Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

The Welfare Reform Bill, which is in its final stages in Parliament, will mean significant changes to the benefit system. One of the key changes is the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to replace Disability Living Allowance. PIP will be introduced in April 2013 and the Government is currently consulting on the changes. Read on to find out more about the proposals and how you can have your say. What do we already know? A lot of the detail around PIP has yet to be finalised but the key changes are listed below: Most individuals will have a face to face assessment as part of their application. There will be regular reassessment of claimants to check if their entitlement to the benefit has increased or decreased. There will still be two components – called Daily Living and Mobility – and both will be paid at two rates, called standard rate and enhanced rate. To claim PIP you will have had the disabling condition for 3 months and expect to have it for ...

Our national charity, Rethink Mental Illness, has been receiving an increasing number of calls from people concerned about Employment and Support Allowance, in particular how to fill in the form and attending the medical. They've put together a series of top tips that you might find useful if you are being assessed to receive this benefit: 1. Request medical evidence from your own healthcare professional and send it to the DWP with your completed ESA50. This could be your GP, psychiatrist, CPN or social worker. 2. Read the Rethink Mental Illness factsheets on Employment & Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment before you fill in the ESA50 questionnaire. 3. On page 2 of the ESA50 questionnaire when you are asked if you need any help if you were called for a face to face assessment, state that you would like to be assessed by someone with training and experience of mental health. 4. Get some help from a welfare benefit specialist if possible....

As readers of this blog may know, Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust is in the process of relocating psychiatric inpatient services from Edale House at the Central Manchester Hospital (MRI) site to Park House at North Manchester General Hospital. We've always been concerned about the impact that this move will have on carers and service users in terms of increased transport times. A representative from the Trust came to our meeting last month to update us on plans for transport and the Trust's latest newsletter contains the following update on the service user and carer transport sub-group: "The group last met on 6 February and it was decided that another visitor questionnaire should be undertaken to make sure that we make the right  decisions about transport.  It was also agreed that more engagement and       communication with service users is necessary and  the service users and carers who attend the meetings will support this....

Rethink Mental Illness are running two more of their free training days for people who want to help start a sibling support group in their local area. The training day will be a chance to learn more about starting a group, meet other siblings and you could learn some new skills too. You can choose from the following dates: York – Saturday 24 th   March 11.30am – 3pm London – Thursday 29 th   March 11am – 4pm During the day, we will talk about how to start a group with our support, for instance finding a venue, advertising and promoting the group  and arranging meeting times and  ideas of how you might like your group to be. Lunch will be provided on the day, and we also have a small budget for travel expenses and  may  be able to pay a proportion of your ticket (amount dependent on how many people attend and the cost  of your travel ). Please get in touch with ticket costs before booking if you would like help with this so ...

A few of us from Rethink Manchester Carers in Action attended the Schizophrenia Commission 's Manchester event yesterday at the University of Manchester. We heard from a really wide range of speakers including people with personal experience of schizophrenia and professionals working the field. The morning started with some really moving testimonies from carers and service users, talking about their struggles to get adequate care for loved ones and the side effects of anti psychotic medication. One of the speakers has a son with schizophrenia. She said "I just want to be a mum and spend time with my son", highlighting how deeply the illness can affect our family relationships as we change from parent/sibling/friend to carer, and even then can feel excluded and unvalued by service providers. Other speakers included a GP from Birmingham, who raised the shocking statistic that in one survey, schizophrenia was found to be the least favourite illness to treat by GPs. She m...

Tickets are now available for Rethink Mental Illness' first ever information, advice and support event for brothers and sisters: Siblings Connect. On Saturday May 12th we will be holding a day of talks and workshops for anyone who has a brother or sister affected by mental health problems, and best of all...it's free! This one-day event will include talks from authors, siblings and expert professionals, and a range of workshops exploring mental health, how to cope with difficult issues and worries, and ways you and your family can get the support you need. You will also get the chance to meet other siblings and share your experiences and advice! Where and when? The event will be held at the Hotel Russell, London WC1B 5BE on Saturday May 12th 2012. Who should come? Anyone who has a brother or sister affected by mental health problems (aged 14 to adults). There are just 200 places available so register now to make sure you get your free place! Get more info and...

