PIP

People who have jobs may have care needs that cost additional money? What a thoughtless and judgmental comment.

Yes, I mean her inhaler and medication.
I think citizens advice can probably help with the forms but most areas have more specialised services. If you would like to private message me I can get a bit of information from you to see what services might be in your area.

Thank you for your post. My sister doesn’t need any of the things you posted. She is able to take a shower without aids. Her problem is getting up and about in the morning. She is unable to sleep at night as she regularly needs to take her inhaler because she’s very short of breath.

Once she’s awake she needs to take two inhalers, which take up to an hour to take effect. Once she’s up she is able to shower.

She can do her own shopping, but needs to take regular breaks to get her breath. She can do anything, really. It just takes a lot more time than normal.

She is unable to seek work because she knows she is

1. Likely to be thrown out for being consistently late
2. She cannot stand/sit for long periods without being in constant pain.
3. She is unable to wear a bra as it restricts her lung function
4. When she gets a cold she becomes extremely breathless very quickly and needs steroid medication immediately. Her health goes downhill extremely quickly. She has been told by her consultant that as soon as she feels she has a cold to seek medical advise immediately. Easier said than done.
5. Yet she is able to wash and cook for herself. So not eligible for financial support.

The benefit system stinks!

‘Pharmaceutical aids’ wouldn’t qualify. An inhaler isn’t an aid in PIP terms. It’s a medication. However, it sounds as though your sister should score points for prompting and assistance with tasks, even if she doesn’t receive that assistance. It’s the help needed that qualifies. Again, if she would benefit from aids (perching stool, shower stool, long handled sponge, grab rails, button fastening aids, bottom wiping aid, adapted cutlery, etc etc)… she should qualify whether or not she actually has them.

The evidence you supply will be critical. Consider doing an SAR for her medical records to see what can be used. There are templates online for this. An OT report is gold dust for pip.

Thank you 🙏 . I’ll message you now

This is only partly true. The reliability criteria and ‘constant unpredictable risk’ come into play.

Fibro could easily score points under 11 (planning and following the route of a journey) due to brain fog and effects of pain. It could also score under 12, according to the reliability criteria, depending on level of pain, speed, risk of falls.

Feel free to message me @MellowYellowWithaBitofPurple

You will often be turned down on initial application. Mandatory Reconsideration and appeal is my advice (this is my job).

This thread has some inaccurate information but also some truth.

If you cannot complete the task for each descriptor repeatedly and reliably, and safely, you should be awarded points. Reliably includes within a reasonable time (if you take more than twice as long as a non-disabled person, points should be awarded), without significant pain, without needing to rest afterwards, without detriment to your health. Risk of falls, injuries etc are also taken into account.

Pp is correct that the majority of days is the standard, with a few exceptions involving ‘constant, unpredictable risk’ (seizures, blackouts, so on).

However, the reliability criteria also come into play.

Ideally, you need help from someone who knows the law. There are not for profit organisations and CIC’s who do this for a small fee. CAB do help but are hit and miss (we spend a lot of time dealing with their cock ups, although some advisers can be brilliant).

Don’t be deterred by the initial report though. The assessment companies are horrid, their reports are often plain wrong and not in keeping with the law, easily challenged.

I have one child on pip and 2 on dla. A lot of people who know I claim dla/pip for them think I shouldn't. A lot of people think ds1 is just a bit quirky, or that ds4 is a bit slow at learning new things or that ds5 needs more discipline.

You need professional help to fill out the forms by the sound of it because there appears to be a definite need. Contact a local CAB to find benefit support services. It really makes a difference as to how you approach the form. In the small example you have given the completed form should be demonstrating to the assessor that your sister can only wash herself when using pharmaceutical aides

What do you mean by “pharmaceutical aids” please? Her inhalers??

By professional help do you mean Citizens Advice? I’m so sorry for the questions but I’m really concerned about my sister. She is unable to work and has limited benefits. She goes days without food and can’t afford to go out during the day. She has no choice than to stay home which means she needs to heat her house all day, every day and is falling behind with her payments. I help her as much as I can but there is only so much I can give her

Why should she use a huge chunk of her wages mitigating the effects of her illness when she already pays into a system designed to support people with illnesses? You think it's fair she pays twice for being ill?

I’ll bite too.

I work full time in a well paid job. I am also a wheelchair user. I need help dressing. I can’t cook from scratch. I can’t do housework. I can’t wash or dry my own hair. I can’t easily navigate public transport without assistance.

I use my PIP (higher rate mobility, standard daily living) to have a cleaner, have my hair washed and blow dried and to use taxis. We could forego our annual family holiday to fund that, but I don’t feel my family should suffer more than they already do due to my increasing disability.

You need professional help to fill out the forms by the sound of it because there appears to be a definite need. Contact a local CAB to find benefit support services. It really makes a difference as to how you approach the form. In the small example you have given the completed form should be demonstrating to the assessor that your sister can only wash herself when using pharmaceutical aides.

The OP, and some of the comments here, have made my stomach utterly sink. I get comments all the time from people who seem to think I'm not actually that disabled. I'm not going into it here, I'm quite riled. But the ableism in some of these comments is vile. It is absolutely none of any of yours business what is or isn't on someone else's PIP claim. Its none of your business why we might qualify. And our conditions are absolutely not up for speculation by you, who are neither experts on our conditions, or living in our bodies. How bloody insulting.

