PIP

I agree but that professional evidence is usually still word of mouth ie complaining to the GP about this or that symptom, something that cannot be verified via medical testing.

How many people do you think get PiP because they told the GP their symptoms yes have had absolutely no medical investigation?

Seriously

I agree but that professional evidence is usually still word of mouth ie complaining to the GP about this or that symptom, something that cannot be verified via medical testing.

I have a friend who has many disabilities due to cancer, arthritis and medical treatments to save her life. She has surgeries on a yearly basis and during those times she is unable to do anything for herself. In between those times she goes to many concerts with a carer and she also goes on holiday. She does that so she has something to look forward too when she is spending weeks in hospital in terrible pain. Do you think she isn’t entitled to do that????
People need to stop judging

They don't take and people at their own word though you do need evidence of course there are people who try it on I'm on various DLA Facebook groups and I have seen people who try and claim for very tenuous reasons or send no evidence and then wander what they haven't been awarded but in most cases of will.need professional evidence to back up.your claim

I always have mixed feelings about these threads.

The best way to reduce PIP would be to have a properly functioning health service including funding psychiatric services properly. No one should be on PIP for life for depression or anxiety for example - they should have access to the mental health support and treatments they need, including trauma therapy.

Physical disability is so frustrating because health care is broken. People are becoming disabled because they're not getting timely access to treatment and their conditions are getting worse. My own condition worsened because it took months for me to see a neurologist followed by more months waiting for treatment. In this time my condition progressed and I became more disabled. This was completely avoidable.

Sadly I'm not a millionaire and didn't have a spare twenty grand lying about for private treatment but I AM one of the people who has paid tax all my life. Treatment (eventually) and PIP allow me to KEEP paying tax. It is literally a no brainer but somehow our politicians are creating a system which disables people through poor healthcare AND then stigmatises them for it! PIP is one of the few benefits that actually empowers people to be social contributors.

I wish my friend would claim PIP for fibromyalgia. The pain she lives with. Her husband is a very high earner, she is not. She won't do it because she's fearful of this sort of judgement.

But we are talking about working Disabled people who presumably have paid
Into the system too?

We all pay for benefits for people who can't work and expect to be in recent of benefits it we become unemployed.

The fact is that pip isn't a benefit for those on a low income its provided instead of providing support directl.y. There are other ways of doing it. We could for example buy cars and wheelchairs and other equipment for other areas of there life.l honestly think it would, become unworkable very very quickly
Think far better to let people choose what shits them and their life.

Not really the same thing as pensioners have paid into the system over a number of years to qualify for state pension

Congratulations to your friend for being able to get pip at the maximum rates, it’s a hard process and many are denied . It’s not a benefit that’s affected by working or savings . She might find the holidays help with her pain if she chooses warm and hot countries.

I know some pensioners who are also really rich and use their state pensions on frivolous things. Maybe they should be banned form doing this?

Forgot to add picture

Here is an equivalent car to mine for sale brand new on a dealer site

Deposit, very similar to my motability advance payment.

The monthly payment for this lease is £269 over 4 years - I pay motability £307 per month over 3 years (with the option to extend)

£269 x 48 = £12,912
£307 x 48 = £14,736

Difference = £1824 more for a motability car. This 1824 would go towards insurance, servicing and the excess mileage charge in the dealer lease I get 20,000, this deal gets 8000 with a 4.8p charge per mile after that

If I took a 3 year motability lease it would cost me less than the dealer option but then I would be stumping up another £3.9k for the next advanced payment

All in all, this example is much of a muchness

Of course there are many variables, but it doesn't automatically stand that an equivalent lease is cheaper through motability

This. I’ve never met anyone who has begrudged any form of benefit to people who very clearly need it. But the sort of condition disability benefits are used for have massively expanded, and it does seem to be more a ‘taking people at their word’ approach because so many of those conditions have no pathology. There’s a lot of info exchange on what criteria needs to be met and how to tick the boxes, which risks people who are not capable of navigating the system missing out, while people who have less severe conditions qualify as they’ve done their homework.

For the record, I didn't write "free car" anywhere.

It would cost more to own the car without Motability is my point, and as I said, that's a good thing that this scheme is there for those who need it as it helps bring down some of the costs.

The disadvantage is that with Motability, you don't own the car and could lose it with reduced award whereas, without it, you could own it after paying it off.

@ExcellentFabulous

The down payment on my little one's 'free' car is in excess of £17000 because he needs a specialist, wheelchair adapted vehicle, without that he cannot get to clinic appointments, therapy appointments or out and about. Some down payments are lower, some are much lower and some are even higher.

For PIP.its about how the disability impacts you so if you can prepare a meal ,self care ,are able to make a journey from A to B you would find it difficult to claim
My son was recently diagnosed with Diabetes he injects insulin 4/5 times a day and because his pancreas doesn't work at all has to take a medication with every meal to help digest is food
But he manages it himself and c doesn't need help.preparing his food and can undertake a journey from A to B so I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be awarded
On the other side of it my yonges t son has severe autism and learning Disabillities and gets DLA st the highest rates due to this and I don't think that will.change when he transfers to a pip because he will need 1:1 care for the rest of his life and never be independent.

*MumblesParty · Today 00:44

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?!*

Bet you’ve never had to claim it.

Mine is used in paying cleaners and gardeners and some therapies. Things I’d never afford without pip. Things l need. I’m too ill to clean or do washing.

It would cost me £700 quid a month for this. Why should l have to pay for essential service out of my own pocket due to my disability? I wouldn’t have these costs if l was well.

You are talking bollocks

I’m not sure how the “free car” idea has really come about. Disabled people who have significant mobility difficulties are given a higher rate of pip. The government also run a scheme where you can lease a car or an electric wheelchair/mobility scooter as this group often cannot get around (you know because of the mobility problems). The scheme is very comprehensive because it is for vulnerable people who are disabled but is just like any other lease agreement, except it can be terminated and you can lose your deposit if you “recover”

I got the full rate for cfs.

I couldn’t attend an interview as l was too weak/tiredso it was done over the phone. I’d suggest this to your friend.

I wonder this too, OP.

I know someone with fibromyalgia. But hers only flares up on the rare occasion she would have to do something she doesn't want to do. She hasn't worked for 20+ years. Goes to concerts, festivals all the time.

She also uses PIP for holidays.

I'm conflicted on this one to be honest. I finally received PiP a few months ago but have been eligible on paper for years. Made more than one application but was stymied by a system which does everything possible to put you off when I was already in a total mess.

I only received my award after starting another claim, this time online. Although I didn't finish the form somebody picked up on it, tied it in with the earlier application and awarded me based on a phone call with no additional supporting evidence. There are obviously some decent people within the system.

The flipside is that there is a whole industry dedicated to 'helping' people make successful claims - looking at you Benefits and Work - charging real money for guides which tell you just what to do and say under the auspices of public service.

I know a good few addicts and trust me, they know the system inside out and exactly which conditions are most unprovable and lucrative.

As DH is 68 it's attendance allowance he can put in a claim for

The amount of millionaires eligible for PIP must be minuscule. So who are you going to go for next? The squeezed middle?