What do you spend your PIP on?

[rhubarbsigh]

Hello, I am thinking of applying for this benefit for myself and I just wondered if you get this how you spend it? I suffer from a chronic but intermittent illness but it has been extremely bad recently. Is this something I can buy supplements to help my condition with? To pay for healthy ready meals for days when I am too unwell to cook? Can I buy certain aids or private treatments? Taxi costs if I get stuck out and about and fall ill?

You can choose to spend it how you like.

In the nicest possible way OP - if I were you I’d find out the eligibility criteria first.
there’s a lot of misinformation circulating about disability benefits and what qualifies for an award of each of the disability benefits..

if you are awarded OIP, as pp says, you can spend it as you see fit.

No-one will ask if you could have spent money on raw ingredients rather than a pre-cooked meal, after you have been awarded it.

The requirements for PIP being awarded are around independent living - so for instance there are categories such as can you plan, prepare and cook a meal, can you plan a journey by yourself, dress yourself, wash yourself, take medication yourself etc.

Contrary to what a lot of people would have you believe it’s not purely diagnosis based awarded benefit but about how much assistance you need with daily basic tasks.

Many, many people will have illnesses that cause them pain, fatigue or insomnia etc but they can still wash, dress, feed themselves, take medication, travel (in terms of walking a certain distance and in terms of planning, budget, cook etc.

Best of luck

My friend who is in a similar situation to you spends some of hers on pre chopped onions, pre grated cheese etc

My husband had acute myeloid leukaemia and a transplant. He received PIP as a result. It helped to pay for considerable hospital costs - parking, travel of which we lived hours away. Some people pay for living aids or extra heating bill as they are vulnerable.

There is no set expectation of how you spend it but it is not easy to claim despite what people say. We had to provide significant medical proof including interviews, references and full medical reports including full list of medicines, contact details of all medical support contacts etc.

Hmm, your post feels quite goady, op

But if youre genuine, pip is very very very hard to get, and the people who recieve it definitely deserve it

The money is used to pay for the additonal costs that come with being disabled, so focus on applying first as it wont be easy, but is definitely deserved by 99.9% of applicants

I am sure I meet the criteria it is just that I'd need to ensure I worded my answers correctly.

I assure you I am totally genuine I'm going through the form right now!

I end up spending it on day to day living expenses and bills. I also use it for taxis to medical appointments as I can't do public transport. I don't think it would be enough to also afford a carer or helper or whatever if/when I required one.

@DiscoBob I suppose that is a concern that it isn't enough to do make a meaningful difference to the disabled persons outcomes but it does help with cost of living. There are days / weeks when I could really use someone to help me do basic things but then it's impractical to arrange this on a as and when basis. My condition is intermittent which adds some difficulty but it is currently very bad and so I am affected most days now.

It kind of goes in the family pot because I can’t work but it helps with parking for appointments, deliveries as I don’t leave the house. Have used some for therapy in the past.

I get it for my child. I spend it on therapies for him every week and to subsidise unpaid leave I take in the school holidays as I can't get anyone to care for him.

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. It definitely helps and you should spend it on whatever you want or need to help your life. But yeah, it's not really a kings ransom. Especially If someone had a very high level of physical support needs.

Are you eligible for any other benefits, or are you already on them?

I use mine for a cleaner who comes in twice a week, to clean, do laundry and such. A gardener to mow the lawn and keep on top of things. A dog walker. A carer who pops in each day to help me in the shower (but I'm having a walk in shower fitted and the shower over the bath all removed so that should be easier). A ready meal food delivery, taxis and a dog sitter for when I'm having a day when I need to sleep.

My friend survived stage 4 cancer and now has heart failure, likely triggered by the effects of cancer treatment. He gets a very small amount of PIP that goes some way to his day to day living costs of paying his mortgage and bills etc. When he was first poorly with heart failure he was signed off work, then a phased return of half days but his Occ Health department at work has insisted he stays on half days and so of course he gets half pay.

The difficulty with intermittent conditions is that to satisfy the PIP criteria your needs (not just the condition) must have lasted at least 3 months and be expected to last at least 9 months more. So if you are not going to experience your difficulties for at least half the time, for at least 9 more months, it doesn't matter if it's really bad for 6 months, for example.

Just fill in the form, and see how you get on.

I think I meet that criteria. If someone has a miracle cure I will take that instead!

I posted above re criteria.. as you say you’ll meet them Then go for it OP!
I don’t think it would cover much in the way of a carer for example but most likely for things like you mentioned- taxis, pre-made food/home deliveries, aids you might need for bathing/showering, other things as pp have mentioned- therapies, gardeners etc but also things like audio subscriptions if you can’t hold a book for long, aids to help either writing or excercise. Anything up to and including OT/PT, expensive adaptive equipment like Eyegaze.
My DD is severely disabled and gets DLA. It doesn’t cover what she could benefit from overall but it’s better than nothing!

@rhubarbsigh the citizens advice bureau are very good at helping you fill these forms in. They can usually come to the doctor's surgery for an appointment. Good luck x i use my pip for transport and aids to help with mobility