During the coronavirus pandemic, medical assessments have been taking place via telephone or video call. The consent process above should be followed. This would be considered together with other factors such as their manner, hearing ability, walking ability during the history taking, through to the conclusion of the consultation. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - Home | nidirect 1.3.5 The following referrals will be sent to APs: claims made under Special Rules for End of Life (SREL), claims that are being reviewed and where a DWP CM is unable to make a decision without input from a HP, for example. The PIP assessment with questions on mental health is not based on the mental health concern you are facing. Where a claimant has a PAB they would not be classified as requiring additional support from DWP. 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. 1.1.11 The activities explored during the PIP assessment are: managing therapy or monitoring a health condition, reading and understanding signs, symbols and words. Well send you a link to a feedback form. However, the HP should bear in mind that for claimants with stable long-term conditions, the evidence available may be older. You can learn more about autism in affected people by buying this book here. This may be particularly important where the claimant has a mental, cognitive or intellectual impairment. You need to tell the private assessment provider why you cant attend your appointment in an assessment centre. 1.15.13 Attending a consultation does not mean that the claimant has given consent to a physical examination. 1.15.34 It is important that in all telephone contact with claimants or their representatives, the correct person is being spoken to. How are mental health and money worries linked? 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. The fact that consent has been given (or not) will be made clear in the referral from the DWP and APs should always check that this has been provided. pip telephone assessment - Benefits and Work Forum 1.7.19 If no DS1500/BASRiS has been provided and there is no additional medical evidence, a telephone call to the relevant clinician will always be required. The investigation has compiled evidence from more than 20 disabled people who have contacted . For example, it might be reasonably expected that a 25 year old man who is otherwise healthy but has lost his lower leg in an accident might adapt well to the loss. Such telephone calls should be made by approved HPs, not by clerical staff. They should not move the claimants limbs. 1.6.1 In the majority of cases, a consultation will be necessary to accurately assess the claimants functional ability. For urgent help, please see Help & contacts. 1.7.21 The HP must ensure that the claimant has given consent for the person they phone to share information. 1.9.7 Age is not a medical cause of incapacity but it can be an indicator of disease progression. However, in cases of doubt HPs may be asked for advice, based on their knowledge of the disabling effects of physical and mental health conditions and considering the evidence of the case. For example, some claimants with mental, intellectual, cognitive or developmental impairments may lack insight into their condition. 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. It is not intended to cover all the requirements placed on APs as part of the PIP assessment contracts, their full business processes, or work carried out by DWP to monitor and manage AP performance. 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. Or do you need another person, guide dog or specialist aid to help you get there?YesNoSometimes. If the HP cannot obtain further evidence from the GP or other health professional, the HP should by exception consider contacting the claimant. PIP for mental health | Industry News | Independent Living She is an advocate for Mental Health, Motivational Empowerment, and Personal Development. However, HPs should consider the type and context of certain medications, for example use of depot antipsychotic injections in psychotic disorders. 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. 1.4.16 HPs should identify who they are and the purpose of the call. If you say you came alone on the train, theyll make a note that you can travel alone on public transport. 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. Personal Independence Payment - National Autistic Society 1.6.35 HPs must also take into consideration the invisible nature of some symptoms such as fatigue and pain which may be less easy to identify and explore through observation of the claimant. 1.5.3 Apart from examination and informal observations that can only be obtained at a consultation, the HP must complete the paper-based review in line with the advice given in this guidance. HPs should ensure that this does not create an unfair perception of the young persons abilities and the impact of their health condition or impairment. Where the HPs opinion differs from other opinions on file for example in further medical evidence or a previous HPs advice then a full explanation of the reasons for the difference of opinion should be given. A registered and qualified healthcare professional will carry out your telephone Work Capability Assessment. About Personal Independence Payment 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. mobility intended to act as a contribution to the extra costs disabled people face in their day to day lives that relate to mobility. When making telephone contact with a GP or other specialist, the HP should also endeavour to determine whether the claimant is aware of their illness or prognosis and consider whether the information they have obtained may be potentially harmful. For example: She states she has no problems with speech, hearing, or vision. 1.4.15 Where necessary, HPs may seek further information from claimants by telephone. How do I manage my money if I have mental health problems? 1.6.29 The HP should explore all the PIP activity areas for daily living and mobility, focusing on the activities most likely to be affected by the claimant's condition. The duty of confidentiality continues after the death of an individual to whom that duty is owed. If the claimant attends on their own then the assessment can go ahead if the claimant has capacity. reading and comprehending written information, organizing a journey or following a route. 1.11.5 DWP CMs will undertake paper-based award reviews in cases which contain the additional support (AS) marker and where the AR1 has been completed by the claimant and returned to DWP. In such cases it will be essential to get an accurate account from the companion. 1.15.14 In cases where claimants have a named third party as an appointee, this could be due to the claimant being unable to manage their own affairs as a result of a serious mental health condition or cognitive / learning disability. There are 3 main benefits that you can claim if you regularly need support to manage your mental health: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people over 16 to State Pension age. Feb 3, 2021. 