Wellbeing Duck: The Mental Fight For PIP

 

Wellbeing Duck: Have They Rejected Your PIP Claim? You Should Fight Back! 

Days ago everyone in the UK with disabling mental health problems were recently struck bellow the belt by the tax dodger, Rishi Sunak! 

A denied PIP claim for a significant mental health condition can turn your world upside down and leave you feeling gutted or accused. People need their support, especially if you have taken the advice of professionals such as disability employment officers, counselors, community psychiatric nurses or maybe even your own psychiatrist, who might have recommended you to not work. 

Well, now those politicians who give themselves nice payrises and claim huge expenses have just made things tougher and have done a U-turn on many individuals living with mood and anxiety based mental illnesses. The solution here is to be strong and patient. Draw in your support circles and fight for your rightful PIP award; it might be financially better for you in the end.

This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge to challenge the PIP reconsideration and tribunal process. We'll discuss why re-applications might be rejected and consider what might help you win. However, firstly, it must be said, it's fair to not expect full points for milder mental conditions that hold very little effect on daily living. We have to be honest. 

After a nice pay rise offered nurses 1%

Let's Talk Money and Mental Health

That being said, significant disabling mental health conditions are real, and they will impact daily life. However, the PIP system is flawed and they are interested in the effects of the illness more so than the diagnosis. They rarely look at peoples medical records because a diagnosis is not direct evidence! Isn't that bonkers?! Remember, The Department for Work and Pensions has slammed down some urgent rules for mental health that overlook the fluctuating nature of symptoms. They fall short of their own criteria. Filling out an application form you might see a question like this one: ‘Can you prepare a basic meal?’ 

Duh, yeah! 

But look at their actual criteria which they fail to mention:

Completed to a reasonable standard (Section 2.1.1)

Completed safely (Section 2.1.2)

Completed repeatedly (Section 2.1.3)

Taking no more than twice as long (Section 2.1.4). 

‘Oh, well, now you put it like that!’

Now, if you say you can sometimes do a meal, it will be unfairly marked against you, in bad faith. The criteria asks whether you can prepare a meal to a reasonable standard, safely, done repeatedly, taking no more than twice as long as usual. We can see what is happening. Many mental health conditions, from mood disorders, thought disorders and attacks of anxiety come on in attacks, episode. Immediate qualifying you under section 2.1.3 of their own criteria! It’s clearly a money saving operation. 

PIP is an important financial support, and losing it can bring a lot of unspeakable stresses. You do deserve these resources for your wellbeing, and so, I hope you can take some comfort, maybe a tad of hope in this blog post. I hope to help you get that calm back.

Fighting for What You Deserve: Reconsideration and Tribunals

Be tough, dig your heels in, be a warrior, and don't accept the first ‘no.’ This is a dubious process on their part, considering they are deliberately reducing claimants, people have shared on YouTube and in blogs and websites that they are losing every point they were rightfully awarded. It raises the question: are mentally ill people facing discrimination yet again? That is the broader political war. Focusing solely on the process of claiming for a moment, offering up a diagnosis, such as, say, paranoid schizophrenia, only seems to waste space on the form; our DWP do not believe a medical diagnosis proves your problems with daily living. It makes you wonder then, doesn't it? What will prove anything to these people, especially if they deny what claimants tell them?

These politicians call people scroungers!

Mandatory Reconsideration: By writing a well structured letter, as your mandatory reconsideration, you can retain your argument and evidence on file, and the DWP will be expected to hold a copy too. A phone call is only worth the paper it is written on. Even though a different person reviews your claim, it is part of the  same not-so-merry dance, which may well be another rejection. Over all, it’s become a financial process now and one where they are instructed to reduce claims; just think, hundreds of expensive tribunals, two thirds of them re-awarded their PIP does not inspire them to continue. They do offer claimants their PIP as alternative, known as a cleared decision!

Example: 

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request a mandatory reconsideration of the decision to reject my claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The decision letter was dated 23 November 2023 and the reference number of my claim is PIP/123456789.

