1,000 new PIP claims per day?

[flashbac]

Is this true? (From someone who is naturally cynical of government info.)

If it is, is there something else behind the statistic? Is it because people have to reapply or something like that?

This is from the government website:

"Monthly PIP awards have more than doubled since the pandemic, rising from 13,000 to 34,000 - a rate of around 1,000 new claims per day, or the population of Leicester every year."

I find the statistic unbelievable.

Genuine claimants can get help with applying, from the CAB and I believe some charities. Re the term gravy train, I believe that term is appropriate for something that dishonest/idle/morally bankrupt people see others getting and want to get it themselves, hence the hugely spiralling number of claims. Or is it just a coincidence that claims have increased massively since they stopped the in person assessment? Funny that.

There's nothing wrong with receiving help to fill out PIP/DLA forms as long as what is said is truthful then it isn't fraud.

I had help from social workers, a DLA facebook group and an online DLA guide. The forms are long, complicated and overwhelming so it isn't surprising that some people ask for help.

No she doesn't as no child under 16 gets PIP it's DLA and a different criteria.

Its the assessor that decides if the person applying gets the money or not. Not you or 'others'. And there has never been a question asking what people spend it on

No child under 16 gets PIP. It is for 16+ only.

UC came in and replaced a lot of benefits same with PIP a lot of these claimants would have been entitled to the legacy benefits

@DrPrunesqualer ..my dsd gets PIP. She has a severe relapsing eating disorder. For the last four yrs her father and I have paid out of our taxed income for private psychiatry , private psychologist, private dietician and two in patient stays....her PIP covers a fraction of the monthly therapy bill...she be dead if we'd left her to the NHS.
That's the kind of think Pip is supposed to pay for....

Some conditions do not need a face to face assessment if their submitted evidence is enough. If the submitted evidence is about someone having profound LD, then what is to be gained by seeing them in person? Especially by someone who has no training that is relevant to the condition the person applying for PIP has.
Why is the evidence from their consultants etc not enough?

Apologies, his dad said 'disability benefit' and I thought PIP forgetting kids still get DLA.

If it’s so easy for non genuine claimants to be accepted, why are so many genuine claimants not accepted? Only around 4/10 claims are accepted first time. If it’s so easy to cheat the system, why is it so low?

@drprunesqualer
You, like many others, fail to understand many things about this benefit.

“Its there to support you dealing with your condition”

So, what is your criteria for “dealing” with a condition?

Is it not acceptable for someone with MS to reduce their hours to 16 a week, and use PIP to perhaps hire a cleaner, so that they can live in a clean environment?

I am a PIP assessor. I read countless, terrible stories, from vulnerable people, every day. I know exactly how the money benefits those that need them. You, honestly, do not.

In the kindest way, you are not the authority on this subject, and you show yourself to be more and more clueless in every further post on this topic.

Exactly this @deadpantrashcan

anyone that can’t understand where the money is needed, should count themselves very lucky

Yep.

I'd give anything to only have to 'wonder' what people use their PIP or child's DLA for.

I wish it didn't have to be my son's actual life.

No, it isn’t. It is to meet the extra costs of the disability. I’m surprised you’re not aware of that, being an assessor and all. There are other benefits (ESA, LCWRA) which people can claim alongside working reduced hours.

Yes, there ARE other benefits. Not everyone on PIP gets every other benefit.

UC/ESA isn’t for disability. What are you actually on?

I bring the fact I’m an assessor into this simply to highlight that I do know what I’m talking about. I also don’t work in every single benefit area. Please don’t try to use it as an attempt to mock me for simply trying to educate you on what actually goes on.

I think there are a few reasons. Firstly Jeremy Hunt put into law that mental health issues would have the same ‘rights’ as physical problems. Secondly the massive NHS waiting lists & thirdly the poor mental health of the Nation.

People with mental illness have always had the same rights as people with physical disabilities
I qualified as a mental health nurse in the mid 90,s people were claiming DLA as it was then, for mental illness.

Additionally, where is it that you retrieve all your “knowledge” regarding benefit schemes?

In all honesty, I had no clue about what was available or what kind of things could be claimed, until I needed to look into it for a family member, and then began working in the area.

It’s surprising to me that so many seem to know so much about something that doesn’t seem to have any bearing on their own lives? Yet are so willing to continuously fight back anything which doesn’t fit their narrative, even when someone with first hand experience tries to share something of worth with them.

It’s a lost cause. Here’s hoping you never need to claim 🙏

and honestly, lastly, the REASON they are on reduced hours, is because they are DISABLED.

Not because they are struggling to find work due to a shortage of jobs, not being skilled enough, a company closing down, or whatever else people claim ESA for.

They are disabled. They claim PIP for disability. Not other benefits.

I actually do claim. I have R/R Multiple Sclerosis and receive the standard rate for mobility and daily living. I work full time as a teacher and use the funds to support the costs of my disability c such as

taxis when I I’m in relapse
pre chopped vegetables and fruit m, which are more expensive, as I often find I don’t have the dexterity to do it myself. Likewise, microwave meals
a walking aid for episodes of ‘drop-foot’
an electronic reminder during ‘brain fog’
water therapy sessions
things like extra grips in the bathroom and kitchen
occasional cleaners for my living space
the heat and cold can exacerbate the symptoms, so the extra costs of heating in winter and running a fan in the summer.

when I applied my MS nurse emphasised it was not to replace wages,I love my job,
but like I said, to cover the additional costs of my MS.

Great, I’m so glad we’re able to help you meet those costs. But WHY is it so hard for you to grasp that other people, in a similar situation, might also need to claim?

Why is only your situation relevant?

I do honestly applaud you for being able to teach full time with your condition. I was a teacher in a past life before moving into PIP and honestly had to leave due to the stress levels. It’s a tough gig, for sure.

I can also understand that, as you are fortunately able to work full time, you might not be able to understand situations where others might be unable to.

I have had applicants with your condition that honestly, would not have been able to uphold a full time teaching gig. Not because they didn’t love their job. It was just simply not feasible, as conditions can impact people differently.

It was made law when Jeremy Hunt was Health Secretary

UC/ESA isn’t for disability. What are you actually on?

ESA absolutely is the income replacement benefit someone whose disability impacted their ability to work would claim...

It was more that I couldn’t figure out what additional costs would come from ADHD, having a disability that does bring tangible additional costs, it kinda hit a nerve I guess.

I’ve only been teaching for about 15 years but disability aside, it’s a different job now. The paperwork alone is insane, and that’s without the actual teaching! But that’s another story lol 😂🙈