To give up PIP / ESA due to the stress

[LovelyBath77]

of claiming it? I qualify, (although had to appeal the PIP). It's just so stressful. They constantly reassess you even when you have long term conditions. With PIP they do it a whole year before the award ends. As they often give short awards, this can mean as soon as one thing finishes, they start on the other. Neither 'talk' to one another either. (Atos did PIP, Maximus for ESA). It even seems to make things worse health wise. Does anyone else feel like this I wonder.

Don't give up. A close friend just went to their second appeal and not only was it upheld but they got more money every week.

I totally get why you feel like quitting though-the system stinks.

It's possible, one of my conditions in a mental health one, and it makes me feel scared like they are watching me, although we are always honest in the forms and have docs letters etc and care plan. It just feels like they are trying to catch you out all the time. I have actually had not too bad a time of it with them compared to some (possibly as have family support with the forms etc) but even so it is really bad. part of me feels this is what they want though, people to just give up, so that in a way keeps me going.

It's horrible, meant to say, not possible!

OP I was bricking it too. The waiting etc is horrible! May I ask how long they awarded your PIP for?

H is going through the long wait after having his ESA reassessed again. Hes been in the WRAG group for 4 years, we appealed twice but with no luck, yet he was put straight onto PIP and increased to enhanced care. He too has MH issues (among other things) and refuses to leave the house and sits with the blinds closed all day believing people are watching him, all part of the paranoia. He dreads the post every day, its an added pressure we could do without. I share your fears OP

I help a lot of people claim Pip but there seems to be no logic as to who gets it. I can think someone will definitely get but then they don't and with others I think "no way will you get it" and blow me they come out with enhanced on both !! I absolutely think it just comes down to the individual assessor on the day.
Lots of people get awarded nothing but then win at tribunal. People who get turned down first time just seem to apply time and time again. I think many people apply inappropriately, for example after surgery or during chemo which will last 6 months, then the system gets clogged up and people are waiting months and months.
Seriously what is the point in re-assessing people with chronic degenerative conditions which are never going to get better or people with learning difficulties who's condition is never going to change?
People get ill and then panic when they realise all they can get is ESA when their sick pay ends. They look around and think they'll claim Pip but it's often not appropriate.
The whole system is a fiasco.

They're reducing the number of reassessments because the system is so clogged. If you send in the same info as last time with a bit of extra updates (key being "I have been in receipt of PIP since X and my conditions have not improved"), it should be OK.

Do you have a copy of your previous forms? Assuming so, you could even put all the info in a separate "extra information" document and shove it in a folder with copies of your documentation, and then you'll have the comfort of knowing if a form does come through the door, you just have to scribble "see attached" and send it off.

Much sympathy - I do get PIP and my ds has DLA, but I spent 10 years getting the initial DLA forms and then being too overwhelmed to ever complete the fuckers...

Hi Lovely, please don't give up claiming. Go to your local Citizens Advice, they will help you complete the form, they will help with Mandatory Reconsiderations. There is support available. Also please don't feel you have to go and wait if it's difficult, you can email in or call to get an appointment.

No don't give up. That's why the system is designed the way it is. So that you say. Oh fuck it. Stick it up your arse
Why should you though. Obviously I don't know but I'll assume. In your healthier days. You worked damn hard and paid into the system.
They go on about Benefit Fraud, but More money is unclaimed than falsely claimed.

Well I first claimed PIP in 2014 and had a home visit, got awarded and at the same time had a letter for the support group of ESA. First PIP was for 18 months, but reassessed a year before, so hardly any time really, then after appeal (when they did a paper based assessment and scored me down due to not filling in the form properly- I just told them to look at the last one) it was then for another 3 years (to 2019) so expecting another assessment next year, (2018). Just in the process of having another ESA assessment too. Which seems to go on and on. It's an ongoing stress. Good luck to all others going through it too.

Yes DH and I have contributed plenty over the years, I used to be a teacher before all of this. The ESA is NI cont based, I wouldn't qualify for the other one.

I don;t understand why people apply again and again, instead of appealing. Does;t make much sense. That's interesting about them cutting down reassessments, as well. Yes will try and get care plan updated for next year, and the Gps to print off current conditions and meds. They (GP) have just been asked for a form and info for the ESA and gave me a copy of that so I can use for PIP (as the useless companies don't share info with each other). I am trying not to hassle the GPs as know how busy they are without all this rubbish as well. Luckily I have this care plan for emergency hospital admission which i think really helps. It's dated 2015 though so guess they need something newer, even though i still use it. Not sure.

Yes, but I couldn't manage without the money so had to be done! Dont give up. Keep everything then at least it's just recycling the same information which makes it slightly easier. There are people who's can help. I recently went from a DLA to PIP and yes was stressful but more worry of u known. Compared to ESA can you pick up a coin or an empty box at waist height, so making you feel like nothing was wrong. If only! Lease PIP you can say in own words what you find difficult about washing dressing or whatever.

