MH and PIP. I’m losing my mind.

[MotherofGoblins]

I’m sure many of you have heard this before and will continue to hear it but I really need someone’s help in dealing with PIP. I’m from Northern Ireland. So I’m assuming there might be a few differences in how cases are dealt with over the pond.

I have MPD that was caused by abuse in my past as a child. This combined with severe anxiety and depression makes me a difficult case. I have had numerous therapists and therapy groups but I am on a waiting list for psychotherapy. Anything can be a trigger for me. I find it incredibly hard being out and about. I force myself sometimes for my daughter. She’s 6 with Aspergers and a sever learning disability, her father is not in the picture. I am trying to get myself back into a good place of control and good mental health, I have been out of work because of my condition and to support my daughter. I am not making excuses not to work but right now I’m trapped in my own head. My life is challenging to say the least but I have a great support network from my father’s family. I realise others may be worse but this country is incredibly primitive and the horror stories with PIP and mental health aren’t helping me.

I’ve received an appointment for next week. I told the advisor that I could not go to a clinic and could I please have a home visit. I was told no a home visit wasn’t possible for my case. I don’t know what to do. I can’t face these people without switching. I will be bringing my aunt but it doesn’t help my situation as I’ve explained that new places are so hard for me.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve thrown up because of this. What do I say to these people? Do I ask what their background in mental health is? Will they think I’m crazy? Will they bring my child into it? How do you interact with someone who is judging your every move but knows nothing about your condition and how it changes your life completely? Please I really need help here.

[Misty9]

I’ve searched for mental health support in NI and am a bit shocked at how little there is. These guys do welfare advice and might be worth a call though www.adviceni.net/advice

Good luck

[Misty9]

Hmm, unsurprisingly they don’t make it easy to record, but it can be done (from this helpful website:

Sessions can be recorded. There are a few important points to note if you wish to do so:

You will need to give us 3 working days notice before your assessment.
We will ask you to sign a recording agreement. This tells you how you can later use the recording, and helps us keep your details confidential.
You will need to use your own recording equipment. To protect all parties, DWP restricts approved devices to those that produce two identical recordings simultaneously. Please note that this does not include laptops, tablets, smartphones or MP3 players.
For more information on recording your assessment, please refer to the DWP policy on page 43 of the PIP Assessment Guide, or contact our Customer Service Centre. You’ll find the telephone number on your appointment letter or on our Contact Us page.

[Misty9]

I’ve just provided evidence for someone’s PIP appeal (its often rejected at first application and they hope people won’t appeal. Do appeal).

The only criterion I saw psychological distress acknowledged was in planning a journey - being unable to do so due to extreme distress was maximum score on that one I think. For the others you have to be pretty impaired to score; e.g. feeding yourself, bathing, getting dressed etc.

You can record the assessment. It’s often thought you can’t (including by assessors) but you have a right to. I’ll look for a link...

Definitely gather any independent evidence in the form of reports etc. I’m guessing a psychiatrist diagnosed you at some point? So it would be in a letter somewhere. And get your gp to argue that you need a home visit for risk reasons (in case alter surfaces). I’m not sure how mental capacity works with MPD but I’d hazard a guess that if an alter is running the show then your capacity to be assessed is questionable? And it should therefore be done in optimum circumstances for you. But this is PIP

Finally, are you getting any help from welfare or mental health charities with the form?

[JaceLancs]

Benefits and work is a really good website and will help you work out what criteria you meet and gives advice about assessments etc

[JaceLancs]

I work for a charity who support people at medical assessments for PIP ESA or UC
Please pm me if it helps
Generally they will offer a home assessment but only with a letter from your GP stating that this is required which can be due to MH issues as well as physical

[snorkmaiden68]

Motherofgoblins your illness is real and you don't need to validate it. Yes physical disability is bad but MH issues are disabling too, they are just often invisible. Take care of yourself and ignore any nasty comments. I have bipolar and to a lot of people I seem fine, in control etc. They don't see the struggle I have to leave my house some days. Which is why I don't tell friends I get PIP coz they wouldn't understand. I tell them it's working tax credit. Bit sad really not to think I can ever be real around people

[CrohnicallyEarly]

I agree with witwoo

For example, I am autistic, but because I spoke to the assessor they decided that I have no problems with social interaction- completely disregarding the fact that you must have problems with social interaction to get an ASD diagnosis.

