Making Amendments After Submitting New Claim.

Good Evening everyone,

I recently was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, with a widespread pain index of 16, and severity score of 10 and a MSP of 8. The onset of this condition came on 18 months ago and since then, my pain levels have been getting worse and worse, with regular cramping and hypersensitivity as well regular headaches and heightened IBS symptoms.

I feel that when I filled in the online form that I may have been a little bit too conservative with my answers, especially with regards to my mobility capabilities. I struggle most days to walk any distance without my walking stick for support, however my capacity to walk anything more than 50m in one go as been drastically reduced in recent weeks. Only last weekend, I struggled to walk from my car in McDonald’s car park to the restaurant without feeling like I was gonna keel over and die, and I’m ashamed to say that was likely less than 25meters. I managed, just with my stick and my partner on the other arm, but to say I was embarrassed was an understatement.

What I’d like to know is, would I be able to contact the DWP and ask them to change my abilities regarding questions relating to mobility, I did my form three weeks ago, and I feel they may see this as suspect.

I just wish I found this website before filling in my form, as I think I was a bit limited and maybe a bit too blasé with my answers.

Any help regarding this matter would be greatly appropriated.

Thanks
Tim

This is a brand new claim, so you think I’d be assessed quickly, I put claim in three weeks ago?

Also thank you for clarifying how amendments would work with regards to time frame requirements.

I’m stressing over the assessment as I worry they will catch me on a bad day where I’m not completely attentive and answer their questions with little to no detail. I hear assessors have been known to use things against you, like saying if you can drive you can do other things like cut vegetables for example, but I find cutting vegetables with a knife for example so much harder than holding onto a steering wheel or a gear knob.

How can I ensure I get my issues and limitations across without them taking the very first thing I say and assuming the rest?

Sorry for the questions,

Thanks
Tim

Thank you, Chris, for your response.
I have tried to articulate how me being able to drive should have no bearing on my abilities to take on unrelated activities. As mentioned above, grip strength is a vastly dependent situation, as there are many ways to apply grip. Using a knife to chop vegetables, can be jarring, and painful, as you are pushing downwards on the knife into a hard surface (chopping board). In a car you’re lightly gripping the wheel, feeding it through your hands, and with regards to the gear knob, you’re gently moving a circular shaped knob backwards and forwards with little to no effort. And these actions are all done within what I’d consider close proximity to the body, as well as being rather neutral in posture, you’re not lifting your arms above shoulder height and you’re not lowering them below the waistline. And you’re definitely not moving your arms behind your body, like you’re trying to wipe yourself after going the toilet. So, how on earth can they make such assumptions.

Driving as I’m sure you know requires mental focus, but not because you have to think of your physical actions, as for most this becomes instinctive, but for things like having road awareness, and looking out for danger. This is why for myself, ensuring familiarity with my route, is key to me not becoming flustered, overwhelmed and panicky, and there for loosing concentration. This is why I cannot plan a journey or take on an unfamiliar trip without my partner.
Unfortunately, I have to drive, take the kids to school, like I did before the onset of my Fibromyalgia. But this is familiar to me, and isn’t too strenuous, mentally, well the driving part of it anyway. But after every drive, I do suffer with hip, leg and back pains, which sometimes I don’t have before I start the journey, they are caused by being sat in the car, and operating it as required. So, there for I struggle to do anything on my return home and find myself needing prolonged periods of rest before continuing on with my day.
To note, my assessment is next Wednesday the 13th with Capita.

Regards
Tim