@MellowYellowWithaBitofPurple

What is the the secret of claiming PIP please when you are unable to work or function within the realms of “normal” but you can carry out self care skills? It’s an enigma

If your health condition means that you take a long time to wash yourself, or you need a half hour rest after you've washed, you can claim.

Any health condition that means that a PIP descriptor takes you ages to complete is a reason to claim.

If she can still earn that kind of money with her condition she shouldn’t be getting £700 in disability money every month what a piss take

My sister has chronic asthma, COPD, extreme breathlessness and terrible back pain if she stands too long or walks more than 200m. The first question on the PiP form is “Can you wash yourself?” She can. As the questions go on my dsis can do most herself. Yet she cannot function “as normal” all of the time. She cannot get herself out of bed until she has taken her inhalers. These take up to an hour to take effect.

Because she can wash herself she is not eligible for PIP. Yet we see friends and neighbours who function normally - Out shopping, always out at the pub at weekends, hold down jobs starting early mornings. So active all through the day.

What is the the secret of claiming PIP please when you are unable to work or function within the realms of “normal” but you can carry out self care skills? It’s an enigma

It’s insane that PIP isn’t means tested. All state benefits should be means tested. We shouldn’t be giving public money to people who don’t need it. And it’s all very well saying it levels things up, so the person claiming PIP isn’t disadvantaged by their disability, but if they’re a multi millionaire shouldn’t they be doing a bit of levelling up themselves to help poor people?!

I'm going to answer as if your question is genuine. In the example you have given for your 'friend' a PIP award is used to fund;
For eg:
higher heating costs, because being cold can be incredibly painful for fibromyalgia sufferers.

taxis/transportation costs, as sufferers can experience exhaustion or pain and be unable to use public transport.

pre-prepared food as exhaustion/pain/lack of dexterity often means an inability to be able to prepare meals.

food deliveries, for the same reasons.

alternative treatments unavailable on NHS, anything from CBD products to acupuncture.

domestic or personal care support, anything from cleaner/hairdresser/podiatrist.

childcare (in any form from babysitters to clubs) so that the person in pain has less demanding childcare responsibilities when suffering.

Your friend has undoubtedly spent money on some/all of these things in an effort to try and manage her condition. A PIP award simply means that she is no longer funding the additional expenses herself (directly). But, as it sounds like she and her husband are long term tax payers, they have, of course, contributed to the system that is now helping her out.

But you might pay for taxis to get to appointments. You would pay for deliveries if you can’t get to the shops. You might pay for a motobility car because it is the only way you can get from A to B. You might pay more for your food shop because it is harder to shop around if you rely on a delivery from one supermarket. You might pay more for your heating because you are always at home. You might have to pay to get your medication delivered. You might have to pay to have a hairdresser come to your house, or a chiropodist, or a physiotherapist and so on.

I don’t have agoraphobia but with a bit of imagination I can see why having it might cost someone more.

I was recently awarded pip after suffering for many years but was put off applying many times after receiving the form due to all the horror stories we hear.

i requested the form again and once again I couldn’t face filling it in so didn’t but was still given an assessment over the phone which lasted for 2 hours 4 minutes. I was awarded enhanced rate for both elements.

im 45 years old and also have fibromyalgia like your friend. Most people who know me know this about me. I suffer greatly with pain and only leave the house when I really have to. I also have incontinence issues, sciatica for the last 18 years, anxiety, ocd and ADHD, all diagnosed and medicated for. I do not disclose that information to many people for obvious reasons and nobody really sees how much I struggle. I also have 2 dc with autism ( what would be classed as “high functioning” ) and they also have severe anxiety so life is bloody hard. Pip has changed our lives. Seriously.

Katie Price has made no secret that her son Harvey claims it too. Why shouldn’t he? It’s not means tested and is one of the few benefits that isn’t. People can and do work who claim pip. I am unable to work for now and feel like I’m just existing, people do judge but don’t often know the bigger picture.

I don't claim it (I have RA) but my friend with spondyloarthritis as well as epilepsy does. I have thought of claiming (no I don't need the money) as I am in constant pain, have put on loads of weight because I cannot move and am just knackered to the point it has severely affected my ability to work for 18 months. So why have I not claimed? I guess I am a 'well it is not that bad' sort of person even when it is bloody awful and in addition don't need some interrogation from some disinterested administrator (not putting them down, but it must be a dull job). Interestingly I have never claimed any benefit (well, child benefit for a few years almost 20 years ago) but I would not feel bad claiming. I view it as I have paid at least £1 million in tax over my working life and honestly, I don't think I will be claiming much of my pension. At least 10% of this tax is national insurance and part of this insurance is as I see it a pay out for if my health takes a tumble. I don't view it any differently than my private life insurance policy. What would I spend it on? Nothing specific, but it might enable me to just work a little less which would really help.

So don't be baffled how it is justified. Unless you think it is fair that some people pay tax all their lives and never claim anything even when they could do with some support because it should only go to the absolutely destitute. I would agree with you if that is what you think, provided they massively cut taxes accordingly. But I quite like the safety net of not having to be out on the street or unable to get out of bed before I get help so happy to pay the tax.

To the OP

If a millionaire like David Cameron is entitled to claim then I really wouldn't dwell on your friend.