Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions is the British Government's department responsible for state pensions, and welfare including sickness benefits.

Psychological view
The September 2015 manual for disability assessors (released under Freedom of Information laws) states:

"Psychological and social factors appear to be involved in perpetuating the symptoms of the illness. Factors associated with increased fatigue and severity of the condition include: a strong belief in the physical cause of the illness, a focus on bodily sensations and a poor sense of control over the complaints. Evidence suggests that patients with CFS/ME use more avoidance strategies to cope with the debilitating effects of fatigue. However avoidance strategies have been associated with more fatigue and more functional impairment, including greater psychosocial disturbance in CFS/ME".

Learn more

 * Wikipedia - Department for Work and Pensions

Online presence

 * Website