D. Deleted member 92692 Former member. HPs are required to advise on: which of the descriptors in the activities set out in the assessment criteria are relevant to the claimant, taking due consideration of variability and reliability, whether the functional impact of the claimants health condition(s) or impairment(s) has been present for at least 3 months and is likely to remain for at least 9 months, the appropriate time to review the claim, or indeed whether the claim will require a review, and whether the functional restriction identified in the report will be present at the point of any review, whether the claimant is likely to require additional support from the DWP in order to engage with future PIP claims processes. The attorney should be aware of this and if acting responsibly should not let the claimant attend on his own. In such cases, where the available information is consistent, the HP should consider whether they can use their own expert clinical knowledge of the condition(s), its severity and known impact in other areas to determine, on the balance of probabilities, the likely impact in the remaining areas. 1.10.9 The HP should select the No box if they consider it likely that the claimants health condition is likely to improve or that they will adapt to the point that there will be no or a very low level of functional restriction for example, someone with osteoarthritis of the hip who is expected to have a hip replacement in the next few months where a full recovery is likely in a relatively short period of time. You can learn more about having an assessment at home by buying this book on this website. This free money management tool is specifically for people on Universal Credit. 1.1.9 If the claimant is unhappy with the decision on their award, they have the right of reconsideration and, if a claimant disagrees with the reconsideration, they have the right to appeal to His Majestys Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS). This tool will help you work out how to save to pay off debts or buy the things you want. Here is a sample PIP question on mental health: Do you need help from another person to plan a route to somewhere you know well? 1.4.15 Where necessary, HPs may seek further information from claimants by telephone. Where cognitive difficulties are a common symptom of a relevant condition, these should be assessed. 1.2.3 The report to the department should include: relevant history of the claimant, including information on the disabling health conditions or impairments, their functional effects and information on their current medication and treatment, advice on the appropriate assessment descriptors for the claimant, based on consideration of the evidence on file and, if appropriate, the evidence that the HP has collected during the consultation. Failure to provide this may result in the advice being returned for clarification or rework. 1.1.12 Each activity contains a series of descriptors which describe increasing levels of difficulty with carrying out the activity. Most people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be asked to attend a PIP assessment with a healthcare professional. In circumstances where it is not possible to copy the further evidence, perhaps during telephone or home consultations or where the claimant does not wish to part with the evidence, then it is permissible for the HP to make notes from the original further evidence documentation. Only 7% of those surveyed said their GP has been contacted, with a further 35% saying they were unsure. The PIP medical assessment with questions on mental health is an assessment that evaluates your capability of doing daily activities depending on your physical or mental condition. Claimants should be invited to clarify any points and ask any questions they have about the assessment procedure, and asked whether there is anything else they would like to include. where, in reassessment cases, further evidence may confirm whether or not there has been a change in the claimants health condition or disability. | Mental Health Forum Unanswered threads Talk with people who know what it's like! For urgent help, please see Help & contacts. Proof of consent is not necessary needed before information is released by hospitals, trusts and clinics funded by the NHS or local authorities. 1.6.14 The HP should include details of fluctuating conditions, indicating how frequent the fluctuations are, how long exacerbations last and, on balance, how many good days or weeks and how many bad ones the claimant experiences over a specific period of time. It is also recommended that the HPs could also consult with clinical coaches or other experts prior to the assessment for advice and support on how conditions present and how this might affect function. 1.8.16 When a third party provides evidence for example, a carer or health professional the HP should evaluate the strength of the opinion being expressed. The HP should also include what relevant investigations have been carried out or planned for the future. If a claimant cannot bend to put on their shoes, it is unlikely that they are able to wash below the waist. In these cases, the HP will need to consider the appropriate approach to completing the assessment (paper-based or consultation). You can get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if all of the following apply to you: These times have reduced significantly from the peak in July 2014 (42 . Mr Z has diabetes and depression with agoraphobia. The Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) temporarily suspended Personal Independence Payment (PIP) face-to-face assessments in March and a decision on whether to extend that measure is expected . Once you have completed and sent your PIP form back to the DWP, you will receive a letter acknowledging they have got your claim. Helping you understand, manage & improve your mental health and money issues. The report and all other evidence available will be used by the CM who will contact the claimant in due course. 