Refused PIP

So i applied for PIP as i have been suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it has become worse over the past 8 months whereby i have even been unable to work. I also suffer with anxiety, depression and lower back pain as well as having pains in my abdomen relating to my bowels for which i take buscopan for.

I am under the community health team and see a therapist every two weeks.
I take medication for my back pain (Ibuprofen, Cocodamol, Paracetamol, Naproxen and a back pain gel.)
I have previously been on anti depressants however they did not seem to work so i stopped taking them, I have also had Cognitive behaviour therapy and this has not cured my symptoms of flashbacks, anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks and sweating / hyper arousal either.

I used to work as a Supervisor, however as i kept having panic attacks on the way to work, one of which caused me to have a road traffic accident I stopped leaving the house and had to go off work sick with stress.

I filled in the forms that were sent out to me the best i could following the guides on this website.
BRIEFLY...

1)I do not prepare my own food as i cannot concentrate and lack motivation, i often get things wrong and even when using a timer i have forgotten about things that are on the cooker. I have put the wrong things in the microwave and have caused the microwave to blow up. I cant be asked to eat as i dont feel hungry so i dont see no reason to cook anything and on top of that i suffer with bad back pain which makes it difficult for me to move to the kitchen and even sit/stand for long periods and the pain makes me loose concertration making it unsafe.

2)I do not eat without someone reminding me to and my BMI is below average and has only recently gone up due to being forced to eat from my family members with them sitting in front of me at every bite. If i am not told to eat will go days without eating due to being depressed.

3) I use Pads for toileting as i have leaked urine several times as i find it difficult getting to the toilet and i have had an accident which is embarrassing. If i did not wear pads i would not be able hold my urine in because of how long it takes to get up to get to the toilet.

4) I use a long handled sponge as i am in excruciating pain and a shower seat with walk in shower to bathe. if i did not have this i would not be able to get in and out of a bath without help due to my severe back pain. At times i cannot get out of bed in the morning due to the pain and depression. This happens around 4 times a week.

5)I cannot put my bottoms on without help as bending over is very painful and i cannot reach down. If i twist my hands back into a cardigan/coat it puts me in severe pain and therfore i wear long dresses which slip over my head.

5)I cannot communicate face to face with people i dont know outside of my home as it causes me to have panic attacks due to the anixety. For this reason i rarely leave my house and do not do so without someone to calm me down if i have a panic attack. I become overwhelmed and cannot cope.

6)I struggle with budgeting and have gone into debt with bills because i cannot keep up or do this myself. I get my family to manage this as i cant do it reliably.

7) I cannot figure out what compicated letters mean on majority of the days (4/5 days) a week because i am too depressed to concertrate it causes me to struggle to make sense of things.

8) I use a dosette box to manage my medication as i forget to take it and i also use a phone timer app. However on several occassions i have still forgotten to take my medication so i also get verbal reminders from family to ensure i have taken my medication.

9)I cannot plan a route of an journey myself due to my overwhelming anxiety and panic attacks. I use a taxi to go places as i cannot figure out where i am going due to the symptoms i experience when going outside. It is very rarely that i do go out and it is for important things only whereby someone will take me or i will go with someone in a taxi as i dont know where i am going. I have had a rpevious car crash as it is unsafe for me t follow a jouney myself aas i become disorientated due to my PTSD and anxiety.

10) I struggle with walking as i get pain down my leg when i walk and it aggiravates this pain more when i walk as well as radiaating in my back. I walk approx 10 metres before i get sever pain and have to stop. I dont walk anywhere except down the front drive to a car/taxi and back again. It causes me to have to sleep/rest all day and i have to take double the medication to even eliviate any of the pain.


The assessment was carried out at home and i was unable to carry out the tasks completely due to the pain and could not bend down properly etc. She did not ask me to walk as she could see i was in pain but merely asked me how far i could walk to which i explained properly just in and out the rooms or down the drive which is 5 metres before i experienced pain.

I have been awarded 0 points on all descriptors to do with daily living.
4 points for moving around as i can apparently walk more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres.

The dwp decision maker agrees i have reduced back movement, however the evidence shows i have no functional restrictions preventing me from completing all aspects of daily living most of the time.

TBH i find this quite ridiculous as i was highly agitated whilst the assessor was here, kept fidgeting and had to take double dose of medication before she came. I felt sick and i couldn't look her in the face properly due to my anxiety and thoughts.

I have asked for all evidence used in making the decision as i find it quite absurd.

Any thoughts...

Hi

As you can see from posts on the forum your experience is by no means unusual.

You need to work through the assessors report when you get it, noting all the wrong entries. It is not unheard of for assessors to t write lies, things you did not say or make up things you said.
You need to refute every wrong entry and use your evidence etc. to challenge what is in the report.
You have 28 days to lodge your request for a MR. You will find a detailed guide to appeals in the members area. Please read and reread if neccessary to make best use of all the advice when presenting your appeal. If you need any further help please feel free to come back and post any questions.

I find it absurd how they treat people like this.
If you can fight what's right then good on you.

I have already given up on PIP when I transfer from Dla I just find it all to much now, more forms more hassle.

I wish you all the luck.

Hi

I think its unfortunate you have to give up as this is exactly what they intend with this absurd new practice.

I have posted details of turn2us who have taken over from the Community Legal Aid service.
I hope people will post feedback on their experience of the service so we can assess whether it is any good. Perhaps you could try them when the time comes.

foss27 wrote: Hi

I think its unfortunate you have to give up as this is exactly what they intend with this absurd new practice.

I have posted details of turn2us who have taken over from the Community Legal Aid service.
I hope people will post feedback on their experience of the service so we can assess whether it is any good. Perhaps you could try them when the time comes.

Foss27, I had seen that thread about that, I don't want to hijack this thread, but why o why are they getting away with treating us all like this.

As I say giving up on PIP yes but I will post the form back when the time calls but I have no asteem to fight. My psychiatrist has done me a wonderful letter detailing most if not all how my life is affected bye day to day life.

I hope this they listen to.

If I have a home visit or assessment centre I will just hand them that and say no more because I as the member above can't cope with outside life and I hate change.