Points I disagree with regarding your decisions:

Preparing a Meal

I am diagnosed with Mickey Mouse Disorder and Cramping Tummy Syndrome (CTS). This means I can only eat cheese, but I need tablets because I am allergic to the diet but alsi intolerant to the tablet, and so, I suffer agonising cramps meaning I cannot repeatedly prepare a meal as described under section 2.1.3 of the PIP criteria. This also slows me down, and disrupts me (2.1.4). I have provided extra evidence, such as a written testimony from my carer and my doctor (contiue as you wish). 

Tribunals: 

An independent tribunal is most effective! It is free, you can follow online Government website instructions to initiate things after your mandatory reconsideration. Also, you can alternatively choose not to attend if you prefer. The panel will have no connection to the DWP. Tribunals typically side with claimants—a 2022 report found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of appeals resulted in a better outcome for claimants. That, right there, is the financial advantage for the DWP: resolving your case favorably before a tribunal has to begin is often quicker, and less expensive. Claimants might receive an offer before it reaches the tribunal. However, you must follow the procedural stages from mandatory reconsideration and then apply for tribunal after rejection. Take what is rightfully yours. 

Do they expect folks to dive into work without support?

In Your Corner!: Resources to Help You! 

Here are some resources designed to empower you through the PIP claim process:

Citizens Advice: Useful but can be busy, help on benefits claims and appeals, including PIP: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

Benefits and Work: Follow the guides and support they have in place! Here is the PIP claim process: https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-claims

The Resurrection Story We Never Mention

The Resurrection Story We Never Mention! 

What is more plausible, an executed religious leader who fronted a growing movement, abruptly raised from the dead? Or a group of his followers hiding his body to claim the same thing? 

This topic resonates with me because of the dissonance I've seen from my entrenched family members, and the fact that I go obsessed with religion especially after I've had experienced something mystical. People throw all common sense out of the window just to believe biblical narrative or fixate on it. Thick books with stained glass windows on the covers, exist, sitting on the bookshelves of gray haired men discussing such pointless topics, issues that can never be resolved. The Empty Tomb: Was Jesus Resurrected? Well, uh, no. Obviously not! Don't be silly! However, the impossibility of it is never sufficient in breaking the paranormal premises disguised as some variant of academia. I advise leaning on the laws of nature and medical science, but people are people. 

'No this is nonesense! It says in all four of the gospels that Jesus rose from the dead!' 

'Of course it does, early Christians compiled these stories didn't they?' 

'Those disciples went from being afraid to hiding. Why would they suddenly proclaim the resurrection? No, no sorry, it's unlikely these followers would endured hardship for something they knew to be false!' 

'Did early Christians write that? Of course they did, listen, in reality, people charged with committing sedition against Rome would have been left on the cross as an example, those followers of his had good motive to retrieve the body,' 

'Yeah but still, the fact remains, why risk death for something you know to be untrue?' 

'The movement was only important if the teacher was resurrected somehow, but such resurrection stories were common then anyway and easily circulated. They had the means, motive and opportunity to swipe the body—the corpse was on display,' 

'The followers knew he was Gods son!' 

'That epithet came well after his death, so no, sorry.' 

'Oh for goodness sake, look. . . there was a Roman guarding the bloody tomb, and we know the tomb was sodding empty! Witnesses existed!' 

'Is that a bible source again? Terrible, why would a Roman guard an empty tomb? Nevermind!'

A little backstory: A man was impressing everyone around him, garnered a huge reputation, rumours exist of him being the annointed one are spreading, like a prophet, mysterious and charming. With his apostles, they will change the oppression of the land, a country for the divine. Captured, mocked, humiliated, ridiculed, tortured and crucified as an example. The entirety of his message is over. Killed. Disbelief, shock. I'm just saying, his closest circle swiped the body, continued the myth, grew the faith, established a footing. 

