I’m a PIP assessor - is there anything I can help you with?

[Candledrip]

Please let me know if I can help

Sorry you feel so cross @SquashedSquid i hope you’re ok

Do you like your job?

See these jobs advertised a lot & wonder about job stress/satisfaction. Reviews of the companies are never great.

How to successfully get PIP. Ive tried twice for me, once for DS (who got DLA and then PIP but the PIP then got removed). Ive spent hours and hours filling in the forms. Stressing over the telephone assessment. Zero points. Appealing. Zero points.
Its all such a hideous waste of time.

It’s the lesser of all the evils. I had enough of clinical nursing so here I am

I’m afraid you’ll have to be a little bit more specific than that..

I have a question, I have a degenerative hip condition, sometimes literally cannot move out of bed as my Sacriolitic joint has seized up that much , this causes issues like unable to get to the toilet, and being left stuck until my husband gets home. I get a lot of these flare ups on a good day I can walk a short distance. I also struggle with sitting for too long. I was awarded standard day to day and zero mobility, I still work. I have friends who claim for mental health and get the full rate of everything which they mostly spend at the pub how does this happen ?

Would you recommend to a burnt out senior specialist nurse then? Have you done it for long?
I see these jobs but worry that it might be even worse (if that’s possible!)

How could they possibly get the mobility component of PIP for MH issues?

I’m in the process of applying. Well I’m waiting for the form to arrive. I’ve had an injury followed by an operation. I’m on crutches and don’t know if I’ll ever be off them. I look after myself but can’t clean other than sinks etc at waist height. I’ve also developed an over active bladder so I can’t go out unless I can guarantee easy access to a disabled toilet.

Do I stand any chance?

I have no idea but they get full rate of both parts

Really sorry to hear about your conditions. I claim pip on MH grounds. I did an application and sent in a huge amount of evidence and was awarded from that evidence and then have just had a review and been awarded another 2 years. I have never had an interview. I applied once before but stopped the claim when I did have to go for interview but couldn't face it. There's no way I can work I'm not saying permanently I'm saying now. I don't spend it in the pub, however if that helps those people to tackle their mh problems which means they get into work that's a positive. You don't know what going on really with their finances and whilst I'm sure people do take the piss I think it's more likely for someone to keep going and pretend they haven't MH problems. The money I get is a huge help as it's pays for someone to come out to me every day to help with our hobby farm that on a good day gives me a huge amount of pleasure. On a normal day I struggle to leave my room and on a bad day well it's ugly. I don't think you'd want to swap with me. MH disorders are on the increase as there's no funding. I think I'm slowly getting better or more stable and the funds I get have massively helped that.

Do you get a bonus if you are able to recruit PIP advisors? An advisor I know of claims to get one.

Please don't think I was having a dig at people with mental health issues I genuinely was not , if the pip is used to enhance your life and make whatever anyone's condition easier to live with great , but the people i mean claim they never leave the house due to anxiety but are in the pub 4 days minimum it's just frustrating I'm young and injured myself in the army and over a telephone appointment someone decided I didn't qualify it's just very frustrating that all , I'm glad genuinely that what you get helps to improve your life x

Do you have any thoughts on what changes the government might make to PIP with theses billions of pounds worth of cuts they plan to save for the benefits bill ? Will they make PIP a more simplified process ?

Hi I have some sort of skin condition on my right hand already saw the gp for it they weren't even sure if it's dermatitis or eczema they give me steroid cream help abit but an hour later it's back to my skin falling off and breaking ( it's literally opening where there is about a 1cm blood around it I wear white cotton gloves after I put cream on them) when moving now this might be a silly question but it affects how I do things like cleaning cooking picking up stuff my fingers are also swollen
Iv been debating about applying for a skin condition in your option can I apply ?

Many people get higher rate mobility PIP for mental health issues because they are unable to leave the house etc due to panic/ anxiety etc. There are two mobility descriptors for PIP, one that looks at how you can physically move about and one that is more to do with mental health, ability to undertake a journey alone etc. It's perfectly possible to score enough to get enhanced mobility just on one of these.

When they act sympathetic on the phone assessments, is it a part of what you’re told to do or is it genuine? I had an assessment a few months ago and was very honest about the difficulties I face, and the assessor was all “that sounds awful, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with all of this” only to score me 0 on all areas. I really don’t understand how as I have actual difficulty with most of the things I was asked about.

It does seem odd that people who don't leave the house get extra for mobility. Much cheaper to stay at home.

For those asking how people get the mobility part for mental health, they dont. They get it for mental illness affecting their mental health. If you don't understand how mental illness can affect someone's ability to move around, go out, get from A to B, then you are very fortunate.

I regularly see clients through work who get top rates for both components ( over £750+ every four weeks) for anxiety/ panic/ not leaving the house. I do sometimes wonder what it all gets spent on. I guess a lot are spending it just to supplement rent , bills etc as other benefits don't cover it all adequately. I guess taxis etc also if they can't use public transport.

What do you do on renewal if you have an ongoing, long term condition but haven’t received any treatment or new diagnosis since your last application? Say if you have ASD/ severe anxiety and nothing has changed? I’m concerned I’ve got no evidence.

Yeesh you're braver than me, they stopped my mams once because "she got out of her car too fast" it was wild

Ok I have a question.
Why are PIP assessors so keen on ‘she can drive therefore I consider she can cook/wash herself’.
These are completely different activities, requiring different muscles, abilities etc….
Never mind the assessor has plenty of information on how difficult the activities (cooking/washing) is fir the person from OT etc…,
Apparentjy they can tell (iver tye phone) just because you can drive…..

Amount of times pip roles have tried to head hunt me but tbh the money doesn't sound that good and I just couldn't be bothered ringing the crisis team so many times per week (what ive been told). I wfh 9 til 530 get hour for lunch to get kids from school whatever hols I want private provider nhs patients equivelent to top band 6 currently doing a job most people would hate but rewarding so you can get other jobs if you wished but hopefully you enjoy your job.

How many times have you had to report suicidal ideology to the GP or crisis team