1.4.2 If a consultation has already been arranged and, following receipt of further evidence, the HP concludes that they can now advise DWP on the basis of paper evidence, the consultation should be cancelled. For example, if the claimant has corrective surgery planned for the near future which would be expected to significantly impact their level of ability, a review at a point following the surgery might be appropriate. In exceptional circumstances a written request for further evidence can be issued. He is aged 16 and attends a supported education centre where he is learning independent living skills and undergoing travel training, with the hope of attending college in the future. I am worried about the cost-of-living crisis, Requesting adjustments to the PIP assessment, Planning your journey to the PIP assessment, How to claim travel expenses for your PIP assessment. 1.15.7 Consent to contact third parties to allow them to share information will be sought by the DWP during the initial information gather regardless of whether the claimant applied for PIP over the telephone or on a written claim form. The 2019 PIP rates were: For daily living- Standard rate: weekly rate of 58.70 and 8-11 points required. The HP must record the telephone conversation in their notes, indicating who has given that person the authority to speak on their behalf. HPs will not liaise directly with CMs, but will liaise with DWP service assurance managers (SAMs) where the CMs have queries, for example: seeking additional advice either based on current advice or because further evidence has been submitted. 1.15.27 In cases treated under the SREL process, a telephone call to a different health professional should be considered. 1.6.71 If the claimant declines to give consent for the HP to contact their GP, the HP should make a judgement as to whether the situation is sufficiently serious that it warrants breaking confidentiality by telling the GP even without the claimant's consent. If a claimant is unable to complete an activity or needs support to do so at a point in the day when you would reasonably expect them to complete it, the need should be treated as existing for the whole of the day, even if it does not exist at other points in the day. 1.6.11 When considering inconsistencies, HPs should bear in mind that some claimants may have no insight into their condition, for example claimants with cognitive or developmental impairments. By contrast most people with mental health problems we talked to expected and assumed their GP would be contacted after including their details on the PIP1 form. 1.7.6 The DS1500 is the preferred medical evidence for a DWP SREL claim. It is essential to describe the claimants function as described both on bad days and on good days for the CM to understand the claimants circumstances and the consequences of their health condition or impairment. The person chosen is at the discretion of the claimant and might be, but is not limited to, a parent, family member, friend, carer or advocate. The claimant or their representative may also be able to provide updated information on treatment received or planned. You need to relate your answer to how it speaks to your concern. Preparing for your PIP assessment. The HPs evaluation could include the level of expertise of the individual offering the opinion; their direct knowledge of the claimants health condition or impairment; and whether it is medically reasonable. Most people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be asked to attend a PIP medical assessment with a healthcare professional. The HP should act within the guidelines, and be able to justify their actions. Confidentiality is breached when one person discloses information to another in circumstances where it is reasonable to expect that the information will be held in confidence. You can ask for an adjustment of your appointment date for your PIP assessment with questions on mental health by calling your assessment provider using the contact number in the appointment letter. where there is uncertainty about descriptor choice because of contradicting or unclear evidence has been received. Safely: Can you do the activity without risking danger to yourself or someone else? Once good diabetic control was maintained his mental health condition improved so he was not entitled to either component. There are various sources of further evidence, including, but not limited to: a report from other health professionals involved in the claimants care such as a community psychiatric nurse (CPN), a report from a local authority-funded clinic, evidence from any other professional involved in supporting the claimant, such as social workers, key workers or care co-ordinators, telephone conversations with any such professionals, information from a disabled young persons school or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). It is important to remember that GPs and specialists are responsible for any information divulged by the administrative staff and HPs must ensure that the person they speak to has the authority to provide the information. 1.6.21 The employment status of the claimant might be relevant and this should be explored and recorded as part of the evidence gathered in social and occupational history. 1.6.25 The typical day is a tool used to explore the claimants perception of how they manage their daily living, and the nature and extent of the functional limitations resulting from their health condition or impairment. Functional examinations may cover one or more of: 1.6.38 Before starting a physical examination, the HP must explain the procedure to the claimant, and obtain explicit verbal consent to continue. Safely: Can you do the activity without causing danger to yourself or someone else? The HP should contact the most appropriate person involved in the claimants care. If the health professional involved in the claimants care remains unwilling to provide the information, an appropriate alternative person - for example their consultant - should be telephoned. T he government's abolition of the disability living allowance (DLA) and its replacement with personal independence payments (PIP) means that people with disabilities - many of whom had been told. If you plan to do so, you should call the assessment centre in advance explaining that you wish to record the assessment they will explain what guidelines you will need to follow. With regard to requests for personal information, APs should: only ask for what they need, and should not collect too much or irrelevant information, protect it, storing both clerical and electronic information securely, ensure that only staff who need to have access to the personal data in order to undertake their work should have access, not keep it longer than the required retention period and periodically review the data you hold and erase and anonymise when no longer required, not make personal information available for commercial use without the claimants permission. 