To be shocked that incontinence is ignored under PIP

[larant]

I have urinary incontinence to the point that I wear nappy like pads all the time. I still have accidents and if I am away from home for long, carry spare clothing as accidents are not uncommon. However under PIP, this is totally irrelevant.

The criteria cover body between waist and neck, hair and lower body. So if you have difficulties washing your feet you have difficulties washing your lower body, so may score points.

I'm lucky enough to say since spinal surgery I no longer suffer as much as I did when I tried to get dla. Even though I often used a wheel chair because I struggled to walk I was refused mobility because they said I could get on a bus with a wheel chair!

I also have problems with holding my own water lol. So I empithise with you so much, I do stick close to home as a result but I have requested a referral from my GP to look at surgery to help the problem, I'm in my late 30's and I'm sick of suffering with these issues.

I noticed you don't get rewarded for helping yourself on the benefit assessments, if I had refused to get up every morning because of pain, and not got my kids dressed and to school I would have got help, because I struggled threw I got no help.

For anyone whose had a dodgy interview or decision, I can't recommend the benefits and work website highly enough. Yes, DWP-contracted assessors don't always get it right, but iirc they aren't the final word- the professional's written report is then looked at together with the form, by the official 'decision-maker'.

And there is a middle ground for those who don't feel up for an appeal- you just ask for a 'reconsideration' and a DWP manager looks at the evidence afresh. Some of the rules look horrible written down; but in practice, the courts have defined things like "can't do" or "needs help" to cover people who struggle hugely but crack on anyway. Which the higher-ups in the system usually know, the assessors should know too, but don't always.

I know the formal benefits appeal process feels awful, but, having spoken to very large numbers of people who've been through it, the success rates are really high. And most say their independent panel was fair and thorough.

Thanks Loletta. I get free giant incontinence pads from the NHS. And they still gave me zero for this.
I don't understand why being able to put a ready made meal in an oven means zero points, but in a microwave means two points? I can do that, but I can't physically cook a meal.

Helppy driving is considered under the going out and about bit but they don't consider adaptations like hand controlled cars - only "a specialist navigational aid" which doesn't include sat navs as they are not specialist, so no one actually knows of one that can be used on the form.

Things like drying yourself and cleaning up sick increase the time you require a carer for and under DLA were counted. Its only under PIP they don't.

Also the wheelchair bit is sadly true, its happened to my brothers wheelchair bound neighbour as they class her ability to use a wheel chair to travel more than 50m as her not needing higher rate mobility and thus her car with roof box wheelchair picked upper holder thing. Its also plastered all over forums on sites who aim to help disabled people get PIP. Vast numbers are loosing their cars and having to appeal because assessors are saying it is theoretically possible for them to use a wheel chair to travel over 50m (to get higher rate mobility and thus a car you must not be able to travel more than 50m, safely and at reasonable speed).

Also under DLA anxiety over a physical problem counted but under PIP there are vast numbers losing points on the care element because assessors are saying linked to a physical disability it no longer counts. These people are having to appeal to get it counted.

The mentality of PIP seems to be that it's compensation for not being able to do things. Rather than help towards being able to do them.

As a Personal Independence Payment it's spectacularly ill-named.

Why the activity about going out is 'planning and following a journey' and is a journey by publics transport, which is why they don't care about adaptations to your car. So it doesn't matter if you have a car, can't afford a car, have had your license taken away,never passed your test etc. it's how you plan and follow (mentally follow not physically follow) a journey by public transport, not what sort of help you need to drive!

And activity 12 is about the distance you can 'stand and move'. So saying you can use a wheelchair is completely wrong. I'm surprised that would get through the first decision, should be picked up at reconsideration stage, but would definitely get overturned at appeal.

larent the food preparation activity is 'at waist height'. So putting things in ovens is excluded unless you have a high oven. Effectively with the cooking bit they are looking at using a hob, and a microwave a s a replacement for the hob if you can not use that safely, reliably, etc

The key thing with PIP is whether or not you can do something consistently and within a timely manner. You can only bath twice a week. That's not consistent so should have awarded you points.

With cooking, if you can only ever have a ready meal, you should get points. The criteria is preparing a meal with ingredients (consistently and in a timely manner). A ready meal isn't ingredients. You can't cook a meal. So you should have got points there too.

And obviously the pads are an aid so should have scored you points there.

I'd be appealing and doing the appeal with assistance from Citizens Advice or someone who has experience with this.

Op, I haven't read the whole thread but I'm not surprised, they don't seem to be recognising anything much now I was turned down for mobility even though I already have a blue badge. They insisted I could walk perfectly well. I appealed and it made no difference. bastards

Natalia - CAB helped me fill out my form and appealed for me, made no difference at all. They said they are getting loads of people who they just score 0. I scored zero even though I scored REALLY high according to a vey experienced woman at CAB plus as I said earlier I already have a blue badge.

The whole system is appalling.

And if you can lift a ready meal from a microwave then that counts as a meal unfortunately

Knowing how hard it now is to get blue badge that is ludicrous damediazepam have you thought about taking it to the papers?

Chuffinada- oh god, I can't think of anything worse I'd have to practise my DM sad face and brace myself for reader's comments about benefit scroungers.

sorry it was just an idea! That or get your MP on the case

Yes, MP is a good idea but the whole thing was so stressful and the assessment was just awful, I had to go home and go to bed afterwards, the assessor was so ignorant of any MH illness or physical come to that even though apparently she was a nurse. I've given up now, which is what they bank on of course.

so many of us are in the same boat.

That's awful dame :( What a terrible system :(

Sorry to hijack but what I found soooo demoralising was the language used in the decision letter - I believe you can walk 200 meters (really? Where the fuck did you get that from because I certainly didn't say that?!) I believe you have no anxiety problems ( even though I spent nearly a year in a psych hospital) I believe you have full movement in your legs ( even though I have X-rays showing plates, pins and screws)

Urghhh, just awful.

Sorry for the rant, I'll shut up now

OP I really feel for you, it's utterly rotten

The walking thing riles me

I can walk 200m, I can walk upwards of 2 miles. But I then can walk no further. I stop dead and am completely and utterly immobile and riddled with pain. I got 4 points on my PIP for that bit because I can't sustain walking and repeat it. It really does seem to be at the discretion of the assessor as to whether they give you the points or not

I've said it so many times but the inconsistency is the worst bit about pip.

That's awful! How can they get away with applying it so inconsistently? It's so unfair :(

I can sometimes walk, sometimes not at all, I told them and got mobility, it's the care element I am getting reassessed.
The whole system is mad.

Its disgusting.i can go all week without eating breakfast or lunch if im having a bad day asthere is noone to make it for me as i cant make it myself.
I can walk but i cant stand up for long periods, its why i had to leave my job!
Yh i can walk due to the cocktail of drugs im on!
Now realised iv been wetting myself but no point declaring that as they'll only say im saying it now as im appealing the result

I've just been bedded by an infection and had to live on crackers and cheese, dried fruit and nuts, and just add water couscous. It's frustrating being alone when you cannot look after yourself, and having someone who has no idea how difficult your life is make judgements about what you can and can't do.