If you do switch while you are there, it will lend weight to your application. Make sure your aunt goes with you and is seen to be helping you when you need it, then they can see that you need a carer to be able to do certain things.

Good luck.

[ProfessorCat]

I hope that's the case. I had a full on panic attack when my assessor arrived and was screaming and sobbing in terror, telling my husband I was going to die, please call an ambulance etc.

The assessor wrote in his report that I was calm and relaxed.

[witwootoodleoo]

I’m sorry that this horrid process is causing you so much stress.

Nasty as it is, it will probably actually work in your favour if you genuinely can’t cope when you’re there. If you go and are calm and collected they will probably (wrongly) conclude that you don’t need the help that you do in reality. If you really can’t cope with speaking to them, end up having a panic attack etc it will of course be awful for you but they will at least get to see the difficulties you are experiencing and hopefully give you the support you need.

I do hope that your aunt can go to support you and that you get both the PIP and mental health support that you need.

[snorkmaiden68]

Motherofgoblins I totally understand. I work part time but cannot do full time as my MH suffers, you deserve the help. We may look fine on the outside (although on a downer I do tend to self neglect) but invisible illnesses are still valid illnesses and why shouldn't you be entitled to help that means you are more likely to stay stable?

[diaimchlo]

First of all .

After going through the horrendous system for both ESA and PIP you have my full empathy.

Ask your Doctor if he will fax through a letter to whichever firm is doing the assessment stating that you are unable to attend the centre and would need a home visit. Also ask your Doctor and any other Healthcare Professionals that are involved with your care if the DWP or the Assessors have been in touch with them.

May I suggest that you look at a great advice resource for this issue called Fightback4justice, they have their own website and facebook page.

There have been some changes for the good over the last few days regarding MH and the PIP descriptors which are covered on the Fightback4justice page. So please make yourself aware of them.

Please take someone with you for support, definitely ask for the person's professional qualifications, ask for a copy of the report and if you have someone with you ask them to take notes.

I hope that all goes well Xx

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

I got enhanced on both bits. I'm registered blind, bulimic and a self harmer.

Read back through the questions on the form. Take your "issues" one by one, and ask yourself "how would this affect me doing that task?"

For instance...let's say "cooking a meal"

The process:

Plan what to eat
Prepare the food
Cook the food
Eat the food.

Plan what to cook: I need help reading sell by dates, etc. I can't read labels, and I have alergies, so I need DH to help me/shop for me.

That's if I bother to eat at all. If my inner voice tells me not to, I'm fucked for that meal.

Prepare the food: I can't use my eyes to enaure knife safety. I buy pre chopoed veg, and pre chopped meat, which work out more expensive- but this is what I need to do.

Cook the food: luckily I'm vegan. I'd be pretty fucked cooking meat- probably give myself food poisoning. I have gadgets and gizmos a plenty for ensuring that I don't overboil things, or burn them.

Eat the food: if I bother, I have to have a weighted cup, as I tend to knoxk things over if I don't know where they're located. I have a segmented plate, etc.

So, now you.

Think, for instance, bout a journey. The planning, the catching the bus/train, the ending up at the destination.

Would you panic while planning a familiar/unfamilliar journey?

On a bad day, can you do this without someone accompanying you?

What would you do if anything didn't go to plan? Roadworks? A delay in bus or train times? Anything that would make a familliar journey stressful, or have an impact on your issues?

Sorry.. this is long winded I know, but it's probably the one subject on which I know what I'm talking about.

Re: the home visit. I asked for one and got it.

PM me if I can help with anything else. It's a fucking awful process.

🐞

[MotherofGoblins]

Thank you snork. I wish everyone could think like you. I’m not some chancer trying to cheat the system. All I want is to get into a better place for my daughter. I just need a bit of help doing that. I don’t mean to come off as my illness beating physical disabilities or coming close but some things physically aren’t possible for me because of my MH.

[snorkmaiden68]

You already meet the criteria motherofgoblins. You have family who cook for you, care for you. You need someone to come with you when you go out. You have trauma from past abuse. MH issues mean yes we could physically do these things but our illnesses mean we are not motivated /able to consistently do so. No one should judge you but I know the feeling.

