Consultations should predominantly be between the HP and the claimant. The AP then conducts the assessment, gathering any further evidence necessary before providing an assessment report to DWP. It is paid to make a contribution to the extra costs that disabled people may face, to help them lead full, active and independent lives. Please contact the DWP on 0800 121 4433 or textphone 0800 121 4493. It cannot be assumed that in an individual case consent has been given or that consent previously given remains valid. The investigation has compiled evidence from more than 20 disabled people who have contacted . In such cases the HP may need to seek advice from another person, for example (this list is not exhaustive): a third party (where noted on the claimants case) in order to obtain the necessary evidence, the practice administrative staff (note: information should only be requested from administrative staff if all other sources of evidence have been unsuccessful). 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. 1.5.5 Although each case should be determined individually, the following types of case should not normally require a consultation: the claimant questionnaire indicates a low level of disability, the information is consistent, medically reasonable and there is nothing to suggest under-reporting, the health condition(s) is associated with a low level of functional impairment, the claimant is under GP care only and there is no record of hospital admission. 1.6.68 Very rarely during the consultation, the HP may identify that the claimant appears to have a significant undiagnosed medical condition. However, some relevant information about the claimants circumstances will be gathered during the initial claim stage and supplied to the AP. The healthcare professional to be a specialist in mental health. PIP pretty much does not care. 1.15.36 Other than information about their appointments with the HP or an update on their current position in the assessment process, it is not the role of the AP to release information to the claimant. 1.6.30 In general, HPs should record function over an average year for conditions that fluctuate over months, per week for conditions that fluctuate by the day, and by the day for conditions that vary over a day. Your assessment provider will be Independent Assessment Services or Capita - you should get a letter telling you which one it will be. For urgent help, please see Help & contacts. It must be remembered that some of the information may not be readily understood by those who are not trained and experienced HPs. How do I ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration? 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. This appointment letter will be given by Atos & Capita. 1.7.15 If the claimant is already in receipt of PIP and the case has been referred under SREL as a change of circumstances, the HP must include an indication of when the claimant first became terminally ill. Failure to provide this information may result in the advice being returned for rework. 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. The PA6 may also be used for changes to advice that does not relate to descriptor choice, for example prognosis. Low mood and paranoid feelings were a significant feature of her schizophrenic episode. 1.3.2 The claimant questionnaire and any evidence is scanned and saved in the Document Repository System (DRS). GMC guidance is clear that if a doctor insists on a copy of the original claimant consent then DWP must provide it. Either before or after your assessment, you should ask the receptionist at the assessment centre for a travel expenses claim form and pre-paid self-addressed envelope. 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. For all incoming calls the callers identity must be verified. Both the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council provide guidance on medical ethics and when it is acceptable to break medical confidentiality. 1.6.32 The HP should be making informal observations and evaluating any functional limitations described by the claimant from the start of the consultation. Vous pouvez galement trouver l'heure de travail et la carte sur la carte de . For example, some claimants with mental, intellectual, cognitive or developmental impairments may lack insight into their condition. 1.6.1 In the majority of cases, a consultation will be necessary to accurately assess the claimants functional ability. Well send you a link to a feedback form. However, a 60 year old with other multiple pathologies who loses the lower leg because of complications due to diabetes is more likely to struggle. There are still many people who have yet to move from DLA to PIP, and some of these would be better off moving voluntarily, rather than waiting to be moved by the DWP. You are going to go through some activities in the PIP assessment with questions on mental health and these kinds of activities last for 60 minutes: You can learn more about what goes on in a psychological examination by buying this book on this website. 1.6.19 Where the claimants current medication is accurately recorded 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. (More information on the additional support marker is in the following section.). That's why benefits like Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can make such a difference. PIP telephone assesment today. Clients will sometimes explain that they have a life-threatening condition or they have an organ might go pop at any time. Nine months later both lower limbs were amputated following gangrene secondary to peripheral neuropathy and he applied for PIP again. 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. If there is any doubt as to whether the consent is still valid, fresh consent should be sought. I thought about going into detail on what is PIP, who can apply for PIP, and everything you need to know about it, but instead, I'll leave it to the link below and just get on with my first PIP phone assessment experience and what . Attendance Allowance (AA) for people at State Pension age. contacting the claimant by telephone for further information. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people under 16. 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. Discover your dream home among our modern houses, penthouses and villas for sale 1.2.5 If the Provider or HP has any concerns about the claimant or those who are within their care, in all cases, they should direct their concerns to the appropriate agencies, healthcare professionals and services who may provide further assistance to the claimant. 