I’m a PIP assessor, happy to advise if I can

[Impr90]

Hello all,

If you’ve got any questions you think I might be able to help with, please let me know

All the best for the New Year

No one can make that determination from the information here - even the most experienced of assessors. You would need to apply. Awards aren’t based on a diagnosis, they are based on how the conditions impacts day to day life and mobility, whether that fluctuates and the severity of the impairment.

OP, are you aware you're AI?

Hi OP. I’ve had a chronic illness for 5 years that has slowly worsened and continues to get worse. I eventually started the PIP claim process a couple of years ago and was awarded the basic daily living component which I felt was a fair decision at the time. However, friends who also get PIP for similar keep telling me that I should be entitled to the mobility component too but I’m not sure if I am and would love your opinion:

I have pain in my legs and hips at all time but am fully able to walk and can walk for about half an hour. I’m in pain afterwards but not to the point that I can’t move or get up. In my head, that means that I’m mobile and not entitled to it. I don’t usually need walking aids (although I do occasionally when pain is particularly bad). However, fatigue is the main symptom of my illness and it is severe. Even sitting upright makes the fatigue much worse. Basically, doing anything other than lying down flat makes my fatigue far worse, to the point that I can’t do anything. Walking any distance other than the few metres to the bathroom and back to bed makes my fatigue much worse and makes me feel as though I have mild flu symptoms. HOWEVER, I have no choice but to go to work (only 20 hours per week) where obviously I walk around an sat upright the whole time. I have to do this because I cannot afford to live if I don’t work. The impact on my health is huge and my life consists of going to work and lying down at home, occasionally managing a lunch out with my partner, occasionally managing to make a meal (usually unable to cook). On a very very rare occasion (maybe 5 times in the past year) when I’ve been having a really good health week, I’ve even managed to go for a run for a mile or two - something I attempt a few times a year because I used to love running and miss it so much. Again, the impact on my health is enormous and a 2 miles slow run can mean that I spend the new few days lying flat all day feeling like I have flu. But at the time of actually running, it feels ok - not good like it used to, it feels hard but do-able. Does this mean that I have mobility issues? My friend says definitely because the impact on my health is huge if I walk or sit up, but because I have no option other to do those things I live my life with the severe symptoms that this causes. I think not because I walk and sit up every day because I have to do that. Yes, my symptoms are far worse as a consequence but I can still do it at the time so therefore I don’t count as having mobility issues.

Why would you think I would post that sort of personal information relating to someone else on the internet? I can name their condition in general terms but I am not going to expand on the answer I gave above as I don't want to inadvertently give information that could lead to them being identified and I don't have their consent for that.

Why did you think that was an appropriate question to ask?

In those cases they’d be awarded for co morbid conditions associated with the condition as opposed to the condition itself

Sorry for sounding thick, but what does this mean?

What are your thoughts on individuals on-line and on youtube who I have seen advertising their skills to get the best result on a PIP assessment - is it a waste of time of money - or does a well prepared and completed assessment help you ?

I would assume it means that the poster has put the op's posts through an AI detector and it's come up as a positive for AI? As in, the detection systems thinks the poster writes as if they are AI?

It should say on your report that they spoke with health officials. which can include your GP or other mental health professionals

No. There was talk a while back about employing specialist assessors for things like neurological conditions but assessors are not specialists so may not have personal knowledge of individual conditions. Remember, it’s not the diagnosis that matters, it’s the impact of your condition on daily life. And that last part is really offensive. Assessors don’t lie on reports, and they don’t ‘hate’ disabled people - they report as they find. Not everyone who applies for PIP will qualify - many seemingly severe conditions simply won’t meet the very strict criteria for PIP. That isn’t the fault of the individual assessor, they are following the rules and guidelines laid down as standard for all PIP assessments.

You should define some boundaries

• which kinds of queries are broadly applicable across all service provider companies
• what you cannot give an informed view on

I think it’s meant as an insult

possibly, may i ask how do i determine which benefit i’m on? apologies i do have learning difficulties, understanding all of this is proving to be challenging ;(

The can request medical evidence (and anecdotally it seems ADB proactively ask for Dr’s evidence more than PIP) and if that was enough then they don’t need to phone you.

It’s rare but does happen.

Hi OP,
In your opinion, can a plan be put in place regarding PIP renewals and not having to be reassessed when one has multiple degenerative, debilitating conditions that have already been diagnosed for 20 years in a 48 year old? She is under the care of 4 different Consultants in 2 different NHS trusts….her health & the issues that come with it aren’t going to get any better.

The reassessments seem to be emotionally traumatic on top of what is already a physically and emotionally exhausting daily way of life.

I can prove my assessor lied. They said I could do things that my specialists had indicated I could not do, and that I told the assessor I could not do, and that I had written on the pip application that I could not do.

I've never claimed a benefit & have always worked full time.

Because I have epilepsy (recently worsened) I've been advised by my specialist when I've asked to definitely try for pip. Especially the mobility part and also my husband is basically my carer, manages my medication and deals with seizures etc.

Would I be eligible? I've never liked the idea of claiming as I've always worked but feel like it'd really help us. Do you have any advice on how to go about claiming??

Thanks

Ahh ok, thank you.

Sorry what? It was you who made a disclosure about their condition, nature of their condition and their award entitlement

It should be noted that claimants don’t get a copy of the assessors’ report as standard - they have to request it. And it won’t be sent to a claimant before they have received the official decision letter.

Your paper work will tell you. Also if you don’t have that then the reference on your bank account when money comes in will usually give it away - it’ll often say ESA, PIP, or similar somewhere in the reference

If you get varying amounts it’s definitely not PIP you get though.

I didn't. I named their condition and advised you that people could indeed be awarded for diabetes. Why were you asking for further information?

Please don’t apologise! Do you have any means of getting in contact with a benefits advisor? They would be best placed to support you

Speak to one of the epilepsy charities - they’ll be best placed to help you do a claim for your specific needs.

My first assessor lied as well. Said I’d refused to have a specific physical examination done but she didn’t even ask me if she could do it (and I would have agreed if she had!)