pip telephone assessment mental health pip telephone assessment mental health

You are most welcome to join today! . 14K PIP, DLA, and AA; 3.4K Universal Credit (UC) 5.5K Talk about your impairment; 1.6K Cerebral palsy; 768 Chronic pain and pain management; 59 Physical and neurological impairments; 963 Autism and neurodiversity; 1K Mental health and wellbeing; 309 Sensory impairments; 753 Rare, invisible, and undiagnosed conditions DS1500s will be sought and paid for by the DWP. 1.12.5 During all consultations, if the AS marker has not already been added on PIPCS, HPs should idetify if a claimant who does not have a PAB required the AS marker to help them engage with the PIP journey, especially where there is a mental health, intellectual or cognitive impairment. The health professional has already read your PIP form with the supporting evidence that you have to provide about your medical condition. What does the assessor observe during the PIP assessment? 1 comment 100% Upvoted Log in or sign up to leave a comment Landmark PIP judgement for mental health against DWP For the first time, a Supreme Court judgement has been obtained by a benefits claimant with mental health problems against the DWP for denying entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). 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 . 1.15.28 The Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Section 82) creates special provision for a third party to make a claim on behalf of a disabled person without their knowledge. How much Universal Credit can I get for mental health? PIP is not a compensation payment for ill health / disability; it is to help people with the increased costs of daily living in cases of long term ill health or disability. 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. 1.6.33 HPs need be aware that it is possible that the assessment room may, for some claimants, provide an environment that appears to artificially enhance functional ability, for example for some claimants with hearing impairments. More information on claimants who require additional support can be found in section 1.12 of part 1. 1.8.9 Exportability cases are identifiable by the fact that the claimants address will be outside the UK and there will be a PIP2 (exp) with the case. However, HPs should be prepared to adapt their approach to the needs of the particular claimant, not taking a prescriptive approach and ensuring that claimants are able to put across the impact of their health condition or impairment in their own words. 1.8.13 Report forms should contain where appropriate an overall summary justification or an individual justification for each descriptor choice providing a succinct summary for the CM of the evidence obtained and used in the HPs consideration and the reasons for descriptor choice. 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. This advice applies even if the claimant maintains that they suffer from a high level of functional impairment it is medically improbable that this is the case and a consultation is unlikely to add much useful additional information, since the clinical examination is likely to be unremarkable, there is strong evidence on which to advise on the case and a consultation is likely to be stressful for the claimant (for example, claimants with autism, cognitive impairment or learning disability), the claimant questionnaire indicates a high level of disability, the information is consistent, medically reasonable and there is nothing to suggest over-reporting (examples may include claimants with severe neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, dementia, Parkinsons disease, severely disabling stroke). Helping you understand, manage & improve your mental health and money issues. Once diabetic control was maintained his mental health condition improved so he was not entitled to either component. For example, certain types of multiple sclerosis have periods of remission and deterioration, while a person with cancer may respond well to treatment and then relapse. HPs will be required to advise on whether the claimant satisfies the SREL provisions (see below), and provide advice with appropriate justification to the DWP. PIP assessments usually take place at a centre; however, if you can't attend an assessment centre because you are housebound as a result of a mental health condition, you can request a home PIP assessment. The HP should also consider whether the third party is acting impartially, or as the claimants advocate. 1.6.31 Informal observations are part of the suite of evidence used by CMs to help them determine entitlement to benefit. 1.4.7 Where necessary, HPs may also seek evidence from professionals by telephone. 1.15.34 It is important that in all telephone contact with claimants or their representatives, the correct person is being spoken to. contacting the claimant by telephone for further information. However it is important to balance informal observations with evidence from professionals who may have observed the claimant more regularly. the safety implications for a home consultation for the HP for example, where the claimant has previously displayed unacceptable behaviour towards the DWP and this has been noted in their case file. The DWP will send you a letter once they have made their decision. 