watching news

[freedomeagle]

Just saw on the news about the 3 companies that do the pip/esa assessments are being looked into again. From everything that i heard it sounds to me like they are just going round in circles. For me i think that the dwp should do the interviews like they used to when people who were called in for med assessments where seen by GPs. It also pointed out that people with physical disabilities are asked questions that are obviously aimed at people with mental health issues not physical and people with physcal disabilities feel belittled by this as it's bad enough our bodies are giving up on us we don't want people thinking just because of that our minds are going too. As someone with a lot of physical probs myself it pisses me off when people assume i suffer with anxiety and depression because of them. I think they need 2 seperate forms those with mental health issues and then those for physical, for people that do have both then they should be able to fill out both forms and any questions they answer yes to then at the assessment just ask about those not the ones that have n/a or no replies too. Think these few changes and going back to the old way would save money they are now wasting

[birdwatcher]

I don't see the need for two forms, you may not suffer from mental health problems due to your physical ones, but the numbers that do are overwhelming. I belong to a few groups due to the conditions I have (physical) and most of the people have MH issues due to it, some of them find those harder then the physical problems.

If they don't affect you, it's easy to just skip the question and put N/A there.

[mooz]

Here"s one you may not believe, stunned me. Always thought my problems were long standing physical ones. My last ESA assesment, the assesor, told me to go see my GP and to ask them why i am not diagnosed with bad depression.!!!!!

[freedomeagle]

Birdwatcher you might be able to put NA on form but for a lot of us being asked certain questions which feels like they are saying ok we know your body is useless lets make that about having mh issues instead it's frustrating so if the form was just about Physical in such a way a 5yrs old would get it maybe then the assessors would that was my point.
Mooz i've had the same thing i've had consultants make comments like wow i'm impressed you haven't got server depression with all your health problems, I was born with somethings others come through childhood the rest in adulthood, when i was a kid i used to get angry so went to a boxing gym so i could punch a bag not overly hard but got my aggression out did that until in my late teens i physically couldn't during that time a GP said the anger is obviously depression because of all the things you've seen and been through since you were born i looked him straight in his face i was about 10ish and said don't be an idiot i'm angry because of all the idiots i have to deal with at school who try to pick on me and the idiot adults that talk to me like i'm slow or something when i'm a member of mensa, i said they look at my deformed body and think it means a deformed mind a lot of people who grew up like me do have a real problem with them thinking we have mh issues. Most of the people i've come across who servers with physical and mh issues seem to be those that had a so called normal healthy life and then had something physical happen to them.

[birdwatcher]

I don't see what's so frustrating, it's a question, there are much worse they ask us.

What's the difference in saying no, it doesn't affect me, it's like saying you're OK to use the shower on your own or you can see to cross the road and don't have sight problems. A lot of people will have things that don't apply to them, it's exactly the same thing.
You fill in and answer questions that apply to you, and leave the things that don't. If you have no MH problems, I don't see the issue with being asked. If it is a trigger, perhaps there is an underlying issue there?

[freedomeagle]

No Birdwatcher no underlying issue i just don't like people thinking or assumming i have mh issues when mine are physical like i say a lot of people born with disabilities like me feel same way especially those of us growing up in 60 and 70s those not born with any probs or born when things became more politically correct wont know what i'm referring to as they wouldn't have had to deal with the same things.

[birdwatcher]

No Birdwatcher no underlying issue i just don't like people thinking or assumming i have mh issues when mine are physical like i say a lot of people born with disabilities like me feel same way especially those of us growing up in 60 and 70s those not born with any probs or born when things became more politically correct wont know what i'm referring to as they wouldn't have had to deal with the same things.

I understand exactly what you're talking about, people assuming.

However the form is a general form, if you have no problems with your arms, you are still asked if you can raise your arms up above your head. If you have no problem walking, you're still asked if you're able to walk. It's the same thing for them, they are just asking the issued questions, it's not about assumptions. The questions are there on paper, not as an assumption you have both, you just fill in what applies, either/or or both, that's why I see no need for separate forms.