Latest Changes to PIP affecting Agoraphobics etc

Hi

You mentioned some of the sneaky changes to PIP but I discovered another when looking for the one you were referring to about not getting an award unless you've not left your home for years.

The following one will affect all agoraphobics and anyone with mental health problems who have serious problems getting out and about (the raison d'etre for DLA low rate mobiliy):

From the manual:

"Caution! There have been a number of other changes to guidance issued to health professionals in relation to this activity.
The effect of these alterations appears to be to instruct health professionals that claimants who need accompanying by another person when following the route of a journey, because of a mental health condition, are covered solely by descriptor 11 (b) and should only score 4 points.

Instructions are given in the Assessment Guide in relation to 11 (c), (d) and (f) that: ‘This descriptor is unlikely to apply to mental or behavioural disorders for example anxiety.’"

In other words DWP are advising assessors to discount mental health issues in this area. Nick Clegg has supposedly championed the needs of people with mental health problems, and has referred to mental services as the Cinderella Service when it comes to health. But this is out and out discrimination. It is disgusting that these people with virtually no training can come out brazenly and say ‘This descriptor is unlikely to apply to mental or behavioural disorders for example anxiety.’ This is complete and utter nonsense. It is insulting to GPs and people trained in psychology and psychiatry. It is demeaning to people have suffered in this way for years. Clearly they know nothing about mental health, agoraphobia or panic attacks or more likely they want to cut spending on the mobility part of PIP to people with mental health problems.

I wondered if this could be taken up at the highest level - I have already written to my MP and urge others to do the same and make a stink.

Thanks for your reply, Gordon. Yes, originally this was all done via Case Law which set out a precedent for people with agoraphobia to be eligible for low rate mobility. If the descriptors are law I can't see why the guidance is trying to mislead assessors. Sorry, scratch that. Of course they want to make lots of people ineligible for the mobility component knowing that many won't appeal (especially if they have to go through Mandatory Reconsideration first).

Am finding this all very frightening