1.7.16 Advice must be evidence based on the balance of probability. 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. 1.6.55 However, the involvement of companions should be handled appropriately by the HP. PIP sits alongside support provided by the NHS and local authorities and is not meant to duplicate that support. 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? What are my options for dealing with debt? 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. 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. In this brief blog, we will be talking about PIP assessment questions on mental health, what the PIP assessment is for, the procedure of the PIP assessment, and more information about PIP assessment questions on mental health. For example, it may be used to respond to a request for clarification about medication or treatment that affects the claimants health condition or impairment. 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. The HP should also include what relevant investigations have been carried out or planned for the future. Etc Identifying claimants who require additional support with the PIP process, Advice on substantially the same condition, Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment guide for assessment providers, nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, Severe depression (evidenced by, for example, previous hospitalisation for depression, intensive support from community-based mental health teams or significant input from a psychiatrist or other mental health practitioner), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Dementia or cognitive disorder resulting in cognitive decline, His Majestys Courts and Tribunal Service, review report form (Special Rules for End of Life), supplementary advice note (change of advice), whether another assessment type is more appropriate, any accessibility issues related to the planned location of consultations, a corporate other payee or corporate appointee, a curator bonis or judicial factor (under Scottish law). If you take someone with you to the assessment, they can also claim travel expenses if they travel with you. In some cases this might be a support worker or therapist rather than the GP. It is important to understand that more than one of these time frames for fluctuation may apply to an individual claimant. The health professional has already read your PIP form with the supporting evidence that you have to provide about your medical condition. 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The claimant and any companion should feel fully involved in the process and feel that the consultation is a genuine two-way process. You can state your needs here with regards to your debilitating condition. How do I ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration? The HP may be asked for advice on further evidence from the claimant and may request further evidence before providing advice to the DWP. 1.14.5 Considerations that the HP should make include, but are not limited to: whether the claimant has a condition which is likely to have fluctuations in the functional effects over time, whether the claimant has a condition which is likely to have sequelae which cause deterioration or fluctuation of function, whether the condition is the same condition but with a different diagnostic label - for example mitral valve disease / mitral stenosis, whether the original diagnosis has been amended but the underlying impairment and functional effects remain the same for example bronchial asthma in the past but now suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is substantially the same condition, whether the same condition is present and responsible for the functional effects but deterioration has occurred due to a second condition. How your condition affects you from day-to-day make sure you read the. Here's my experience as a disabled woman, you can read about my condition in my chronic journey blog post. There may be very occasional circumstances where the claimant reasonably requires the support of more companions and this would be acceptable. HPs are expected to use their professional knowledge, skills and judgement to determine what questions are appropriate to ask about treatment. If you say you came alone on the train, theyll make a note that you can travel alone on public transport. All HPs undertaking assessments on behalf of DWP must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training, experience and competence. If you are called for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment this video explains what to expect. 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. 1.15.21 If the claimant has a deputy then that means they have lost capacity. Hello and welcome, when you we and I apply for pip we fill in a detailed questionnaire answering questions relating to each of the PIP descriptiors and where we feel necessary add more information reference to the descriptiors we need to. This free money management tool is specifically for people on Universal Credit. 1.8.2 Copies of all the forms are provided separately. 1.6.60 In some circumstances, claimants may wish to use their own equipment to audio record their consultation. Am I eligible for Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)? 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. 1.6.28 The functional history is the claimant's own perspective on how they manage the daily living and mobility activities. Simply use the buttons below to share on your social network. They will discuss your capability to do daily tasks with your disability, illness or health condition. His diabetes was not well controlled and he had become depressed. The professional will then send it to DWP to check if you are eligible for the benefits. 1.15.6 For consent to be explicit it must be affirmed in a clear statement. That way you can refer to it in the assessment and make sure you tell the assessor everything you want them to know about your condition. Repeat claims to PIP by individuals who have developed a new condition will be treated as entirely new claim and have to fulfil the qualifying period of 3 months. Procedures to follow and sources of support and guidance should be covered in HP training. 