11(b) "Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant" scores 4 points, which is not enough for any award of the mobility component. reports that the ESA Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for people with mental health problems lead directly to a deterioration in mental health and increased suicidal ideation, backed up by reports from the Mental Health Foundation (2015) indicating that 43.2% of people applying for ESA have made a suicide attempt following a WCA. Once this happened you claimed UC and appealed the ESA decision am i right? I am mindful, stress is one of my Epilepsy triggers. Remember also that the phrase "to an acceptable standard" can be relevant to this part of the test. This award was given for supporting disabled people and Symptoms of anxiety could also allow a claimant to score points under this heading, again it very much depends on how the individual is affected. Activity 1 - Preparing food But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A client whose husband was killed by a knife and whose resulting fear of sharp knives meant that they could not abide to use them is perhaps an extreme example of where assistance was required, in that case with the preparation of fresh vegetables. I have had people say to me that PIP is biased towards people with physical limitations. They would not accept help from another person but they could not clean themselves to an acceptable standard either so that there was an unmet need for assistance. I point out to tribunals in my written submission that the claimant was not following the route of any journey when this observation was made. Does anyone have any idea how long:confused: the award is normally for before you have to … It has over 1800 pages and 4 of them are devoted to Planning and following journeys. I regularly see it wrongly selected by assessors and decision makers. Merely asking a question of you. My Hubby has been awarded enhanced care due to his severe mental health problems. . For some people the problem is with getting undressed at the end of the day, needing someone's intervention to avoid them going to bed still dressed. No two people are affected in the same way but let us look at some of the possibilities. Remember also that the phrase "to an acceptable standard" can be relevant to this part of the test. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. PIP is not designed to help people whose disability or health condition only impacts on them in the short term. I have been her doctor here for around two years. "Prompting" is defined as including explaining by another person, but in terms of depression and anxiety, clients I have seen have scored because they either lacked the motivation necessary to make these budgeting decisions, or the whole subject made them too anxious to approach the task. I’ve had my friend a Lawyer with me and basically it appears (and confirmed today in front of my Son at UC “work meeting” with “Fitness Note”, the don’t know what to do with me. PIP is for People with Long-Term Disabilities / Health Conditions. For a more extreme case, 9(d) "Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person" will score 8 points. "Risk" can sometimes be an issue and the Upper Tribunal case of RJ shed welcome light onto that issue. I'm confused because the thread was about PIP, not UC and not for any other reason. It is certainly possible to be eligible to claim PIP (personal independence payment pip) if suffering from a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety but it very much depends on how the mental illness affects you. Concentrate your answers on what it feels like to you to do any of the things they ask. Twice in Inverness and both were allowed.. Judge Hemingway went on to say that the claimant was so anxious that, not only were they impaired when it came to engaging with others but also impaired with respect to the function of communicating verbally, he might score in the both activities. Anyway, medication tripled for Epilepsy and doubled now for Depression. And don’t encourage this country to be a Nanny State “please be mindful of your tone”, you told me you were Epileptic, so I thought we had empathy. If so, then argue that the dictionary definition is met and that the person is indeed experiencing "overwhelming psychological distress" when following the route of a journey, unless they are accompanied by another person. Our guidance document offers advice and support to claimants with a mental health condition and their advisers. It probably will not come up to often but there is Upper Tribunal case law that says that where a claimant's medical condition causes them to hesitate and prolong the process of dressing, even where she was able to make a decision eventually, they should score points because they could not achieve the task "within a reasonable time period". Cases that have been brought where the illiteracy was from a failure to learn to read rather than any demonstrated relevant medical condition have therefore failed. They said that this descriptor is appropriate where the claimant requires prompting to avoid overwhelming psychological distress before being able to embark on a journey. I’m just trying to get answers to questions which are probing but at the end of the day, if I can assist people, they can assist me and some people think they know it all and aren’t helpful, then I’ll stick with the community where we are trying to help each other and ignore others who appear to want to dismiss new pieces of evidence to help. Case law tells us that "engage socially" means to interact with people in an appropriate manner and will require the claimant to understand body language and to be able to establish relationships. Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. Is it a fear of social engagement? This is a complicated part of the test and partly because of those complications, the Department regularly gets it wrong. Where friends and family have had little or no success, I have found tribunals ready to award 4 points, applying the Supreme Court decision in SSWP v MM. PIP1 form It is necessary to look at the meaning of those two words to make sure that the descriptor applies to you. Even though I need a brain aid!! Thought this may be of use to anyone yet to assessed for PIP. A Nurse Practioner makes a decision and over-rules a Specialist and the Dr’s Fit Notes. My opinion is that a claimant with mental health problems is more likely to have to appeal to get the right outcome. " That is not the point; what you need to get across in the claim form/appeal is why you can't do it, on at least the majority of days, and why that help is provided. It is certainly possible to be eligible to claim PIP (personal independence payment pip) if suffering from a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety but it very much depends on how the mental illness affects you. He said that it could be both but equally, it could be one or the other. Look at whether the claimant's symptoms of anxiety are on a par with worried, anxious and emotional or whether their symptoms are much stronger than that. The goal of this PIP is to reduce functional impairment due to substance use among youth (ages 12-20 years) who are enrolled in outpatient mental health treatment. They decided that "likely" was being used in the sense of "a real possibility, a possibility that cannot sensibly be ignored having regard to the nature and gravity of the feared harm". However people who have been moved from DLA to PIP are more likely to … As with all of these articles, what follows can be no more than a summary but I hope that it will prove helpful. My background is worldwide Press and PR, I started www.toffs.com but had to retire due to a near nervous breakdown and resurgence in Epilepsy, so I will use my contacts to unravel this mess for us Epileptics. I’ve had Epilepsy since 1972. 5(c) "Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs" will score 2 points. 9(c) "Needs social support to be able to engage with other people" will score 4 points instead. I'm sorry but i'm done here but i wish you good luck. Saturday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. To give you an idea, I have seen tribunals award those 8 points where the client has unpredictable seizures. This is another area where the assessor and decision maker are quite likely to get it wrong. You probably know that PIP is a points-based benefit and that under each of the 12 headings, including Preparing food, there are statements known as descriptors, and if the wording in the descriptor fits you then you score the points that go with it. If this is your first visit, check out the. A claimant who is not able to communicate with strangers or those who are not well-known to them or where they are not able to communicate verbally when in the company of a large number of people, but where they are able to express themselves verbally when it is with someone who is familiar to them, the claimant is likely to score points under Activity 9 but not under Activity 7. 5(c) "Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs" will score 2 points. Would The Ambulance Crew Make It In Time? Sorry but I think I might have to get a walking aid!! However UC require a Fit Note. For a more extreme case, 9(d) "Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person" will score 8 points. I have had just one client so far whose depression was such that they could not be bothered to clean themselves properly after using the toilet. English law says that where a word is not defined, it takes its natural meaning. No two people are affected in the same way but let us look at some of the possibilities. The conversation and attitude towards mental health has shifted significantly in the last 10 years. Assessors are used to assessing credibility when it comes to physical movement, commenting on whether, for example, they find someone's walking speed or a claimed limitation in the range of movement of a joint, or expressions of pain, but they seem to be unwilling to ask relevant questions and test the answers people give to allow them to assess whether the claimant is able to carry out the 3 parts of "engaging socially", to interact in a contextually and socially appropriate manner, to understand body language and to establish relationships. I wish you both good luck with your Tribunals for UC/ESA and PIP. It may be that there is someone in your household who does provide that encouragement, or perhaps this person does the preparing of vegetables and cooking for you. Remember also that it can be an unmet need, so that if for example, you live alone and manage by having only cold food or heating up ready meals, or perhaps heating meals that are cooked by someone else and brought to you, then the wording in the descriptor can still apply so that you can score those 2 points. Descriptor 11(c) reads "Cannot plan the route of a journey" and in terms of depression and anxiety, you would think that the most likely way to score these 8 points would be someone who