1.6.45 If any element of function is not examined at the consultation, the HP should record why this area was not examined rather than leave the section of the report form blank. A home environment may also provide either an ideal, good or a very poor environment for testing functional ability, for example, depending on the level of background noise. What a bad day is like for you - for example, on a bad day, Im so depressed I cant concentrate on anything, and getting out of bed is a huge struggle. 1.13.3 Supplementary advice may also be requested for a reconsideration where the claimant challenges a decision made about entitlement to PIP, or for the early revision of a decision as part of the appeals process. We are a friendly, safe community supporting each other's mental health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. He lives in supported accommodation and there has been no change to his functional ability in the last few years. If the claimant attends on their own then the assessment can go ahead if the claimant has capacity. 1.2.4 The HP may also be asked to provide advice to the CM on a range of other aspects of a claim. Each descriptor has a score. Therefore, consent to inform the GP of the unexpected finding should be obtained from the claimant. 1.1.6 Once the claimant questionnaire has been returned to DWP, in cases where an assessment is required by a Health Professional (HP), the case is referred to an assessment provider (AP) along with any supporting evidence provided. The copy of the evidence or HP notes from the evidence should be sent to the CM with the completed report. 1.10.7 The HP is asked to confirm whether the functional restriction is likely to be present at the recommended point of review. You should also. How can I appeal a decision about my benefits? This is because the HP is not trying to make a diagnosis of their condition. DWP statistics show that 81 per cent of new claims and 88 per cent of those moving across from Disability Living Allowance are recorded as having one of . Renata Is A Disabled Entrepreneur. Report: Once your assessment has concluded, they will produce a report explaining which PIP descriptors apply to you and explain their reasoning. 1.6.63 If it is only the claimants personal data that is being recorded then there are no restrictions on the use the claimant can make of the recording. You will be declared capable of doing something if you can do it: If you have better and worse days, make sure you explain this to the assessor. For daily living- enhanced rate: weekly rate 87.65 and 12 points required. Citizens advice. PIP pretty much does not care. How can I appeal a decision about my benefits? They are due to undergo surgery within the next 9 months, after which an 8-12 week recovery period is anticipated. PIP telephone assessment | Page 2 | Mental Health Forum Unanswered threads Talk with people who know what it's like! The HP should use the free text box to clearly describe why they have selected the review point and the potential change to the claimants level of functional impairment that may lead to a review being necessary. 1.3.2 The claimant questionnaire and any evidence is scanned and saved in the Document Repository System (DRS). someone helps or encourages you to go out. . The roll-out of PIP to existing DLA claimants commenced from October 2013. Your medical assessment will be conducted by a private organisation - Independent Assessment Services (IAS - delivered by Atos) or Capita who have been contracted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). At a telephone assessment, consent should be captured verbally on the recording. These periods are known respectively as the qualifying period and prospective test. This is known as harmful information In law, this is the only information that can be withheld from a claimant. The consultation starts at the point the claimant begins to converse with the HP on the telephone, enters the assessment centre or is met at their home and concludes when the claimant ends the telephone conversation, leaves the premises of the assessment or the HP leaves the claimants residence. The illness that qualifies for PIP is the illness that is considered to be a long-term condition and this kind of condition should need regular support for needs and some may be limited in mobility. Entitlement to PIP is about the wording in the test; the 10 daily living activities . 1.4.10 In all cases and on all forms the HP completes when giving advice, the HP should check their advice for any information which could be seriously harmful to the claimants health if it were disclosed for example, a poor prognosis that is unknown to the claimant or a diagnosis of a psychotic illness in a claimant who lacks insight into their condition. 1.6.22 If the HP identifies inconsistencies between work and information on the claimant questionnaire, the HP should question these inconsistencies and document the response. This question does not signify your ability to walk. How do I manage my money if I have mental health problems? Discover your dream home among our modern houses, penthouses and villas for sale Helps you take control of your household spending. It is important that claimants feel they have been listened to and that the consultation feels like a genuinely two-way conversation. The HP must quantify the proportion of good days to bad, for example if the claimant has epilepsy it is a question of the type, frequency and after effects of the seizures. 1.6.1 In the majority of cases, a consultation will be necessary to accurately assess the claimants functional ability. 