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. There are 3 parts to the guide for assessment providers (APs) carrying out assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Hopefully you will be "lucky" and be awarded a rate. When advising on descriptors and justifying advice, the HP should consider the functional effects of the claimants health on the majority of days. 1.7.16 Advice must be evidence based on the balance of probability. We are a friendly, safe community supporting each other's mental health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The phone call for PIP The government will be expecting you to get your first access in this benefit by calling them. This kind of assessment is done by Atos or Capita based on your location in the country. Thread starter Seriously; Start date Dec 15, 2020; Prev. 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 call should conclude by reading back what has been documented and advising the claimant that this information will be added as evidence to the file. PIP Assessment Questions On Autism | OptimistMinds Claiming benefits when you have a mental health problem - Mind 1.7.24 The claimant or their representative may be able to provide updated information on where they are having their treatment and who is treating them. This assessment is also not depending on your medical treatments. The DWP will use evidence from the. What are my options for dealing with debt? If you suffer from a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety, it's possible to be eligible forPIP, but it's very much dependent on how the mental illness affects you. 1.7.20 If the HP is unable to contact a clinician then they should try to contact another relevant clinician involved in the patients care. 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). 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 entitlement threshold for each component is 8 points for the standard rate and 12 points for the enhanced rate. HPs may, however, flag that a DWP CM will make a decision on benefit entitlement based on the evidence available in the case and it is important that they have access to the best evidence. 1.4.17 The DWP currently pays for 2 specific forms of evidence: factual reports from GPs and GP- and consultant-completed DS1500s. When considering such requests, the HP should consider the points outlined above before making a decision on whether a home consultation would be appropriate. The PIP medical assessment consists of several parts and will last on average, 60 minutes: In this part of the assessment, the health professional will ask you a series of questions about how your condition affects your everyday life. Qwom I dont want to put a dampener on things but unless your depression & anxiety majorly affect your daily living i doubt you will score enough points to meet the standard rate. Only 7% of those surveyed said their GP has been contacted, with a further 35% saying they were unsure. 1.6.60 In some circumstances, claimants may wish to use their own equipment to audio record their consultation. PIP sits alongside support provided by the NHS and local authorities and is not meant to duplicate that support. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. If they feel confident doing this and it would be in line with the consensus of medical opinion, then a paper-based review may still be possible, referring to such in the summary justification. The HP should contact the most appropriate person involved in the claimants care. If a claimant cannot bend to put on their shoes, it is unlikely that they are able to wash below the waist. Once good diabetic control was maintained his mental health condition improved so he was not entitled to either component. 1.15.29 Further information relating to the claim may be required and, due to the tight timescales involved in processing such claims, contact with the claimants own health professionals may be required. 1.15.5 UK GDPR defines special category data, and if consent is being used as a condition for processing the data, the consent must be explicit consent. 1.8.4 For each activity area, the HP should use evidence to choose one descriptor which best reflects the claimant's ability to carry out an activity, taking into account whether they need to use aids or appliances and whether they need help from another person or an assistance dog. 1.8.10 It is essential that the CM is made aware of the evidence the HP has used to complete the assessment report. The PIP assessment is an opportunity for you to talk about how your condition affects you - it's not a diagnosis of your condition or a medical examination. 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. 1.15.21 If the claimant has a deputy then that means they have lost capacity. The points you score for each kind of activity in a section are added together to reach an overall score. You have rejected additional cookies. Safely: Can you do the activity without risking danger to yourself or someone else? Citizens advice. In some cases, you might be able to argue that they are discriminating against you. Anyone making a request must be advised that requests for information should be made to the DWP. They can nominate someone else to accompany the claimant. 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. What are my options for dealing with debt? The PA5 should also be used where additional information does not change the original advice. More than once: Can you repeat the activity as many times as you need to? We are a friendly, safe community supporting each other's mental health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Benefits and mental health | Disability charity Scope UK However, this should be avoided wherever possible. Information about telephone assessments - Health Assessment Advisory 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). 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. PIP for Depression and Anxiety It is certainly possible to be eligible to claim PIP (personal independence payment pip) if suffering from a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety but it very much depends on how the mental illness affects you. PIP telephone assessment | Page 2 | Mental Health Forum Unanswered threads Talk with people who know what it's like! 63 replies 18.3K views. If youre already receiving DLA and the DWP asks you to claim PIP there are separate rules. So we give the right advice for you, can you answer which Nation you're from? The assessor will investigate the information you gave on your PIP form but also make judgements based on what you say and do during your PIP assessment. This section of the consultation must also explore the impact completing an activity may have on functional restriction immediately following and for the rest of the day. 