Family member awarded enhanced pip - AIBU?

The problem is how do you weed out the minority who may be exaggerating, without hurting those in genuine need, it's not possible.
Especially with invisible mental health conditions.
I would much rather know that a safety net was spread far and wide, even if it did catch a few who didn't actually need it.
These types of posts are just an attempt to get people worked up about those receiving benefits, so they will welcome any planned future changes to criteria.

It is shameful of her, but the country isn’t on its knees because of that, that’s a tired old trope rolled out by certain tabloids. Don’t fall for it.

I would wait a few weeks then report her. Some people need a carer with them 24/7 but even they struggle to get enhanced rate. People like her piss me off.

Report it. If there is no issue it won’t affect her but if she has actually lied they will catch her out.

There was a woman in the press recently who was claiming enhanced PIP saying she couldn’t walk and was running every day! They recorded her over several days and weeks to prove it wasn’t just a good day.
PIP fraud should be reported as it’s only for people who really are very affected in everyday life by their condition.

No benefits fraud.

Sounds as if ypur Mum’s too brave and positive for her own good, Nothing. Thank god she’s got you.

Could you maybe do some role-play, with you as the assessor, to get her to answer more realistically instead of down-playing her problems? She may find it hard to admit how bad it is. But with some gentle encouragement you could help her cope more successfully with her next assessment.

Best of luck to you both.

Certainly, some very heartfelt and sobering stories of just how broken the system is.

The thing is with PIP is it is based on your worst days. I get enhanced mobility and standard living. To look at me you would not think there is nothing wrong with me. But I have complex mental health issues and have done for many years, GAD, OCD. I also have fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Some days I can go out and do normal things and then walk 3/4 miles (might take me a very long time due to pain. Some days I can't leave th house due to anxiety, some days I can't drive on my own due to panic and some days I cant get out of bed or put my socks on without help. If she really has bended the truth that that's shameful but if she's based it on her worst days and has more worse days then good days then I don't see an issue.

Yip those lying disabled schemers.
Sick of reading this pish anyone that's involved in claiming knows the stress of claiming,the constant updates,phone assessments,the ludicrous questions.my wife has a birth defect one leg shorter than the other..was asked is that on one leg or both...DOH!!!.and that's not on top of other physical progressive conditions.

They don't just hand out pip.

They will have looked at her records

Are you saying that it isn't real?

No idea. I'm not entirely sure what AI can and can't do. But the DWP don't care about individual transactions in the sense of spying on what people are spending their money on and it would be against people's rights to start that kind of level of intrusion.

It can be very frustrating seeing how unfair PIP awards can be. I've had many patients awarded zero when in reality their day to day functioning is so poor and there is no way that they'd be able to hold down a full time job. It really frustrates me.

On the other hand, I have 2 relatives who get PIP, both at the highest rate. One has mental health issues and agoraphobia, cannot leave the house and his PIP application included that he hadn't left the house in 4 years. He's just back from a 10 day trip to New York.

The other relative has pain from arthritis and can apparently barely move. Now I do believe that he suffers from pain, I've seen him wincing a bit at times myself. However he regularly goes fishing and is currently laying down some lovely paving slabs for my cousin. He also walks her 2 dogs twice daily.

I'm nearly in tears reading this, as one of those who is fighting to get PIP for genuine conditions that adversely affect me every day.
People playing the system make it harder for those who genuinely need it to get it.
If she is openly admitted to lying then quite frankly report her. She clearly has no shame and it is fraud.
(I've reported someone for benefit fraud, as it was openly discussed around the family. I didn't want to be party to the dishonesty)

They do look at your medical records I've got entries on mine from dwp wanting to see them and the date they requested them and got them

Won't it be monitored by AI rather than human banking staff?

It’s disgusting. My mum has arthritis, diabetes, endo, had her thyroid removed, hip replaced, migraines, glucoma, sleep apnea, lupus, chromes, asthma - literally so much more and SHE got declined. It’s crazy the people who they decline when most of us know at least one person who’s on the fiddle.

The gp WAS asked for evidence. That's what I said. The dwp sent him a form to complete.

We sent in plenty of evidence too btw.

Wild eh? I knew there was still some chat about it. But I don't think it will go any further than alerts for things like income or having over the savings threshold. Also not sure how any staff at banks would have the time to be sitting checking millions of bank account transactions.

But you never know! It would be a total piss take and invasion of privacy anyway.

The legislation for this is in place and the proposal is to introduce it towards the end of 2025 if the present government don’t scrap the plans - which they haven’t so far. Most benefits will be covered by the legislation, including state pension and child benefit. The intention is to check for indications of fraud, but the capability is there to monitor for other things if necessary. It’s also been mooted that things like spending on supermarket loyalty cards etc, can be monitored if necessary to get an idea of spending habits. That will inevitably include benefit claimants.

Oh sit down. This is getting ridiculous.

@JustAnotherPoster00 Fucking melts?? What a reasoned argument that is!🙄Are you seriously discounting the experience of all of those who know people personally (as opposed to the hearsay you suggest this is) and of those who have worked in the system?

The sad thing is that the shysters are, effectively, not just stealing from the taxpayers but are also meaning the money has to spread further so are stealing from those who need and deserve it

Even the DWP advise disability benefit claimants to describe their condition on their worst days, and tell them how often it happens. The problem is that genuine claimants don’t get a fair shake if they have fluctuating conditions - the effects have to be there at least 50% of the time to qualify for even the most severe conditions. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to tell it like it is if that applies most of the time.

I think this thread highlight why you shouldn't disclose personal finances to friends and family. PIP claimant have been told to describe for worst moments and days.

What about the care part? Mobility is only part of it, you can qualify for just the care part without qualifying for mobility