tribunal than there is of starting another claim from the beginning.

I also hope that your therapy waiting list isn't too long. Good luck and take care.

Kerry I hate to say this but as you have pointed out you have changed your appointment once so you cannot do it again, if you don't attend then you will automatically forfeit you right to PIP and that means you will have to start again, I'm sure that that's not what you want so sadly unless you can get them to change it to a home assesment then you will have to bite the bullet and attend on the date they have given you. I'm maybe harsh but sometimes we have to do things that put us under pressure, afterwards you will be glad you did because if you don't you want be able to say it was their fault, we do sometimes have to be responsible for our actions, it will be fine, make it a fun day out, take a picnic 🙄🙄🙄

Great post Alex, thanks! It was what i wanted to say but didn't. Sometimes it's so much better to let them see exactly how you are during these assessments. I do realise exactly how stressful they are for everyone but unfortunately if we want to claim the benefits successfully it has to be done.

I don't know how the process of claiming a benefit like this. I worked it made my condition worse resulting in me collasping and being taken to hospital by ambulance the hospital put it down to a panic attack i have them at home aswell. Its horrible when it happens as i have no reconciliation of it. Happening at home i got by somehow i attended my GP i referred me to a neurologist i am still waiting but when it started happening in public last year since then i can't leave my home. 😪 ive no interest in anything anyone. Not one person i can turn to. But i am expected to go and sit infront of a complete stranger.

Picnic of my meds i will take.

Kerry I know I sound harsh but mental health is my background and like you I have had a tough childhood and have suffered with GAD since I was 11/12 and had to fight for support on my own as I had no help from family at the time, it's not easy i understand that but we do have choices, we can do what my mum sadly did which was just give in to her mental health and become completely housebound for over 17 years before she died at not a great age or we can do everything in our power to get the best quality of life that we can and try really hard to beat it, I worked a extremely hard and still do to develop coping strategies, they don't always work but I get by, I also have 5 debilitating physical illnesses, one of these was the result of an accident which means my left leg is useless, I still try my best to be as mobile as I can and as independent as I can, I also believe that their are external influences that can excaberate our anxiety and panic disorders including smoking/drinking and what we eat. If you want this benefit, which if we are unable to have a good quality of life this helps no end, I would be house restricted if I lost it. You have to do your best to meet the DWP half way, it want be great but that's something you will have your support worker to help you deal with.

You know how your panic attacks effect you, they are horrendous I know but they want kill you they just feel like they will 😒😒

I'm just so scared.

Admitting i had a problem was a massive step for me. Its not that i do not want to live a normal life i do but after so much i thought i was strong enough to ignore how i was really feeling. Which was a massive mistake.

I am on 60MG fluxetine so no Alchol. And i am on Propanolol.

I get confused i dont want people judeing me. Ive been housebond and cut off from society for many months.

No one knows what its really like untill they've been through it themselfs.

I am so sorry Alex you too have been suffering since childhood it's awful x

It is but their are three options, giving in completely and excepting a crappy life, fighting to improve your existence of noooo death, I decided that I want it to be as good as it can be.

If you look on this site there's one for panic/anxiety etc have you seen it

I totally agree with everything Alexandria has said. If you want to successfully claim these benefits you have to have a face to face assessment.

I know exactly what you're going through because i live with someone exactly like this. I go through it every single day with her. If it wasn't for the support she gets from myself then she wouldn't be able to get through each day. She also has a learning disability which makes matters even worse because her mental capacity is also affected.

Yes you will be asked questions about your daily life and how your condition affects you. The questions they ask you will be based on the PIP descriptors. They may even ask you the same question multiple times to try to trick you. The length on time for the assessment varies and can be anything from 20 mins to 2 hours. Take someone with you so you can talk to them while you wait to go in to the room. Take them into the assessment with you. They won't be able to answer any questions for you but they will be able to prompt you. All these assessments are scary, there's no doubt about that but we have to go through them if we want the benefits we're entitled to.

https://patient.info/forums/categories/mental-health-25

Not knowing if i will be ok on the day or how i will be because of my medication is worrying me.

I've nothing to hide; its going out in public even leaving my bedroom daily i can't. I get chronic neck pain and stomach cramps reliving past traumatic events. I blocked out for so long and thought I'd dealt with the loss of my still born son and ex partner.

I know it's not easy but you need to go to the other part of the forum to the link I sent you, their are lots of people who have been through this and thankfully come out the other side