1.6.55 However, the involvement of companions should be handled appropriately by the HP. HPs need to ensure that they explore claimants functional ability in everyday life and in a variety of environments/situations that may not be ideal. If the claimant attends on their own then the assessment can go ahead if the claimant has capacity. It is essential that the HPs advice considers the details given by the claimant and the companion and whether one or both are understating or overstating the needs. If the unexpected finding is of a life-threatening nature, they should seek the claimant's consent to telephone the GP or call an ambulance if appropriate. For daily living- enhanced rate: weekly rate 87.65 and 12 points required. 1.6.27 As well as covering all the PIP activity areas, the typical day should also cover other activities such as housework, shopping and caring responsibilities for adults, children and pets, and hobbies and pastimes these details give additional supporting information about functional ability. 1.7.21 The HP must ensure that the claimant has given consent for the person they phone to share information. You are awarded points for each activity, based on your ability and how much help and assistance you need to do it. HPs should be mindful that the level of analgesia used does not necessarily correlate with the level of pain. 1.4.13 Any written information that is marked by a claimant or a third party as confidential or in confidence cannot be used in a claim for PIP as it cannot be further disclosed to a DWP CM. We explain the following: Firstly, you shouldnt expect the PIP assessor to be favourable towards you. you only attempt a journey during quiet times of the day - for example, when the shops aren't busy or there's less traffic on the road. A vulnerable claimant is defined as someone who has difficulty in dealing with procedural demands at the time when they need to access a service .This includes life events and personal circumstances such as a previous suicide attempt, domestic violence, abuse, or bereavement. 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. This may be enough to enable the HP to gather further medical evidence or advise whether the claimant satisfies the criteria for SREL. (More information on the additional support marker is in the following section.). How do I pay for private treatment and therapy? 1.8.19 A properly justified report should contain the following: a brief summary of the individuals health conditions or impairment and their severity, a clear explanation of the reasons for the advice contained in the report including; referencing evidence used to support descriptor choices, explanations where the HPs opinion differs from those of the claimant, carers or other health professionals, clarification of any contradictions and an explanation of the HPs choice of evidence relied upon. For example, they might ask you how you travelled to the assessment centre. Most people have to take the PIP medical assessment with questions on mental health to get this benefit program. 1.6.74 The request for a home consultation may come from a GP or other health professional involved in the claimants care. Each guide focuses on a different part of the process as detailed below: 1.1.1 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people with a long-term health condition or impairment, whether physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, intellectual, or any combination of these. Where an appointee has been nominated to represent the claimant, the claimant must not be instructed to attend a consultation by the AP. The HP cannot document any observations made outwith the consultation. 1.6.9 Different types of questions should be used where appropriate: open questions which need more than a yes or no answer (for example, Tell me about, What do you do when, How do you) encourage the claimant to describe how their health condition or impairment affects them, closed questions which need a specific answer (for example, Can you, How often) are needed when establishing a fact, such as how often medication is being taken, clarifying questions invite the claimant to explain further some aspect of what they have said (for example, Let me make sure Ive understood this correctly), extending questions allow the HP to develop the story the claimant is giving (for example, So what happens after). Examples of these circumstances may be appropriate to: a claimant with severe depression and anxiety, with children under 18 providing care and support to the claimant, during the assessment, the claimant states that they are experiencing psychological/emotional abuse in their home, a vulnerable claimant states that they are about to be made homeless, adding to, or exasperating existing conditions. 1.13.9 Where the assessment was completed using the PIPAT, it will be necessary to create the appropriate supplementary advice on the PIPAT and once submitted a PA5/PA6 will be output to the DWP. Nine months later both lower limbs were amputated following a road traffic accident and he applied for PIP again. The DWP will wait 7 working days for the DS1500 to be returned before making a referral to the AP. 1.7.11 All SREL claims will be clearly flagged. This includes: claiming benefits including completing and signing any claim, providing consent to obtain further evidence and providing information to the HP on the functional impact of the claimants health conditions, reporting changes in the claimants circumstances, or changes in their own circumstances that the DWP may need to know for example a change of name or address. 1.6.40 The HP will never disturb underwear, never ask the claimant to remove their underwear, and never carry out intimate examinations (breast, rectal, abdominal or genital examinations). 