Well, we are the same for money really. DH also has inflammatory bowel disease and is self employed, doesn't qualify for anything although on strong meds and has flares, as isn;t 'for the majority of the time'. and also being self employed not sure if can claim ESA due to lack of class 1 NI conts. (pays class 3 and 4). I was previously on incapacity benefit which was less assessments. But conditions worse now.

Out of interest the assessor who came to see me at home told me lots of people applied who were;t genuine, and she knew i was from the start. I wasn't sure what she meant and then she said maybe they were wrongly advised to apply. Is this about people applying inappropriately I wonder, not sure. My conditions are severe / life threatening so thought that is generally what PIP is for..

I'm sorry you're finding it stressful, I hated being on ESA especially but PIP was just as bad sometimes. I was grateful and everything but yeah. I was relieved when they (wrongly, I might add) decided I was fit for work and I never reapplied. It's not right that genuinely ill people find something that's supposed to help so stressful that they'd rather not be on it at all!

I don't, because I had a breakdown when I got rejected and the decision maker had been sent a letter full of almost the exact opposite of what I'd said, but mine would have been the ordinary one not contributions. It was bad at the time but my husband has an okay salary now so we are alright. It sounds like it's more precarious for your husband being self employed and unwell himself, so maybe keep going? If you can look at it like: well you can deny me but I was thinking about giving up anyway, maybe that takes some of the stress away? It's still not nice all the interrogations and the constant idea that you're faking, but maybe that can help you put them aside a bit, I don't know

Thanks, yes another things is not to take what they say seriously, all their reports etc, take it all with a pinch of salt as they seem to just try and back up their report with lies in some cases. I think they do this to validate their reports. For example with my home visit it said they did these tests like memory tests which I failed but I didn't even have them. I wonder if this was to back up their decision I qualified. Not sure. and in the same way they do this to deny the benefits also. I guess they are under pressure to demonstrate what they have decided and why. It is wrong though.

I can;t face another interview even at home, so think will keep going and sending in lots of stuff on paper, and if they ask me to attend something will just not go. In that way i have some control, over them. It is too stressful, and makes me paranoid. We will just have to manage somehow. There is always tax credits / universal credit I suppose (shudder)

I so feel for you. I was reassessed last summer for PIP a year early. Lost my car and down graded in both sections. I was ready to give up but went to see CAB just to confirm that I was being reasonable.

They were magnificent. The advisor took it on immediately and did all the appeal paperwork, better than I could ( and I though I was quite good at it).

At appeal I directly said I could not face the idea of yet more assessments in another 18 months and implored them to lengthen the award. They upheld the appeal in both sections and gave an open ended award which, in reality means I will next hear from the Authorities in 2026. That was the best bit of the appeal.

It's awful but keep going and get help if you can.

Please,please don't just not go. That means they've succeeded in their target of getting shot of us.

Can you have someone brilliant with you to speak for you?

Matilda glad that the outcome was good in the end. I too was glad I appealed- i did a paper appeal which is not usually good way but couldn't attend due to health, and they approved it for 3 years. Which is not too bad.

At least I have the appeal decision and the areas met and can use that for the future to help with applying again. and am a bit experienced now so see the tribunals service as the real decision makers, and DWP / companies as a hurdle in the way. I don;t take anything they say seriously and try and pretend I'm applying for a friend. to take the stress off a bit.

Hopefully won;t have to speak to them again, they did ESA on paper and since one home based PIP assessment did the nest paper based. Have a form from GP saying going for an interview not possible due to nature of health conditions.

Sorry Matilda I didn;t explain properly, they are doing the reassessment for ESA on paper, have asked GP recently and now with the assessor. Thanks for the concern. x

The reason people with health conditions are reassessed is due to the expectation that your condition may either have deteriorated or improved-I do not recommend a short term review for anyone who has a condition that is not expected to get better. If it is a chronic condition that is never going to change I will request that they don't get reviewed. I am saddened by the stories I hear where you say the HP lied, that is certainly not the practice in my place of work, I strive to be fair, honest and I record everything that the client says when I am with them practically word for word. We are not allowed to change what has been written after you have left. I appreciate the system is flawed but would never discuss this with someone in an assessment! My job is not to figure out if you're telling the truth or not- my job is to collect your personal experience and analyse this with other evidence. I'm in the middle of reassessing lots of people from DLA and glad I am as lots of people have got worse therefore their award has changed for the better. I realise that is not always the case though. I speak for the majority of my colleagues-we try to offer a quality and fair service within the constraints of the PIP structure. I take pride in my assessments and am disappointed to hear about some of your experiences.

Thanks you for replying Bairnsmum. To be honest apart from the comment mentioned and the memory tests everything else was as recorded- she wrote in front of me and DH as well. It maybe I forgot we did memory tests, I'm not sure. Or was based on the general conversation. In general i have found them OK.

The DWP decision makers are a different matter! they are not medically trained and some of the things they say and the way they write are awful.

lovely you're right that the case manager isn't medically trained that's why we make recommendations to them which they either accept or not (we never find out). It's a horrible process and I hate how people think we are out to trip them up or find holes in their story. Honestly we're not-the media has a lot to answer for only reporting the horror stories which are often factually incorrect. It's reassuring to see some positive stories on here too along with the difficulties. Good luck.