This does challenge the heart of Christianity, but so what? Things have to be challenged, it's how we uncover the truth. Indeed, we can say Jesus was resurrected as a concept, and idea, religious or spiritual ethos of their collective which evolved into the church. But, it must be said, his remains didn't get up and walk off! This is not walking dead. Don't you agree? 

Its more plausible that the body was stolen resurrected. The movement was crushed and the crucifixion was a major blow, the body had to go. They had means, motive and access. Christian sources are biased toward the christian narrative. 

Wellbeing: Keeping religion in check, when you are feeling unwell

Holy Smokes! Where'd the Miracles Go?

Years ago I was going through a few wacky symptoms and my own unstable mindset, which, unexpectedly, directed me toward our church! Skipping on a little bit, and I found myself literally expecting armaggedon at any moment! At one point, I was convinced of my healing powers and I grew suspicious that I might be an actual incarnation of Jesus. Clearly, I wasn't balanced, and the preacher's never really helped. You see, religiosity and psychological moments of vulnerability, can, being honest here, be an unhealthy combination. Its not about gullability, but rather the strong mental states in which a person can find themselves. Here are a few points well worth consideration if you, or a friend, begin to go religiously unwell. 

Firstly, have you ever wondered why the Bible is chock-full of miraculous happenings, while these days . . . well, there's nothing? Let's dive into that holy world of ancient beliefs and stand firm, armed with logic to keep things fact based:

Back in the Day: Seeing Was Believing

Fair enough, that's respectable given the circumstances, isn't it? Try and imagine a time before science explained everything to us all—beliefs held validity. Ancient Israel was a hotbed of superstition, metaphoric story's were the go to choice for communicating history and wisdom. Today we scoff at burning bushes, talking donkeys, and invisible presences, it's all b******s for many of us today. However, with respect, it's no wonder miraculous signs and omens were once legit. 

Fast Forward: The Rise of Our (so-called) Reason

Nowadays, we have the merits of employing microscopes and whatnot. We have feasible theories, justified manners of investigating or respected explanations for most ancient mysteries. This new direction in scientific inquiry does make us a tougher crowd to convince; claims of an ark constructed to house two of every species on the planet becomes rain off a ducks back for many of us. It's fair to presume this is why miracles have been dropped these days? Personally, rationality helps to keep us grounded when that obsessive religious fervor awakens to dress your cognitive dissonance in finely woven interpretations and vague scholarly concensus. 

Mental Health: Not So Heavenly

It is important to remember that modern diagnosed psychiatric conditions did not exist back then. What a rabbi or a roman apothecary might have called demonic possession was most likely something resembling a familiar condition like an aggressive type of psychosis to medical science, for example—there's so much choice! We don't know if Moses had mood instabily or if Jesus was on the spectrum, we can never know; posthumous diagnosis is impossible, given that written sources about these events and characters were compiled years later! Imagine how easily superstition and mental ill-health may well have influenced the ancient paradigm and consequential scriptures and manuscripts. 

Christianity the Actual Religion: A Double-Edged Sword

Let's be honest, Christianity's history misses all that love and forgiveness it preached. Persecution, anyone? There is quite a bit of bad stuff: castrati, witch-hunts, they burnt Joan of Arc, and a few others. We mustn't forget those horrible child cases, and that whole 'wealthy Catholic Church' thing? Google that and click the National Post article about the churches wealth. Yeah, not a great look.

Jesus: Man, Myth, or Messiah?

Let's drop the miracles for a sec and focus on the historical Jesus. Scholars and evangelicals alike will always debate the details, but most agree, Jesus was a real man, a human being, and he preached. I think he could've been a cult leader of sorts, I don't know. His ideas were a bit radical, somewhat nice sounding and early followers were enthused by his message of God's coming kingdom (Mark 1:14-15). They awaited this literal earthly reign, but it went unrealized. This fact is usually swept under the carpet, or apologists talk it down. Be that as it is, Jesus being the only son of God doesn't logically follow, even more so if he was initially some kind of sacrificial lamb for the chosen people. Why? Well, how'd that work for them?These people lost their holy land because of diaspora, and then they suffered two millenia of persecution from Christians and Muslims. It makes me think of what happened in the second world war. Why would an Almighty being need a spokesman, anyway? Appear in the sky or something! It is kind off weak isn't it? 

