PIP refused for mental health, what are my next steps? Please help

[rose9826]

PIP decline for mental health. Next steps? Any help appreciated

I just received my decline letter 🙁 I applied for pip for severe anxiety, depression and fatigue. I scored 2 points on the daily living section and 0 on mobility. (not fussed about mobility)

What are the next steps? I know I need to request a copy of the assessors report but what happens after? I want to challenge them.

I'm just worried that in the mandatory consideration they will want to see me in person and this petrifies me due to my anxiety.

What do I do now and how shall I tackle this?

In the decision letter it says 'I have decided you can...' on all the things I literally discussed that I can't do or have great difficulties doing with the assessor.

Not surprised at the outcome to be honest but very bummed.

Get help from somewhere like the CAB to put in a mandatory reconsideration. You won’t be reassessed for the MR. If it’s not changed at MR then you can take it to tribunal.
Did you back up your claim with evidence?

Yes lots of evidence dating back to 2013 to show it's an ongoing issue, evidence of therapy I've attended, medication I take etc.

I guess you need to appeal. I get PIP for MH issues but I realise I was extremely lucky as I was awarded it first time and have never had to speak to an assessor.
i think if you go to CAB they can help you with this.

Honestly, they dont want to pay out PIP. I can't get it for my ADHD son either; they used to have it, and now removed completely, yet he is not in education or training, very hyperactive and impulsive with poor executive functioning. Good luck with that.

I was coming to say CAB - they can help with a Mandatory Reconsideration I think it’s called

You need to ask for a copy of the report and do a MR but, if my memory serves me correctly, you only have one month to do this. If you don’t get awarded at the MR then you can take it to appeal, but there is a long wait for these atm

PIP isn’t about a diagnosis, though, it’s about how it affects you wrt your daily living and mobility.

Good Luck

Details of therapy and meds confirm treatment but not how the condition affects you. You need to go through each descriptor and tally up proof of why you can’t do the things on the form with evidence. Benefits and Work whilst having a low fee are absolutely brilliant at the process. There’s also A1benefits on Facebook that have useful info and a website

Heya, how did you get on? I suffer with extreme mental health and i found it so difficult to deal with the whole process. I did the mandatory consideration and still got awarded nothing! I ended up taking it to tribunal but I got a charity organisation to help me and I ended up winning eventually. Reach out if you want any advice or if you want me to direct you to the charity I used, they are absolutly amazing X

If you are under a mental health trust, ask them if they can refer you to a welfare advisor. They can do it here.

You need to submit a mandatory reconsideration. The DWP will tell you it has to be done within a month, but in law you have 13 months. First thing you need to do is ask for a copy of the PA4 (The Assessors’ Report).

Do not be pressured into saying you will be submitting a Mamdatory Reconsideration as they will sometimes take the phone call as the MR.

You then need to find the eligibility criteria online and spell out how you meet them, and the points you should be awarded, along with the supporting evidence. CAB can help with this, as can several paid organisations. I have seen good and bad MR submissions from CAB. They should support the submissions with relevant case law. If you are going to do this yourself, pipinfo and rightsnet are a good place to start.

Very good up to date and correct advice in previous post from @WaitingForMojo
i was about to post but they have covered it.

It would be worthwhile to sign up for a website called Benefits and Work. Its a paid service (about £19 a year) but well worth it and they have all the case law governing the various decisions. I have no connection with this service.

When you fill in each box (and they are very repetive) you have to treat each answer as a separate entity and explain exactly HOW your disability affects you. For example if you have difficulty with self care because of severe depression and need someone to prompt or encourage you to wash and dress you need to explain this in detail. Many people fail to do this adequately.

Great advice from @Friendlygingercat . The £20 joining fee for the Benefits & Work site is worth every penny.

Hiya, I have called up and asked for the assessors report and then I am going to write up a mandatory reconsideration letter and send it to them, although no idea really what to write. Could I ask what happened in your tribunal, did you have to attend somewhere in person and how did the whole process go? Glad you finally got awarded too! Thank you xx