1.15.17 Where a claimant has an appointee, this will be flagged in the initial referral to the AP. 1.14.4 In most cases it should be possible for CMs to identify those cases where a claim has been made for substantially the same physical or mental health condition or range of conditions. It is important to understand that more than one of these time frames for fluctuation may apply to an individual claimant. 1.9.1 Entitlement to PIP is dependent on the functional effects of a health condition or impairment having been determined as likely to have been present at the required level for at least 3 months and being expected to last for at least a further 9 months. 1.7.26 In SREL referrals, the DWP will check for an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claim under Special Rules. They should not simply request evidence from all professionals identified as standard. Mind's Director of External Relations, Sophie Corlett says: This is because they have been deemed incapable of engaging directly with the DWP or its contracted APs. You may be asked to provide medical evidence as to why you cant attend the assessment centre. 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. Daisy2016 Forumite. For any award review case referred to the AP, all relevant supporting and further evidence will be visible. structure and follow a path to a location you know and it doesnt concern much on how you get there, structure and follow a bus or train path to a place you dont know, Deal with places that you dont recognize, if necessary, leave the house due to stress or anxiety, you need help and assistance but dont receive it, your stress, anxiety or other mental health concern make it hard for you to go out, you find it difficult to deal with sudden changes to travel, for instance, roadworks or diversions, you only try travelling during quiet periods of the day, for instance, when the shops arent busy or theres less traffic on the road, someone assists or encourages you to go out, your mental health concern makes using a bus or train challenging, you cant structure a path to an unfamiliar location yourself, you find it hard to deal with sudden changes to a trip, for instance, bus diversions, train cancellations. If the individual is claiming under the Special Rules for End of Life criteria (SREL), the case is instead referred directly to the AP and dealt with as a priority. 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. How do I manage my money if I have mental health problems? This should be explored through further questions to develop this detail. If you adjusted the date by your own without letting the assessment provider know, this is considered as discrimination and you should call your local Citizens advice for help with this kind of situation. You can change your cookie settings at any time. The assessment report must be completed and returned to the DWP using the work queue for SREL within 2 working days from that point. 1.10.8 Selecting the Yes box will indicate that the claimants functional restriction is likely to still be present at the recommended point of review, regardless of whether it is likely to improve, remain the same or deteriorate. PIP assessors are looking for disability assessors that are licensed and trained for the assessment of disabilities either for physical disability or mental disability. Report: Once your assessment has concluded, they will produce a report explaining which PIP descriptors apply to you and explain their reasoning. How can I appeal a decision about my benefits? Or do you need another person, guide dog or specialist aid to help you get there?YesNoSometimes. 1.4.16 HPs should identify who they are and the purpose of the call. Such telephone calls should be made by approved HPs, not by clerical staff. The healthcare professional to be a specialist in mental health. If your overall health is getting better, your award will be minimized or stopped. As mentioned before, the PIP assessment with questions on mental health will be focusing on how your mental health condition may be impacting your life. They will discuss your capability to do daily tasks with your disability, illness or health condition. 1.6.66 HPs may need to adapt their approach when assessing young people. 1.6.64 A claimant may make a covert recording of the consultation without the HP being aware. He requires significant support from his carer and his needs are only likely to increase due to the progressive nature of his condition.. 1.6.62 Video recording of consultations is not permitted. She Has A Condition Called Cerebellar Atrophy, and Also Suffers From OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). where there is uncertainty about descriptor choice because of contradicting or unclear evidence has been received. Where one single descriptor in an activity is likely to not be satisfied on more than 50 per cent of days, but a number of different scoring descriptors in that activity together are likely to be satisfied on more than 50 per cent of days, the descriptor likely to be satisfied for the highest proportion of the time should be selected. 1.15.16 An appointee can be either a named individual, or an organisation (usually with an advocacy role), known as a corporate appointee. 1.10.6 The following are illustrative examples of review periods which may be appropriate: 12 month review The claimant has a combination of physical and mental health conditions causing significant functional limitation. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. For example, you can request: If the location of your assessment is more than 90 minutes away by public transport and you have difficulty travelling long distances, you might be offered an alternative site. Check if youre eligible for PIP. Pip telephone assessment experience. PIP telephone assessment | Page 2 | Mental Health Forum Unanswered threads Talk with people who know what it's like! 1.15.24 If GPs, consultants and doctors request proof of consent they should be reminded of the GMCs advice. HPs enable CMs to make fair and accurate decisions by providing impartial, objective and evidence-based advice. Simply use the buttons below to share on your social network. 1.3.9 APs may receive referrals from DWP for claimants who have a condition which means that they need additional support from DWP and the AP during the PIP application process. How many good and bad days do they have over a period of time? For example, there is an inconsistency of evidence if a claimant bends down to retrieve a handbag from the floor but then later during formal assessment of the spine, declines to bend at all on the grounds of pain, or if the claimant states that they have no mobility problems but they appear to struggle to walk to the consulting room. 1.7.5 If the claimant states that they are nearing the end of life when applying for PIP, they will be advised by the DWP to obtain form DS1500 from their GP, consultant or specialist nurse. Such telephone calls should be made by approved HPs, not by clerical staff. 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 PIP assessment with questions on mental health is a great opportunity for you to talk about how your mental health condition affects you. We have translated the site; would you prefer to read in Welsh? Where can I get support for my mental health? At every stage of the proceedings the claimant should be advised as to what is going to happen and agree to it happening. The consent process above should be followed. You should also. She is an advocate for Mental Health, Motivational Empowerment, and Personal Development. 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. It should be explained that the assessment focuses on the effects of their health condition or impairment on their day-to-day life, looking at what they can and cannot do in relation to the daily living and mobility activities. His diabetes was not well controlled and he had become depressed. The HP should demonstrate movements and observe the claimants range of movement. To prepare adequately for your PIP assessment, we advise that you do the following before the assessment: You can request back the money you spend travelling to and from your PIP assessment. The documents will then be available to be viewed via the claimants record in the PIP Assessment Tool (PIPAT) and/or the PIP Computer System (PIPCS), 1.3.3 Once this has been completed, the case will be referred via the PIPCS to the appropriate AP for them to complete on the PIPAT or clerically as appropriate, 1.3.4 The PIPAT allows the AP to give advice to DWP in an electronic format. 1.2.2 The key elements of the HPs role in PIP are to: consider information in the claimant questionnaire and any supporting evidence provided along with it, determine whether a claim can be assessed on the basis of a paper review and provide appropriate advice, determine whether any additional evidence needs to be gathered from health or other professionals supporting the claimant. This is to ensure the safety and privacy of staff and other claimants. It cannot be assumed that in an individual case consent has been given or that consent previously given remains valid. 1.15.26 In standard claims it may be appropriate to obtain further evidence from an alternative source should proof of consent be an issue. 1.6.20 The HP should record a concise and relevant social and occupational history. The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) commissioned NatCen Social Research to conduct two surveys to examine the claimant experience of telephone assessments and to gauge preferences for. 1.10.3 In the following instances it would be appropriate to recommend an ongoing award: where the HP considers there to be no likely change to the functional impairment, where the claimant has functional impairment which is not likely to substantially change in the long-term, allowing for short-term periods of functional change in the case of fluctuating conditions, where the claimant has very high levels of functional impairment in both daily living and mobility components likely to reach the threshold for an enhanced/enhanced award, and in which their needs are only likely to increase, such as with progressive conditions. If you cant attend an assessment centre because you are housebound as a result of a mental health condition, you can request a home PIP assessment. 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. Atos and Capita are obligated to administer PIP medical assessments with questions on mental health to people who are applying for this benefit program. Copyright OptimistMinds 2023 | All Rights Reserved. (PIP) Assessment - Turn2us; Related Posts. Simply use the buttons below to share on your social network. 