Early Church in Fighting & Drama

After Jesus suffered his dramatic tortuous death nailed to his cross, his brother James took control; he must have been mad! What a death wish! Later, James ran the Church of Jerusalem, inspiring different groups of early christians who sprouted into the fold. One of the earliest were the Ebionites, who often recognised Jesus as more human than a divine person, there were always new concepts of Jesus. Surprise, surprise! Well that had to change! The fancy Church Fathers disapproved of that and called the lot heretics! Like modern apologists. Holier than though, the lot of em! Then those nutty gnostics started to pop up all over the place with their own so-called improved brand of Jesus! The key thing is, does it make sense that the main emerging orthodox church of the era was mostly non-Jewish? The entire narrative is based in a Jewish culture but Christianity has no synagogues! What????? 

Jesus: The Rebel with a Cause

From a different angle, maybe the miracles were just a metaphor, like I suggested earlier? It is quite respectable to think that Jesus' true power was directly challenging the status quo, the f*****g might of Rome and Israel. His sermons and epithets like 'Son of God' were a thorn in the side of power. I cannot think of a more gutsy move. However, scribes wrote it all down and the narrative was garnished, edited and touched up, and each church developed cultural ideas surrounding it all and bosh!! A new dogma! We influence ourselves with our own fiction. Meditation is healthier than scripture reading. Try Buddhism, well. . . be careful of that one, actually, Zen mindfulness or zasen is good. 

The Bottom Line

Miracles or mental issues? Actual history or edited hype? My answer would be to turn to the mundane, think real life, and visualise the likelihood of an angel appearing on the news after flying into a building Unlikely. We know that even the pope relies on medical science; faith healing hands are not required. This post is scratching the surface; hopefully it will encourage self-awareness so you don't relinquish too much to a strict religious worldview. 

Is the UK Unhappy?

Feeling Down? Well, if You're in the UK That Makes Sense: It's The UK Mental Wellbeing Ranking Has Fallen! One Nations Misery Is Another One Nations Happiness, Right? 

Let's face it, life here in the UK isn't always sunshine and beer gardens. A recent study ranked us second to last in terms of mental wellbeing—ahhh! But before you book a one-way ticket to Benedorm, there's more to this. . . 

The Telegraph points to a few possible culprits we could blame for these collective blues. One big finger points to the internet and social media with its constant barrage of negativity and unrealistic portrayals of perfection. It aided the economic woes that put retail mostly online, providing many thriving towns into empty building projects and charity shop high streets! That's before we even get into culture wars, and wokism. It looks like we're turning into a digitised national echo chamber, teeming with screen addicts, who, on average, now spend less time making the bacon and more time eating it, and then chatting to AI. 

What new archetypes and identities will arrive soon, digisexual, typophiles? But, come on! we do have a glimmer of hope! We do have regions that actually smashed the ball out of the happiness arena. What should we do to improve our national mood? Well, according to the data, we should simply be wealthy. Sign me up! 

Well. . . we all have our own ideas on how we can be happier, I'm not a community action type of person, and I take pleasure in my self-gratifying dry, grumpy humour. Spending too much time in our so-called happy regions could tip me over the edge. So ask yourselves, how happy are most of us, as Brits, when we are compaining online, or smashing ideas we think are ludicrous? I strive for total disconnection from my community—my house is my castle to keep people out. Perhaps, this happiness study might have to redefine key British notions of happiness, because we are quite unique? Maybe, a little tapped. Our weird irony and paradoxical ways extends to the pleasure in dealing in misery, look what we voted for in 2010 and the drivel we watch on television! This recent research should conclude we are quite well and good with our own special happiness, thank you very much.