lacks the motivation to carry out the task, but I cannot remember having success with this argument. www.benefitsandwork.co.uk 2 That phrase "reasonable time period" is defined as no more than twice the time that someone else would take. They looked specifically at Preparing food and said that "a person cannot be assessed as needing supervision to prepare food unless, with supervision, they can prepare food safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and within a reasonable time period and so, amongst other things, they must be able to prepare food in a manner unlikely to cause harm to the claimant or another person in accordance with regulation 4. If you need someone to … So prepare these questions and enjoy! Hi just asking if some can tell me how The PIP Assessments For Mental Health is done and how do the assessors do the Mental Health assessment. PIP form tips and help. I have had just one client so far whose depression was such that they could not be bothered to clean themselves properly after using the toilet. Now my youngest Son is having counselling for Depression. To claim LCW for UC you need a fit note from your GP but this doesn't automatically give you LCW. The judge though this a most unlikely eventuality. My IAPT hub is within a branch of MIND the mental health charity. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with the extra costs you have because of ill health or disability. So you tell me what benefit I should be on when the DWP themselves don’t know what to do with me? I left a very stressful marriage even having a seizure on Christmas Day once! Apparently I had had a mental health examination and was found to be as expected. The DWP responds: “PIP looks specifically at how someone’s life is affected by mental health, unlike the old system, which did not sufficiently recognise mental health problems.” They add that there are now more people with a mental health condition receiving the higher rates of PIP than their DLA equivalents. Sample Answers To Pip Questions ... PIP Mental Health Guide. As ever, the issue is not whether the claimant does this but why they would be unable to do it. Judge Hemingway accepted that anxiety caused by mental health difficulties can potentially lead to the scoring of points under Activity 7 so that the activity and its descriptors are not simply concerned with physical or sensory impairments to communication. Schedule 1 to the PIP regulations1outlines the PIP activity descriptors. What apparently happened at my mental health assessment. If so, did you take the ESA decision to Tribunal? I am writing regarding Ms E’s PIP award to ask you to reconsider the mobility component of her award as I believe her physical mobility is more restricted than has been assessed. Is it enough if I read only the 2020 questions? PIP will replace Disability Living Allowance for people of working age (16 to 64 years). Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. That's why benefits like Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can make such a difference. Upper Tribunal case law confirms that you can get to a point where the claimant is able to do so little that effectively they cannot do it at all, even with someone there to supervise or assist. PIP as far as Mental Health is concerned is not fit for purpose. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. and for UC they won't accept your fit note? Open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. Left to their own devices, the claimant in that case was having only soup and coffee and sometimes a sandwich. Are you kidding me? It's hard to understand exactly what you are asking UC pip or the system. Cushing’s Disease, £12,800 Arrears And Great Value Too, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Your Mental Health, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for over 65. He was awarded 4 points for Mobility for the planning and following a journey part ( needs prompting for all journeys )even though He can not follow an unfamiliar journey without someone being there with him and due to his cognitive problems … 9(b) "Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people" will score 2 points. Client opted for a hearing without being there.. Now that’s what I call a reconsideration! It is worth remembering that a 'need' should score equally where it is unmet as when that need is met by another person. These phrases come from regulation 4(2A) which says that if a task within PIP can be achieved by the claimant, you have to go on to consider whether it can be achieved safely, to an acceptable standard, as often as reasonably required and within a reasonable time period. For many of us it can mean that we need extra support to get to work, to see friends and family and to carrying on living our lives. "Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash bathe" will score 2 points 4(c), and this appears to be the only descriptor relevant to depression and anxiety under this heading. Needs supervision to be able to take nutrition" will again score 2 points, as will the need for prompting. How to fill in the PIP form : Mental Health & Money Advice. Good luck and best wishes That’s all. I don't know your whole story but i'm assuming you claimed ESA, had the assessment and were found fit for work? If a lack of motivation is a symptom of your depression, you could certainly score 2 points for the need to be encouraged or prompted to even begin the task. Thank thank you for your explanation. The sole question was whether the belief, or