Anyone else dealing with PIP/DWP?

[octoberstorms]

Failed assessment back in April (claimed for 2 years successfully for mental health- I'm 20). Assessor lied on feedback and the assessment questions are not related/geared towards people with MH problems at all.

It was the only money I had each month (can't work due to issues). Have been relying on my parents and boyfriend since which I feel awful about and hate.

Put in mandatory recon, which of course was declined (after they 'lost' my first MR despite me doing recorded delivery).

Now waiting for tribunal date. Says it could take 12-18months minimum.

WTF? NHS has been awful, can't get appointments to see a psychiatrist or mental health nurse or do certain therapies as 'I don't qualify for them/meet criteria' or they simply have none available for months on end.

I have literally no support, no money and am severely depressed and anxious. I suffer from ocd & an eating disorder as well so that's gotten so much worse too.

I don't know what the fuck to do, as it gets closer to Christmas I hit get angrier and angrier as I have no money and no life anymore. The £430pm I was claiming gave me so much independence back. I used it for private therapy costs, food costs and part rent to my boyfriend as well as having a little left over for clothes when needed/rare day out.

I am in a similar situation. They told a pack of lies about the initial assessment and now I’m going for mandatory reconsideration. I very much doubt I will get it, despite new evidence, but for my family’s sake I have to try.
I think the only way to change this is to get this government out, but once. Brexit comes in I don’t think there’ll be anything left for lame ducks 🙁. God help us

Let fightback do the form for you........ I don't even bother doing my sons anymore. There's a group on fb if you want more info. They'll even attend court with you etc.

Have you put in a claim for universal credit. I realise that pip is related to your difficulties but as you are not working you can put in a claim for uc. This will run along side your pip once it is sorted. You shouldn't have nothing coming in?

Yes i am currently going through appeal it is such a long drawn out frustrating process but hang in there, do you get ESA?

@unicornsarereal72 & @Mrsjayy I can't claim it apparently as my partner earns too much. (He doesn't have loads of spare cash to help me out though as he has so much debt from starting his business he has to pay back each month).

Can't live back with my parents as it makes my MH 1000% times worse.

I've felt so depressed today, only just got out of bed to get some breakfast (at 5pm lol). Christmas will be brutal this year.

@RubbingHimSourly I've done all the forms. My mum is a social worker so has loads of experience helping her patients so she helped me. She will also come to the tribunal with me.

Is your GP supportive? Are you on any meds or been offered any talking therapies?

@TitianaTitsling I've been on Prozac since I was 12. GP is nice but can't do much other than refer me and even then that has taken months before any appointment available. Even emergency crisis appointments are useless, they just check you won't kill yourself then you're back on the waiting list for ages.

I've only ever been offered 3 or 4 sessions of therapy at a time which is useless as most people need ongoing support.

I just feel useless! I'm 20, I'm supposed to be young and free fgs 😂 instead I spend all my time in the dark in bed unable to function. I've got no higher education as I had to leave school at 14 to go into hospital. I'm attempting an OU course in Feb next year but I'm not sure how that will go.

Put in a new claim for PIP. You can do that whilst your other claim goes to tribunal

I get ESA and i am married it used to be incapacity benefit I appreciate benefit names do change your money mightve been combined I would maybe contact jobcentre plus see if there is anything they can advise you on.

OP I'm sure a read an article earlier about someone in a similar situation to you and iirc they are trying to get the forms changed so they are more geared towards mh. Not sure if this will affect you but might be a good point moving forward.

@STCM654 Can you do that? I didn't know that, will definitely be something to look into this week. Thank you.

@Iwantacookie That's hopeful, they really do need to change the assessment process, it's appalling.

@octoberstorms yes you can.
They are geared towards MH people just don't real the form properly.

Daily living

Preparing food. 1D 2 points for needing prompting

Taking nutrition 2D 4 points for needing prompting

Taking meds and managing therapy 3B 1 point for prompting

Bathing 4C 2 points for needing prompting

Dressing 6C 2 points for needing prompting

Engaging with others 9B for needing prompting or 9C for needing social support

Mobilising

1B prompting 4 points

1D accompanied for unfamiliar journey 10 points

1E accompanied for any journey 12 points

Have a read up on the descriptors

@STCM654 Thank you so much, I'm going to put a new claim in.

