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Descroptor points help
- Leanne89
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4 years 8 months ago #250416 by Leanne89
Descroptor points help was created by Leanne89
hi guys,
I got my decision back and wondered if you could help clarify a few points for me.
Washing and bathing.
I scored 2 points for this and marked down as need prompting. Both the assessor and dwp said i take between 80 and 90 mins to shower due to ocd and backed up by psychiatrist letter, is this the right descriptor?
Engaging with others face to face
I scored 0 on this as the assessor said I managed to do the telephobe assessment alone even though I advised how much I was struggling and had to do it alone after only getting a days notice of the assessment. He also said that because I work part time that I can engage face to face. I told him my job is from home and mainly email based with the occasional phone call, can I argue these points as its not face to face?
Planning and following a journey
I scored 0 on this, assessor said that when I occasionally need to go into the office I get a taxi so I tell the driver where to go which is false as it is local and on a main road so have never been asked, and they have sat nav. I feel OK going in a taxi as I get taken to and from the location and I do not have to plan ahead or change route incase of diversion, and I am not doing it alone. I cannot use public transport as stated in consultant letters. I can go out, but I never do alone due to various mental health issues and the stress it causes. It has a knock on effect on completing other tasks for the rest of the day or maybe longer depending on the situation.
He also stated that my medication is a 'low dose. I explained that as I have ocd, borderline personality disorder and ADHD I am currently going through titration to stabilise my medication as 1 can make another disorder worse. DRS letters say that this is a starting dose and will increase but has to be done slowly or will have a negative effect. It has taken longer then usual due to covid. Can they use the titrarion as a reason to score me low?
Thank you
I got my decision back and wondered if you could help clarify a few points for me.
Washing and bathing.
I scored 2 points for this and marked down as need prompting. Both the assessor and dwp said i take between 80 and 90 mins to shower due to ocd and backed up by psychiatrist letter, is this the right descriptor?
Engaging with others face to face
I scored 0 on this as the assessor said I managed to do the telephobe assessment alone even though I advised how much I was struggling and had to do it alone after only getting a days notice of the assessment. He also said that because I work part time that I can engage face to face. I told him my job is from home and mainly email based with the occasional phone call, can I argue these points as its not face to face?
Planning and following a journey
I scored 0 on this, assessor said that when I occasionally need to go into the office I get a taxi so I tell the driver where to go which is false as it is local and on a main road so have never been asked, and they have sat nav. I feel OK going in a taxi as I get taken to and from the location and I do not have to plan ahead or change route incase of diversion, and I am not doing it alone. I cannot use public transport as stated in consultant letters. I can go out, but I never do alone due to various mental health issues and the stress it causes. It has a knock on effect on completing other tasks for the rest of the day or maybe longer depending on the situation.
He also stated that my medication is a 'low dose. I explained that as I have ocd, borderline personality disorder and ADHD I am currently going through titration to stabilise my medication as 1 can make another disorder worse. DRS letters say that this is a starting dose and will increase but has to be done slowly or will have a negative effect. It has taken longer then usual due to covid. Can they use the titrarion as a reason to score me low?
Thank you
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- Gordon
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4 years 8 months ago #250423 by Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by Gordon on topic Descroptor points help
Leanne
The PIP Descriptors are specific, what I mean by this is that you must meet the criteria for a particular Descriptors to score, you cannot score for a general problem in completing the activity.
That said, you must be able to complete an activity safely, within a reasonable time period, to an acceptable standard and repeatedly.
Washing and bathing
This is difficult as all of the other Descriptors refer to your washing specific parts of your body.
The time it takes you to shower should be a factor but I am not surprised that the assessor and DM have had problems trying to relate your issues to the Descriptors, your difficulty is that it may boil down to 4c or 4g and there is a huge gap between the two that you will need to fill to meet the latter.
Engaging with others face to face
Ok, I don't know what issues you have with this but yes, you can certainly argue that their opinions are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the criteria, namely that it it requires face to face interaction with the person and their justification uses examples where you are not.
Planning and following a journey
You need to make sure that you are arguing the correct tasks for this, so planning a route and following one are separate.
All I can suggest for this is that you re-present your issues in light of the assessor's comments, so re-emphasise your problems going out and how you do so, I would certainly include a bit to say that you are not actually following a route when going by taxi to and from work, also how often you do this.
As you leave your house you may not be able to show that you cannot undertake a journey and as this is mutually exclusive with following a route I would stick to the latter. Do you have routines that you must perform due to your OCD that you must perform before you leave the house? If you do include these as they should be a factor that is considered.
As to the medication, there are issues over the period that can be looked at, three months in arrears and nine in the future, also, how you have presented what is happening (the titration) implies that your symptoms will be eased in the future as your dosage is adjusted, this won't help your argument. I would stick to a simpler scenario and explain why you cannot take a higher dose.
Gordon
The PIP Descriptors are specific, what I mean by this is that you must meet the criteria for a particular Descriptors to score, you cannot score for a general problem in completing the activity.
That said, you must be able to complete an activity safely, within a reasonable time period, to an acceptable standard and repeatedly.
Washing and bathing
This is difficult as all of the other Descriptors refer to your washing specific parts of your body.
The time it takes you to shower should be a factor but I am not surprised that the assessor and DM have had problems trying to relate your issues to the Descriptors, your difficulty is that it may boil down to 4c or 4g and there is a huge gap between the two that you will need to fill to meet the latter.
Engaging with others face to face
Ok, I don't know what issues you have with this but yes, you can certainly argue that their opinions are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the criteria, namely that it it requires face to face interaction with the person and their justification uses examples where you are not.
Planning and following a journey
You need to make sure that you are arguing the correct tasks for this, so planning a route and following one are separate.
All I can suggest for this is that you re-present your issues in light of the assessor's comments, so re-emphasise your problems going out and how you do so, I would certainly include a bit to say that you are not actually following a route when going by taxi to and from work, also how often you do this.
As you leave your house you may not be able to show that you cannot undertake a journey and as this is mutually exclusive with following a route I would stick to the latter. Do you have routines that you must perform due to your OCD that you must perform before you leave the house? If you do include these as they should be a factor that is considered.
As to the medication, there are issues over the period that can be looked at, three months in arrears and nine in the future, also, how you have presented what is happening (the titration) implies that your symptoms will be eased in the future as your dosage is adjusted, this won't help your argument. I would stick to a simpler scenario and explain why you cannot take a higher dose.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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