At our meeting on Wednesday 11th April, Valerie Minns from the Rethink Mental Illness North West Regional Committee is coming along to take us through the Department for Work and Pensions  (DWP) "limited capability for work" questionnaire. If you have applied for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because you are not well enough to work, the DWP have to decide whether you do qualify for this benefit. The test they use to decide this is called the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The "limited capability for work" questionnaire (ESA50) forms part of this assessment process. The meeting will run from the usual time of 6 - 7.45pm but instead of having a half hour catch up before we begin the main session, we'll be starting as soon as possible after 6pm as we'll have lots to get through. Could those attending please be at Manchester Carers Centre for 6pm prompt. If you need information on the WCA in the meantime, then there's a useful summary an...

Making Space have set up a new website advising on the Incapacity Benefit reassessments, as part of the service we previously featured on our blog . The new website is http://peermentoring-makingspace.co.uk/ The Making Space Work4you project is here to help Manchester residents with mental health issues who are having their claim for Incapacity Benefit or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) reassessed.

Today we've heard the news that disabled people (including people with a mental illness) could be forced to work for free or face a cut in benefits . The clause is part of the welfare reform bill currently working its way through Parliament and applies only to individuals placed in the Employment and Support Allowance 'work related activity group'. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, talk to you benefits advisor. If you think you have been placed in the Wrag group incorrectly, contact the Rethink Advice and Information Service . As well as changes to the welfare system, government is also reforming our social care system. On 6th March, Rethink Mental Illness is organising a lobby of parliament to protest against some of the changes. Participants will meet in Westminster at 12pm, where you can participate in a Rethink Mental Illness ‘lobbying your MP’ training session. We’ll have lunch. You can then take part in a media photo opportunity, if you want to. We’ll...

Because of high demand, the Advice and Information Service run by Rethink Mental Illness is in desperate need of additional funds. They've been a great source of support for many of our group so if you can spare a few pounds then every little really does help. You can donate here . Find out more about the Advice and Information service .

Please see below for an urgent notice about getting involved in commissioning for health care services in North and Central Manchester. Very important - we need local voices on these groups to get the best/ correct health care for our communities !!! - please circulate to your contacts , especially people who have a GP in North Manchester. Thankyou. Please let us know if you are interested by 5pm on by Friday 17 February. Contact: North:               julian.palfreyman@manchester.nhs.uk Advertisement for North & Central Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Patient and Public Advisory Groups  The GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups in north and central Manchester are looking for public representatives to act as a ‘voice’ on behalf of patients registered with north and central Manchester GP practices.  The groups will be supported by NHS staff.   Who might become a member of a Patient and Public Advisory Group? ...

It's our next meeting this Wednesday 8th February, from 6 – 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre , Vulcan Mill, 12-18 Pollard Street., M4 7AN. As well as having a cup of tea, bite to eat and a good catch up, we've got a guest speaker, Jessica Williams, from Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. She’ll be talking to us about what becoming a Foundation Trust will mean for the Trust, our service users and members. As well as our forthcoming public governor elections and how these will enable members to have their say and shape the way mental health services are delivered in Manchester. If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm. Please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082976 to let us know you will be coming, so we know to wait for you. If you are travelling by car then free parking is available on Pollard Street after 6pm.

If you're a member of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, you'll just have received - or will soon be receiving - a letter about upcoming governor elections. As a membership led organisation the Trust needs to have members involved in the Council, which provides oversight for (though does not run) the Trust. If you're interested in standing for the role of Governor, then the letter contains information about upcoming events where you can go and find out more. Details are also available on the Trust's website . The events run from 6th to 17th Feb, with nominations closing on 21st February. Ballot papers will be sent out to members on the 9th March with the ballot closing on the 30th. There's a useful FAQs section on the Trust's website about becoming a Governor, as well as an outline of duties . If you're not already a member of the Trust you can join here .

Next Tuesday 7th Feb, at 9am and repeated again at 21.30, Professor Robin Murray is being interviewed by Jim al-Khalili on The Life Scientific about his views on the causes of schizophrenia. If you can't listen at either of these times then the show will be available as a podcast on BBC iPlayer - we'll post the link once it's up. More information on BBC R4 website .

Manchester Users Network meeting, 21st February, 11am, Harpurhey Wellbeing Centre, (formally Harpurhey Day Centre), 93 Church Lane, Harpurhey, Manchester M9 4BE. Guest Speaker, Steve Cova from DWP to answer your questions on DLA & cuts to your benefit. Further information tel Alan, (0161) 918 4343/(0161) 492 0790. More information on Manchester Users Network website .