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Received PA4 report today
- Janallan
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My symptoms are anxiety,depression,arthritis,bladder problems,
What is meant by cognitive diagnosis? ( I would have thought I did have one)
Do you know what's classed as first line of antidepressants? (I am on 40 mg daily)
My condition is now managed by my GP but I have seen counsellors etc years ago
Thankyou
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- Gordon
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Janallan wrote: Hi I have received 2 points only for my pip renewal and have received copy of PA4 report today. The reasons given throughout for justification for their descriptor choice is DOES NOT HAVE A COGNITIVE DIAGNOSIS,ISNT UNDER THE MENTAL HEALTH TEAM AND IS ON FIRST LINE ANTIDEPRESSANTS.
My symptoms are anxiety,depression,arthritis,bladder problems,
What is meant by cognitive diagnosis? ( I would have thought I did have one)
Do you know what's classed as first line of antidepressants? (I am on 40 mg daily)
My condition is now managed by my GP but I have seen counsellors etc years ago
Thankyou
The DWP have a very specific view of cognitive conditions, they see these as being learning difficulties or brain damage, they struggle with the concept of them being the result of mental health issues, the side effects of medicine or the result of things like extreme tiredness.
There are a wide range of drugs that are used for the treatment of depression and general anxiety disorder, you need to speak to your GP about the treatment you are receiving and whether they would refer to it as "first line".
If you want to challenge the Decision then the first stage to challenging a Decision is for you to request a Mandatory Reconsideration, this needs to be done in writing to the DWP, within one month of the Decision, to the office that dealt with your claim, have a look at our PIP MR & Appeal guide for details of the process, the PIP area also has template letters that you can use to make the request with.
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/pip
You should contact the DWP for a copy of the assessment report if you have not already done so, I would phone them but again follow up the request in writing. Once you have the assessment report you will have a better understanding of how the DWP Decision Maker has come to their conclusions and will then be able to argue against them.
Your primary task is to show that you meet the criteria, there are many reasons you may have failed, you need to address each of these but don't get bogged down in criticising the assessment report unless you can clearly show that it is incorrect, it is a lot easier to argue the facts of the situation;
"the assessor recorded that I walked 50m, I did but they have failed to document that I had to stop every 10m for a rest due to breathlessness"
than their opinions
"based on my observations of the claimant walking I believe that they can reliably walk more than 200m.
When you have a better idea of the issues with your claim, come back to the forum and we will do our best to help.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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- Paradigm
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For example, when prescribing drugs for depression there are favourite SSRIs (though any SSRI counts) that are given out in the first instance, whereas MAOIs which interact with a variety of medications and even foods would only be used where other drugs had failed.
Another example is is ADHD - the first line is methylphenidate (you may know it as ritalin) but if trials of it don't work then atomoxetine or dexamfetamine may be trialled.
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