Letter to MP to support a change to support SAD independent living.


Suggested text for a letter to your MP to ask for their support for the changes proposed.


Separation Anxiety Disorder and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – “The missing unsupported are getting Sadder?”

Dear [Member of Parliament],

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_anxiety_disorder

You will note from both these following references;

https://www.anxietybc.com/adults/separation-anxiety

https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/separation-anxiety


That in 2013 numerous changes were made to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), a classification of mental disorders used by medical and psychiatric professionals in many areas of the world. One of these changes was the inclusion of adults in struggling with a condition previously assumed only to effect children and adolescents - Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD).

In the context of PIP you will also note from the above references the following implications for independent life of a SAD;

Lack of independence in a variety of domains (e.g. taking trips, attending college or university, seeking a job promotion that will lead to travel or long work hours, socializing, dating, etc.)
And
  • Refusal to leave home, school, work, or another place because of fear of separation
  • Persistent fear about being alone or without major attachment figures at home or other places.
  • Refusal or reluctance to sleep away from home or to go to sleep without attachment figures nearby
This may manifests itself in a complete inability to make any journey away from home lasting over 4 hours, unless the major attachment figure is with the person with this disability. And also the complete inability to remain at home alone overnight if left alone; their major attachment figure having gone elsewhere.

A SAD claimant recently went through an appeal for PIP at first tier tribunal level. In his oral decision the judge stated that for claimants presenting with problems such as theirs (SAD) that as the current law stands the activities and descriptors make it almost impossible to “match” (with the problems presented by SAD to a persons independence). On reflection I tend to agree with the Judge. This leaves them along with the reported 0.9 to 1.9 percent among adults who suffer from SAD in an impossible position of having a independence limiting (for the sufferer and their attachment figure) mental heath disorder, yet a system possibly designed before SAD became accepted in DSM-5, one that fails to accommodate the disorder and therefore fail to encourage independence through financial award. I will be interested in understanding your consideration regarding the fit of the PIP activities and descriptors to the “normal” profile of a SAD claimant and in particular the way the latter hinders their independence; being unable to be away from home/attachment figure or being unable to be alone, separated from their attachment figure; without a trusted substitute attachment figure to be with them away from home or at home when the attachment figure is separate from them; and the reassure them that the attachment figure is safe even though they are separated from them for a period of time.

Also, thinking through the information above, I have come to believe an answer to this lack of provision for suffers of SAD within PIP could be resolved by the introduction of these activities below, and would be grateful for your thoughts and consideration as the potential of them being added to the current legislation through amendment;

Daily Living

Living Separately

    1. Can be separate from a significant other indefinitely: 0 points
    2. Cannot be separate from a significant other due to physiological distress for more than 7 days: 2 points
    3. Cannot be separate from a significant other due to physiological distress for more than 2 days: 4 points
    4. Cannot be separate from a significant other due to physiological distress for more than 1 day: 8 points
    5. Cannot be separate from a significant other due to physiological distress for more than 12 hours: 10 points
    6. Cannot be separate from a significant other due to physiological distress for more than 1 hour: 12 points


The legislation as it stands is;

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2013/9780111532072/contents

and the PIP activities as they currently are written can be found here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2013/9780111532072/schedule/1


Yours truly,

[Your Name]

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