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Re the WCA; do the DWP consider ME/CFS to be a physical or mental condition?
- Camy
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1 day 21 hours ago #311274 by Camy
Re the WCA; do the DWP consider ME/CFS to be a physical or mental condition? was created by Camy
For the purposes of the WCA...
Am wondering if the DWP/HAAS/Capita consider ME/CFS to be physical or mental?
As I understand it points will not be given for tasks in the mental health section for conditions they consider to be physical, is that correct?
Am wondering if the DWP/HAAS/Capita consider ME/CFS to be physical or mental?
As I understand it points will not be given for tasks in the mental health section for conditions they consider to be physical, is that correct?
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- David
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1 day 3 hours ago #311290 by David
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by David on topic Re the WCA; do the DWP consider ME/CFS to be a physical or mental condition?
Hi Camy
I thought that the duality of mind and body was now considered to be a very outdated concept.
Here are the symptoms of M/CFS from the NHS and they can be both physical and mental. So you can get points where ever the descriptors apply.
Symptoms of ME/CFS
The 4 main symptoms of ME/CFS are:
feeling extremely tired all the time (fatigue), which can make daily activities like taking a shower, or going to work or school, difficult
sleep problems, including insomnia, sleeping too much, feeling like you have not slept properly and feeling exhausted or stiff when you wake up
problems with thinking, concentration and memory (brain fog)
symptoms getting worse after physical or mental activity, and possibly taking weeks to get better (also called post-exertional malaise, or PEM)
Some people with ME/CFS may also have pain in different parts of the body or flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, headache and aching joints or muscles.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/
I thought that the duality of mind and body was now considered to be a very outdated concept.
Here are the symptoms of M/CFS from the NHS and they can be both physical and mental. So you can get points where ever the descriptors apply.
Symptoms of ME/CFS
The 4 main symptoms of ME/CFS are:
feeling extremely tired all the time (fatigue), which can make daily activities like taking a shower, or going to work or school, difficult
sleep problems, including insomnia, sleeping too much, feeling like you have not slept properly and feeling exhausted or stiff when you wake up
problems with thinking, concentration and memory (brain fog)
symptoms getting worse after physical or mental activity, and possibly taking weeks to get better (also called post-exertional malaise, or PEM)
Some people with ME/CFS may also have pain in different parts of the body or flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, headache and aching joints or muscles.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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- Valj
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17 hours 52 minutes ago #311299 by Valj
Replied by Valj on topic Re the WCA; do the DWP consider ME/CFS to be a physical or mental condition?
David is correct in stating that the mental illness view is very outdated and was found to be based on very poorly conducted research. The WHO has long classified this illness as neurological, DcodeME research has found 8 areas of genetic difference in areas related to the nervous and immune systems, so maybe thinking of it more as a neuroimmune condition would be more accurate. Other researchers have found problems with mitochondria and cell energy production. I have ME/CFS and am significantly disabled by it. I successfully claimed PIP, much to my relief. Follow the advice in the B&W eligibility checker and state very clearly how this illness affects you and don’t get too concerned about what illness you have. It is a variable condition, but you need to be clear what that means, for me it means that it varies between bad and terrible. On a good day I feel ill, but on a bad day I feel terrible. It will be different for everyone affected. Be as clear on your forms as you can be and remember to say how it would affect you if you forced yourself to carry out an activity and how long it would take you to recover. Just tell it as it is. Best wishes.
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