1.6.3 This section contains guidance for HPs on how to carry out consultations, including giving a standard structure to consultations. Physical and mental examination: If required, and with your consent, they will conduct a brief physical and mental function examination. Where deemed necessary, they may be asked to provide other free of charge relevant evidence to support their request, for example evidence from a social worker, community nurse or carer that shows why a home consultation would be appropriate. When advising on descriptors and justifying advice, the HP should consider the functional effects of the claimants health on the majority of days. Therefore, consent to inform the GP of the unexpected finding should be obtained from the claimant. The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. HPs are expected to use their professional knowledge, skills and judgement to determine what questions are appropriate to ask about treatment. The PIP medical assessment is computer led and is an opportunity for you to explain how your condition affects you daily so the assessment provider can write an accurate report for the DWP. 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. We are a friendly, safe community supporting each other's mental health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 1.8.10 It is essential that the CM is made aware of the evidence the HP has used to complete the assessment report. You will also be qualified with this kind of benefit when you are aged 16 and over. 1.3.7 Should the HP discover a case that appears to fall under the SREL provisions, it should be processed under the fast-tracked SREL arrangements. Should the AR1 be subsequently received by the DWP, it will be tasked to the document received work queue for the appropriate AP. Although the condition has been present for a few years there may be some change in functioning in the future so a review of 3 years would be appropriate., 5 year review His autism spectrum disorder was diagnosed in early childhood and will be lifelong. The health professionals will be reviewing your PIP form once you reach the assessment centre. 1.6.41 Some examinations for example, of the lower limbs might be carried out with the claimant reclining on an examination couch. 1.6.50 HPs should be ready to terminate consultations at any point should they become too stressful for the claimant. 1.7.3 The criteria for SREL claims set out in legislation are that the claimant: is suffering from a progressive disease and death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 6 months. Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind, or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. 1.6.13 The HP should record a brief summary of treatments or interventions, and how effective it has been, and whether any further intervention, such as physiotherapy or a surgical procedure, is planned. The assessor will also make a note of your mental state during the assessment - for example, they'll record whether you look depressed or happy, tense or relaxed and how you cope with social interaction. 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. 1.3.2 The claimant questionnaire and any evidence is scanned and saved in the Document Repository System (DRS). 1.2.4 The HP may also be asked to provide advice to the CM on a range of other aspects of a claim. What type of dwelling does the claimant live in and do they live alone or with others? 1.15.1 The department collects consent on behalf of GPs to allow them to share medical records. 1.4.1 Additional evidence from professionals supporting the claimant should be sought where the HP feels it would help to inform their advice to DWP. In exceptional circumstances a written request for further evidence can be issued. The advice given by the HP on prognosis will help the CM decide on the type of award. Make any notes of changes to your condition, Make notes of anything you feel you want to say, which you havent put on your form. It must be remembered that some of the information may not be readily understood by those who are not trained and experienced HPs. 1.9.6 If there is more than one relevant functional condition, the prognosis should take account of the effects of all conditions and the added impairment resulting from any interactions that may occur. 1.4.5 The HP should consider the most appropriate evidence for the case under consideration. 1.4.12 Should harmful information other than the claimants condition be present either contained in supporting evidence or identified at a face-to-face consultation this should be recorded separately on the harmful information note (PA7) or within the harmful information screens in the PIPAT or PIPAT mobile and clearly marked as harmful. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. If you say you came alone on the train, theyll make a note that you can travel alone on public transport. 1.6.46 If the claimant is unaccompanied at a consultation, the HP should consider whether a chaperone would be appropriate during any examination. When weighing up the evidence, it is important to highlight any contradictions and any evidence that does not sufficiently reflect the claimants health condition or impairment or the effect on their daily life. HPs should give consideration to the fact that in cases of complex conditions, knowledge and involvement of the GP may be limited, with specialist practitioners potentially better placed in some cases to provide useful evidence. However, their mental health conditions are likely to persist., 3 year review She is experiencing limitations to her functional ability due to severe depression and anxiety, which she has had for a few years. 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.