1.6.26 For some conditions different time periods will need to be considered, such as the potential impact of different times of the day. The aim of this measure is to reduce the impact of repeat assessments on claimants and on APs where a decision can be made by a DWP CM. 1.1.8 Once all evidence gathering has taken place, including an assessment with a HP where appropriate, the DWP case manager (CM) will review the claim and all evidence provided and make a decision regarding the award of benefit. They should also include information where the claimant has given up work or changed their job due to the functional limitations of their health condition or impairment. 1.6.75 HPs may also consider whether other options may be acceptable for example, if travelling on public transport is the issue, could a taxi be considered? He was awarded the daily living component and mobility component at the standard rates. 1.4.8 A written record should be taken of any telephone discussions seeking further information and the content included in the assessment report provided to DWP or via the PIPAT. They can help you feel more comfortable, add information to what you say or take notes. Before treating a standard claim under the SREL process, the HP should take steps to discreetly gain an understanding of the level of knowledge the claimant has about their own condition and prognosis. In April 2019, for the new claims cleared under normal rules, the average PIP claim took: 13 weeks from the point of registration to a decision being made on the claim, and. In the PIP journey, such claimants are considered to require additional support from DWP and elements of the PIP claims process have been adapted to provide further support for this group. However, HPs should consider the type and context of certain medications, for example use of depot antipsychotic injections in psychotic disorders. You dont become too concerned about the word severe since anxiety and distress can appear different in severe expressions in affected people. Claimants who ask should be reminded that it is for the DWP to decide entitlement. reading and comprehending written information, organizing a journey or following a route. The PIP assessment questions on mental health will be asking about the degree of assistance you need in daily activities. For urgent help, please see Help & contacts. She Has A Condition Called Cerebellar Atrophy, and Also Suffers From OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). You can also bring someone with you in the course of your assessment. A review is not likely to be considered necessary., no review required The claimant has motor neurone disease with high levels of functional impairment in the daily living and mobility activities. The contradicted everything that i had said, told many lies and the questions are designed to set you up..You must be very specific in everything you say, if you need prompting . 1.6.31 Informal observations are part of the suite of evidence used by CMs to help them determine entitlement to benefit. 1.8.14 The advice must be able to stand up to challenge and the HP should draw out key evidence in support of their choice of descriptors in the report, drawing fact-based findings and/or well supported opinion from all of the evidence. Inconsistencies could result in claimants either over or under emphasising the impact of their conditions and efforts should be made to avoid both. This gives the claimant the opportunity to explain to the HP how their impairment or health condition affects them. If you have a disabling condition that makes you housebound, you can also request for a home assessment. 9 weeks from the point of referral to the Assessment Provider to a decision being made on the claim. The HP should still make enquiries to clarify whether the person meets the Special Rules criteria and return the assessment report to the DWP with any supporting evidence, stating whether the claimant is terminally ill under the prescribed definition. #7. 1.7.31 Should an HP identify that a claimant is likely to meet the SREL conditions during a consultation and the claimant is aware of their condition, the HP should treat the case as a SREL referral. 1.1.10 The assessment for PIP looks at an individuals ability to carry out a series of everyday activities. The DWP will send you a letter once they have made their decision. It must be the claimant who attends any consultation. In such cases the claimant may not be able to give an accurate account of their health condition or impairment, through a lack of insight or unrealistic expectations of their own ability. You will need to contact the assessment provider and request a home assessment. The PA6 may also be used for changes to advice that does not relate to descriptor choice, for example prognosis. I had a horrible experience with the assessor. If the HP cannot obtain further evidence from the GP or other health professional, the HP should by exception consider contacting the claimant. To note: It is important that the HP ensures that valid verbal consent is obtained and recorded where appropriate. HPs should also take into account that some medications are used to treat different conditions, for example some antidepressants are also licenced to treat anxiety. You will also be qualified with this kind of benefit when you are aged 16 and over. In a reasonable and attainable time: Does it take you a lot more amount of time to do the activity than it would take most people. 1.6.16 Where the claimants clinical history is accurately detailed in either the claimant questionnaire or in supporting evidence, the HP may reference where it is recorded instead of reproducing this information in the assessment report. This PIP assessment question on mental health is important for people who may be suspected to have hearing complications, learning complications, autism, stress, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. The HP should note in the report that they have explained the procedure to the claimant and obtained their consent to proceed. However, the DWP reserves the right to take appropriate action where the recording is used for unlawful purposes for example, if it is altered and published for malicious reasons.
