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Interpreting a support group descriptor

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6 years 7 months ago #195120 by Chrissy
I'm writing about the support group descriptor "conveying food or drink to the mouth"
This bit in particular
"Owing to a severe disorder of mood or behaviour, fails
to convey food or drink to the claimant’s own mouth
without receiving:
o physical assistance from someone else, or
o regular prompting given by someone else in the
claimant’s presence."

I live alone and hardly eat due to mental illness, and have lost five stones in the last year.
I do need prompting to eat, but there is nobody there to prompt me, and the only reason i do eat is when my anxiety gets really bad through hunger, then its only things like slapping a slice of cold meat in a slice of bread, or eating fruit, or something simple bowl of cereal, microwaveable stuff, boiled eggs etc.

When people I know phone, they telll me to eat, but im alone most of the time, and if prompted i would eat more, so i need prompting but dont get prompted most of the time.
Do I fit this descriptor, by virtue of needing to be prompted, or do you have to actuallly be prompted by someone.
thanks

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6 years 7 months ago #195126 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic Interpreting a support group descriptor
Chrissy

You do not have to be receiving the prompting to qualify, you just require to need it.

But be aware, this Descriptor is aimed at claimants with eating disorders, I'm not saying that you do not qualify for it because of this but you will have to show a significant problem with eating to qualify, so you will need to explain your problems in some detail and will probably need to provide medical evidence in support, so is you GP aware of your problems and have you received any form of treatment as a result?

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Chrissy

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6 years 7 months ago #195141 by Chrissy
Replied by Chrissy on topic Interpreting a support group descriptor
Thank you I have not been to gp for a while but I made appointment

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6 years 7 months ago #195143 by Chrissy
Replied by Chrissy on topic Interpreting a support group descriptor
Sorry I have another question on different support group descriptor.
I don't know if I qualify for this descriptor.
I get all my shopping home delivered and stay home alone about 90 plus per cent of the time.
On the odd occasion I do see people it's only a very small amount of people I trust you I let in to my home, I sit in communal garden for very short times, mostly alone, have very occasional walks out, strictly with one or two people I trust, sticking to quiet places, been for pub lunch in quiet pub twice recently but it overwhelmed me still. Do I qualify for this descriptor as I cannot socially engaged anywhere near enough and isolate well over 90 per cent of the time due to sevete anxiety which can leave me feeling quite traumatised after seeing people, which takes a while to get over.
Thanks for your continued help.

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6 years 7 months ago #195170 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic Interpreting a support group descriptor
Chrissy

We can't say whether a member meets a Descriptor or not, all we can do is highlight areas where their arguments may be weak.

So you will need to careful not to suggest that you avoid social situations rather than have problems with them.

You need to show that you suffer significant distress when in a social situation or as a result of being in one.

If you are aiming for (a) and the Support Group then there is Case Law that would allow you to argue that "always precluded" does not have to mean "never" but the standard you will need to meet will have to far higher than the normal majority of the time. Your statement that you only let people into your home that you trust will undoubtedly diminish any argument that you meet this Descriptor.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Chrissy

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6 years 7 months ago #195193 by Chrissy
Replied by Chrissy on topic Interpreting a support group descriptor

Gordon wrote: Chrissy

We can't say whether a member meets a Descriptor or not, all we can do is highlight areas where their arguments may be weak.

So you will need to careful not to suggest that you avoid social situations rather than have problems with them.

You need to show that you suffer significant distress when in a social situation or as a result of being in one.

If you are aiming for (a) and the Support Group then there is Case Law that would allow you to argue that "always precluded" does not have to mean "never" but the standard you will need to meet will have to far higher than the normal majority of the time. Your statement that you only let people into your home that you trust will undoubtedly diminish any argument that you meet this Descriptor.

Gordon

Hi Gordon
Sorry to be a pain, I let people in who do things like shopping for me, or looking after me. I don't let people in for socialising. It's just that as I am so unwell, people close to me want to know if they can do anything for me.
Does your sentence "My statement that you only let people into your home that you trust will undoubtedly diminish any argument that you meet this Descriptor." mean that I do not meet this descriptor?

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