[MotherofGoblins]

Thank you Daisy. Any advice helps !

Bomb, I won’t exasperate my symptoms at all. There’s too much misrepresentation in terms of MPD as is. I would never live up to a stereotype. That being said my triggers can virtually be every where. Switches can be random and frequent hence why I need family around constantly since my actions will depend on the alter that surfaces.

[JamPasty]

Bombardier25966 - shit, sorry, the last thing I meant to imply was that people should overstate their condition. Thanks for giving better advice

[JamPasty]

MotherofGoblins - I can't take the credit, I was just paraphrasing your own words :) I'm so sorry you feel shit about this - people can be do bloody ignorant about mental health issues. If they start looking blank, you could try saying it's like a form of PTSD, due to abuse. I would hope most people have at least heard of that!

[Bombardier25966]

I am by no means an expert, but from what I have heard said on here, answer all questions with regard to how you are on your very worst day.

Please don't take this advice, to do so leaves you in danger of misrepresenting your condition, that in turn could result in a fraud investigation, the last thing someone with mental health difficulties needs.

It's really tough, but you need to be honest with them, if you can't cope in new places or situations then let them see that. Don't be afraid to say anything embarrassing, they'll have heard it all before and they need to know the truth.

You need to get whatever medical evidence that you can. You're far more likely to get an award if a professional can confirm the difficulties you face.

You can ask the assessor their qualifications, but they don't have to have a mental health specialism. The assessment criteria relates to your functional abilities, 'can you do x or not', it could largely be done by someone with no medical qualifications at all.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

You are more likely to get the care rate of pip than dla.
You are less likely to get the mobility rate of pip than dla.
Also awards for mental health tend to be five years, rather than two or three.

[MotherofGoblins]

Cat, my alters see DD as an extension of me so I can take care of her to an extent. I have family come by at set times during the day to check on things and deliver food that is already prepped and made. I don’t go out unless family/Carer is with me or else family can take DD out or to her social activities. My child doesn’t suffer because of my issues. I just feel the need to say this as I feel like I’m constantly judged on it. I realise MH will not be taken seriously with PIP but I thought I could at least try.

[DaisysStew]

My brother gets PIP and ESA for mental health issues alone so don't be discouraged OP. It is hard but if your honest about the severity of it and don't downplay out of embarrassment (which a lot of people do) you should be awarded it. My brothers original claim was refused but he appealed and won, so even if it's an initial no that doesn't mean that's it.

Here's a link to the Citizens Advice Bureaus page on PIP assessment- there's some pointers and links to other sites/resources that may help with the process.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-assessment/

[ProfessorCat]

Do you care for your child as well? Take her to school, feed her etc.?

I was scored zero points for everything. I'm bed ridden with a carer who has to physically carry me to a toilet. I can't go downstairs and on very bad days I have to be fed bymy carer. I cannot wash myself, brush my hair or change my own clothes. I scored zero for every marker.

If you look after a child, I really can't see you getting anything.

[MotherofGoblins]

Thank you sand.

Jam I was going over ways to phrase and explain it and I think your way sounds best. My experience with the past SW taught me that people really do automatically assume crazy. It makes me feel like fucking shit most of the time.

[ProfessorCat]

Unfortunately they don't do home visits unless you're bed bound

Yes they do. It depends what area you live in. I wasn't given an option to have one anywhere except my home.


OP, a Pip assessment is based on how you care for yourself and how your mobility is. If you can walk, put a meal in the microwave, use the toilet independently and change your clothes if needed, you probably won't get anything. That's all they seem to look at now and it's extremely hard to get it solely for mental health issues.

[snorkmaiden68]

I was wondering if SW was viable option as you said you have a young DD maybe you wouldn't want them involved. My breakdown happened when all DC grown up so different to you. Also I m in England if that matters? I think my GP fast tracked as I have been seeing her for years with on/off MH issues but like you I was scared to ask for too much when DC were young in case it looked like I couldn't look after them, which was never an issue but I understand your worried.
When you take Aunt with you get her to explain you will find it hard to talk at assessment and DO NOT hide any noticeable distress/anxiety. Give it to them straight, this is a bad day etc. Good luck x