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. Miss B was diagnosed with schizophrenia and fulfilled the PIP criteria for standard rate mobility component. 1.7.8 The referral sent to the AP via the PIPCS will include the initial claim details together with the DS1500 or other medical evidence if it has been submitted by the claimant. 1.6.34 The HPs informal observations will also help check the consistency of evidence on the claimant's functional ability. 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. In these cases, the CM is likely to make a fixed term award of benefit. Using the information available to them, HPs will need to consider the most appropriate approach to completing the assessment for these claimants, be that paper based review or consultation. D. Deleted member 92692 Former member. This is to ensure the safety and privacy of staff and other claimants. PIP telephone assessment. 1.15.1 The department collects consent on behalf of GPs to allow them to share medical records. 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. the evidence that underpins the HPs advice can include: the HPs knowledge of the disabling effects of the medical conditions. Where an appointee has been nominated to represent the claimant, the claimant must not be instructed to attend a consultation by the AP. He lives in supported accommodation and there has been no change to his functional ability in the last few years. You are most welcome to join today! When your PIP award ends, you will need to revalidate you eligibility if your long-term condition is getting better or worse. PIP assessments usually take place at a centre; however, 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. 1.4.4 In the claimant questionnaire, claimants are encouraged to list the professionals who support them and are best placed to provide advice on their circumstances. 1.11.3 Where the DWP CM is unable to make a decision and more evidence is required, the case will be sent to the AP to be dealt with as business as usual. What you have difficulty with, or cant do at all - for example, leaving the house, socialising, cooking. The PIP claim form is a "'How your disability affects you" form that you are required to fill when applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We are a friendly, safe community supporting each other's mental health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 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. 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. 20 April 2020 at 1:28PM in Disability money matters. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. 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. Make a list of points you would like to make during your assessment and take this with you. This document has been produced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide guidance for assessment providers (APs) carrying out assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). How are mental health and money worries linked? If the claimant is persistently uncooperative or if they are clearly under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the consultation should be terminated and the case returned to the DWP, along with an explanation of why the consultation had to be terminated. There may be some activities that have been done for them all of their lives and that a young person without a health condition or impairment of the same age may do themselves. The HP should always attempt to respond to any issues or concerns they express. More than once: Can you repeat the activity as many times as you need to? 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. You should explain the following: These general PIP assessment tips will also help you: We recommend that you record the audio for your face-to-face PIP assessment. 1.13.8 If there are changes to the descriptor choice, the HP should complete clerical form PA6 to highlight the evidence used to support any changes and provide full justification for their choice. For example, asthma control is poor because of failure to take preventative medication regularly due to the development of depression, resulting in mobility problems. 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. 1.4.15 Where necessary, HPs may seek further information from claimants by telephone. As with appointees, the deputy can nominate another person to accompany the claimant. How do I pay for private treatment and therapy? We are a friendly, safe community supporting each other's mental health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can learn more about autism in affected people by buying this book here. You can read further in this article on what you need to expect from the PIP assessment with questions on mental health. There may also be activities that could be carried out by the young person, but for which the parent or guardian continues to assume responsibility. These periods are known respectively as the qualifying period and prospective test. It is strongly recommended that the HP seek the claimants consent to telephone their GP and inform them of the finding as soon as possible. This document must be read with the understanding that, as experienced practitioners and trained disability analysts, HPs will have detailed knowledge of the principles and practice of relevant consultation and examination techniques and therefore such information is not contained in this guidance. The appointment letter will invite you to a PIP medical assessment at one of their assessment centres. The DWP will then decide if its a valid reason: If the DWP refuses your application, you can challenge their decision, start a new claim, or both. It is intended to supplement the contract documents agreed with APs as part of the commercial process, providing guidance for health professionals (HPs) carrying out assessment activity and for those responsible for putting in place and delivering processes to ensure the quality of assessments. We explain the following PIP tips: When you receive your PIP assessment appointment letter, you can check with your assessment provider that your assessment centre has everything you require to make you feel more comfortable. Prepare adequately with our free PIP assessment tips guide. The attorney should be aware of this and if acting responsibly should not let the claimant attend on his own. Which mental health conditions get PIP? 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.