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. 1.6.15 The HP must document the symptoms and history of the condition as described by the claimant. PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT : PIP telephone Assessment - YouTube For all incoming calls the callers identity must be verified. 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. If help is given from another person, the HP should record the type of help, why they need help, who gives it, how often and for how long. What does the assessor observe during the PIP assessment? 1.10.4 The following are illustrative examples of when it may be appropriate to advise no review required: no review required His learning disability has been present since birth and his functional limitations are unlikely to change now. 1.6.42 Clinical findings from a musculoskeletal examination should be recorded in plain English, for example able to place hands at the back of the head, able to reach above the head to help the CM understand the details of the examination. Contact a Welfare & Benefits Advisor if you need additional advice or support. The HP should also take into account the variability of a claimants condition and their ability to carry out assessment activities in a reliable manner, justification of the advice, explaining the evidence used to inform the advice on descriptor choices, advice on the likely prognosis for the claimants condition, advice regarding whether the claimant may need additional support from the DWP to comply with future PIP claims processes. Before attending, you should read our guide on how to prepare for your PIP medical assessment. Helps you take control of your household spending. SREL referrals must be completed and returned to the DWP within 2 working days. 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 1.3.13 If further evidence is requested and returned, a further PA1 or the relevant screen in PIPAT should be completed to inform DWP of the next steps after the review of the further evidence. Preparing for your PIP assessment. 1.6.65 Claimants and companions taking part in a consultation with the claimant are entitled to take notes for their own purposes. How to claim PIP if you have stress, anxiety or depression and get up If the presence of a companion becomes disruptive to the consultation, the HP may ask them to leave. Ask for an interpreter or signer if you need one. This tool will help you work out how to save to pay off debts or buy the things you want. 59% of people said that the assessor did seem to have read their form She both reassured us that she had and also seemed to understand what has been written in the form. 1.6.58 Upon prior request, providers have the facility to audio record telephone and face to face consultations. For any award review case referred to the AP, all relevant supporting and further evidence will be visible. 1.15.20 Where the claimant has told DWP that they want an attorney to act for them, the attorneys details will be on the DWP system (CIS) if it is a PIP claim. The guide focuses specifically on the role of HPs in the assessment and the quality of their work. More than once: Can you repeat the activity as many times as you are required to? This question does not signify your ability to walk. The assessor will have already read your PIP form and any supporting evidence you provided, so its vital that you update them if anything has changed since you submitted your form. 1.1.7 If the claimant questionnaire is not returned and the claimant has been identified as having a mental or cognitive impairment, the claim will be referred directly to the AP for assessment. Where the AR1 has not been completed and returned, the claim will be sent to the AP who should attempt to contact the claimant and arrange an assessment. 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. Well enough: For example, you may be able to make a meal, but you will not be able to eat it if it is undercooked. The HP can assess the disabling effect of the pain by considering such description (where applicable) along with all other aspects of the case, for example disease activity/severity, effect on daily activities, treatment, pain relief, pain management strategies, examination findings and informal observations. In general, there is no single answer that can be applied as each claimant's situation is unique to their own application. Once diabetic control was maintained his mental health condition improved so he was not entitled to either component. A bit about my claim: Eating disorder for 15 years (I have come to simply exist with the daily behaviour of an ED and haven't had any recent treatment in years, so little recent evidence on this . In some cases this might be a support worker or therapist rather than the GP. 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. After your PIP assessment with questions on mental health, the DWP will assess the following information with the supporting evidence if you are eligible: The DWP will give you a letter if you have claimed your PIP or not according to your PIP assessment report. You will need to contact the assessment provider and request a home assessment. The psychological examination will be asking your thoughts and feelings about your present concern. The claimant or their representative may also be able to provide updated information on treatment received or planned. The notes are for the claimant or companions own purposes and are not an official record of the process. This means that entitlement to the benefit is not dependent on a persons financial status or on whether they have paid National Insurance contributions. It is important that claimants feel they have been listened to and that the consultation feels like a genuinely two-way conversation. Pip telephone assessment experience. | Page 2 | Mental Health Forum 1.12.4 During the gathering of initial claim information, claimants who are identified as requiring additional support from DWP will have an additional support (AS) marker attached to their case on PIPCS. 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. Any new evidence about how your condition affects your daily life, which you have not already sent to the DWP: A copy of your PIP claim form with you. Mr Z has diabetes and depression with agoraphobia. In such cases the AP should contact the department for information. Pip telephone assessment experience. | Mental Health Forum Where a claimant indicates that they are unfit to travel to a consultation in a location other than their home, or where travel would require high levels of support or cause significant distress to the claimant, for example where the claimant is autistic, has severe physical disability or severe agoraphobia the HP should, at a minimum, consider whether a home consultation is necessary.