I am totally loosing it with DWP and PIP form assesments tribunals. My son is autistic and we are made out to be liars CAB trying to help but who really care no one (screaming inside and out).

It's a nightmare, they make it like that. Do try for contribution based esa (not means tested) it's a disgrace

@octoberstorms I would really recommend making an appointment with Citizens Advice or your local Welfare Rights Advice Service.I used to fill in people’s forms and you really need sight of the descriptors to do it successfully.i had a guy who went from zero to maximum points.It wasn’t really down to me as such, except that I knew how to fill the form in!!!

I recently successfully claimed PIP, but they only awarded mobility at standard rate. I am about the appeal the care component. I was diagnosed with a life changing genetic condition a few months ago which stops me walking as I fracture my bones, and my surgeon wrote a report saying I had been banned from walking while all the existing injuries are healing. My Blue Badge assessor wrote that she was surprised I had made it from the car park as I am in a bad way, and I cannot drive my car anymore so others have to taxi me. According to the pip assessor, I can walk just fine with no pain...I only walked 3 steps and they did a home visit deeming me unfit for their assessment centre! I don't need the care component apparently...despite 15 medical conditions and a suitcase of medication, three surgeries this year, 12 prescriptions of antibiotics for systemic infections this year and three health practitioners saying I have the worst health record they have encountered in a youngish woman. Having read up on this, it is common to have to appeal...I almost feel grateful to get the £23 quid a week for mobility. I will appeal and suggest you do the same, with the help of a welfare specialist. There are loads of great websites online for giving tips on this process. Also see your MP and complain about local services.

As for your mental health, contact your local charities like MIND to find out about support groups. I self referred for a mental health specialist in pain management after my diagnosis and he is great at opening other doors in the NHS. Check the NICE guidelines on depression and eating disorders. Then plead your case to your GP using that evidence to help persuade them that you do qualify for referral. If they refuse, go back and see another GP until you get service. Put in a complaint with the manager and keep pestering.

Insist you want to take your PIP case to court it happened to a friend of mine and before it went to court DWP contacted her and offered her PIP to drop court case as it cost more for DWP court cost and if they think they are going to loose they will be advice to contact you like they did with my friend she got back paid then later on queried it and got higher as the offer they made was less than she was entitled too and got the difference paid back too so keep chipping away at them insist on going all the way to court see what happens good luck

Completed 28 pages to DWP together with consultants and doctors report. They sent everything over to PIP who then wrote to me asking me to complete a further 30 odd pages and send consultants and doctors reports. Called them up because they are taking too long, irish lass told me a letter is on its way for me to sign and return this was after recieving text from DWP saying payment will be made via PIP. Letter arrived with another 34 page questionnaire and asking for same consultants and doctors report. This is for a Dementia sufferer who will not get better only worse each day. I have asked if they want the lady to die? Do they want the death Certificate And how many jobs are we keeping. Because this is criminal run by useless clueless jobsworth. They need sacking. If i get a PIP assessor on bonuses at my door i will tape the conversation photograph him her and then send all details to local MP and Councillor. Watch this space.

Contribution based ESA is only for people who have worked in the last 2 years and it doesn’t sound like op has.

Op, you write well, you clearly have the drive to claim for pip and appeal etc etc

Is there no work at all that you could cope with? Have you ever worked? Sorry for intrusive questions, don’t answer if you don’t want to.

Hey I just caught this post somewhere so signed up to respond but I believe that there's a really high percentage that will get failed no matter or what the disability and it's to do with atos heathcares stats and figures but of the people that appeal it at a tribunals 75 %or cases are overturned over the past 8 or 9 years I've been signed off with mental health issues the amount of time I've been found capable of working by them and this was by a physiotherapist once to who are not at all qualified in mental health is silly Evey time it's gone to appeal or tribunal it's been over turn and it's literally only once I was found not capable last year. Make sure u appeal it don't let it go and follow through get advice from citizens advice and welfare rights if any of this doesn't make sense I'm sorry I'm bad at writing but good luck

Here is a link to the descriptors: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

I’ve had experience of doing an appeal and a new application at the same time, so I know STCM654 is correct. You can also choose to have an appeal based on papers if going to a tribunal is a problem. It may be helpful to see a welfare rights person to go over the form, as they may have even more experience than your mum.

Finally, I don’t know much about this, but the OU offer extra support for people with mental health difficulties, so this may be worth looking into help.open.ac.uk/mental-health-difficulties