the pain they experienced was real to them. Can PIP Claim dreams come true among the spires of Cambridge? My sister was with me throughout this farce. You can imagine that the Department tends to focus on the words "the threshold is a very high one". It is worth remembering that a 'need' should score equally where it is unmet as when that need is met by another person. You may have come across phrases such as "to an acceptable standard" and "within a reasonable time period" in your research so far. The descriptor that would fit in those circumstances would be 1(f) "Cannot prepare and cook food." Ms E has been known to the Community Mental Health Team for many years and is under care coordination. manage your treatments monitor your own health condition, including your mental health take action to stop your condition getting worse Tell the DWP about treatments you have in your home that have been prescribed or recommended by a medical professional. I think we have to stick together because Mental Health is more difficult for the Assessors to Assess than saying “can you walk without an aid”. Three Upper Tribunal judges sat together to decide RJ and this means that the case carries a lot of weight. As I say I’m in touch with Amber Rudd. The descriptor that would score 4 points instead of those 2 is 1(e) "Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal." 15 Points for Mobilising and Support Group Placement. Can you work full-time and have a substantial PIP award? I frequently see assessors justify not awarding the 10 or 12 points for these descriptors saying that they saw no evidence of overwhelming psychological distress during the assessment. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. That is at least how we saw it but the tribunal did not award the 4 points and the case is currently on its way to the Upper Tribunal. PIP and Mental Health February 2018 5 Claims for PIP For most, though not all, people, making a claim for PIP will involve: • completing a PIP1 Personal Independence Payment claim form, initially by phone • completing a PIP2 How your disability affects you form • having a face-to-face assessment with a health professional. You don't need a fit note to to claim PIP because PIP isn't about being unfit for work. When justifying their choice of descriptor under this heading, assessors routinely rely on how the claimant engaged with them and they will often comment on the contact the claimant has with family or with doctors or people in shops but. You should answer them carefully and thoroughly. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Supreme Court (the highest court in the UK) looked at this part of the PIP test in July 2019. Stress and hormones are my triggers. People will often need support making a claim to make the process as trouble-free as possible, and to ensure the best possible outcome. When justifying their choice of descriptor under this heading, assessors routinely rely on how the claimant engaged with them and they will often comment on the contact the claimant has with family or with doctors or people in shops but this is not social engagement. I raised this concern at a forum where advisers and representatives were able to meet, albeit virtually, with the company that employs and trains assessors. I have not come across client suffering with either anxiety or depression who should score points under this heading. They’re useless with Mental Health - I’ve got Epilepsy and memory loss plus Depression. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. What the 2018 PIP ruling means for those living with mental health issues A High Court ruling found that the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) policy had discriminated against people with mental health … If the DWP don’t know what to do with me, as I said, what chance do we with Mental Illness’ have?! This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Pip Assessment questions by questionsgems. The mental state examination is largely observed. I was simply trying to help you so please be mindful of your tone. We are talking here about someone who could both prepare and cook a simple meal (cooking on the hob and using raw ingredients) provided that they have someone with them to provide either supervision or assistance. I can, of course, spell backwards etc. This means that it should have been affecting you for 3 months prior to your filling in the form, and that you expect it to impact on your health for a further 9 months. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons! I’m quite aware of that. CF35 6UP, ©2011-20 DISABILITY CLAIMS  |  Privacy  | Cookies  |  Terms  |  Accessibility  |  Sitemap  |  DisclaimerÂ. I cannot recall a client whose need for prompting/encouragement was as a result of their anxiety but this does not mean that it can't happen. In my experience, assessors and decision makers are less likely to understand the limitations imposed by depression and anxiety, less likely to believe the claimant and less likely to correctly apply the law to the facts that they do find. Remember that this has nothing to do with their ability to actually make the journey; they could be planning a journey for someone else to take. I want to contact the press about losing all my PIP entitlements based on a 20 minutes assessment in a dark room. Those complications, the Department regularly gets it pip sample answers mental health what follows can be more... 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2020 pip sample answers mental health