How’s does PIP work

[Taylo123]

I have applied for PIP, had f2f assessment, I have SVT which has led to AF, asthma, back problems as well as other health conditions and have been awarded 0 points for both daily living and mobility components, any advise or anyone else had same experience?

It's not your condition that matters, it's the impact on your daily life, on your functional activities. How do you manage day to day?

how it works is they have a target number of assessments to fail
they hope that those people who are refused will meekly accept this decision
about 80% of appeals against these decisons are upheld but the process is very stressful- you need support from a specialist agency
good luck

I did self assessment PIP test online and it gave me points for both daily living and mobility! :/

Do a mandatory reconsideration and get citizens or benefits advice to help.

Ask for a copy of the assessors report and then you can see how they’ve scored you.

They're based on your ability to walk.

If you can walk for more than a couple of steps, and you can take care of yourself in the way of cooking, dressing and understanding things like timetables, then you won't be entitled to PIP.

Call your local council and ask for a welfare rights officer to help.

On your ability to live, sorry. Not walk.

But the mobility element is based on moving round.

You have SVT, asthma and back problems? Anything else?

SVT is not seen as a serious condition and most sufferers can get along with their daily life. Asthma even more so. Back problems are relative. Are you severely disabled with extreme pain and mobility issues? If not, then it doesn't sound as if PIP is right for you.

There are people struggling to be awarded PIP who have lifelong conditions and severe disabilities that prevent them from doing anything at all. They expect you to have a carer and they expect you to be pretty much bed confined.

You can appeal. Do your conditions have a major impact on your daily life? Having a condition is not enough. We have a friend (in her 30s) who is only able to move around the house using furniture as an aid, uses sticks for short distances outside the house and a wheelchair for longer distances. She was initially turned down!

Some misconceptions here.

You don’t need to be practically bed bound to get pip.

However, you do need to explain fully how your health conditions impact on your daily life. This could be because of anxiety or mental health issues, it doesn’t have to be physical.

Lots of people with asthma do go on to get pip IF their asthma is severe enough that it impacts on their ability to care for themselves or live a normal life.

I have a son with autism and learning disabilities and although he is only 6 so he is on dla at the moment the forums I belong to have a lot of people going through the pip process and it isn’t straightforward. A lot depends on the assessor you get and how you word the forms!

I am in the process of applying for pip myself. I have had my face to face assessment at home and am waiting for the outcome. I have Addison’s disease, severe asthma, kidney issues, hypothyroidism, pituitary issues and anxiety problems. I don’t know what to expect really. It’s a minefield.

Also, the scoring works on how you can do something repeatedly and safely. So if you can cook a simple meal but the effort to do so means you would be unable to do anything else for the rest of the day or cannot do it again for several days then you could score that you are unable to cook. Etc.

If you can have a shower some days but it means you’re so exhausted you can’t do anything else you’d need to fully explain that.

And so on.

You don’t need to be practically bed bound to get pip

You do at the moment. And even if you are there's still a massive fight to get it.

it doesn’t have to be physical

The moving part of the mobility element has to be physical. The other element is supposed to take mental health into consideration but it's a REAL fight to get there.

A child is awarded PIP without an assessment.

When I had my assessment, I was completely bed confined. I am a wheelchair user with conditions that affect every aspect of my daily living. I cannot walk at all. I have a full time carer who has to help with everything. Dressing, bathing, feeding. Now and again ill get a period of time where I can move around in my wheelchair but my bed confinement these days is more often than not.

I was awarded zero points at my at-home assessment.

I honestly can't see someone being awarded PIP for asthma and back problems, even if they are quite bad.

I hope you appealed comeonover.

Get the paid for guides from https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ they walk you through the entire application process, mandatory reconsideration and appeal.

It's about how your conditions affect you, not what your conditions are. For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis but can prepare and cook yourself a meal you'll get 0 points for that activity; however if you cannot stand, hold a knife/chop, fill a pan/hold a pan then you "should" get points. However they often chance their arm and give nothing, meaning you definitely should undertake mandatory reconsideration and appeal if necessary. You want to ask for a copy of the medical professionals report too.

Did you submit any evidence?

I can not recommend the Benefits & Work guides enough, and the Yourable.com website. You do not have to use their shifty form either, you can submit a typed document, just make sure you sign their shifty form and fill in personal details. On typed document, include NI number and name in the header, and number pages in the bottom right. New page for each question (type out the activity number and question, followed by your text).

Myself and DP have undertaken three PIP claims, one going to appeal, one awarded after f2f - enhanced/enhanced and one a renewal - standard/enhanced. If I can be of use offboard feel free to PM me,@Taylo123

Gosh yes I appealed! I was awarded over 70 points at appeal, but it's getting harder and harder for people now.

Well that's a relief come over.
My DD has multiple sclerosis and gets PIP - but so she should. I think the idea was to weed out people who were playing the system ( and I am sure there were some) but in doing so it makes life very difficult for people who really are severely disabled. You should never have had to go through all of that.

PIP assessors should have a special level of hell assigned to them.

LadyMargaret - I completely agree. And I agree with weeding out the ones who barely have anything wrong. I mean, I've known someone on full disability benefits for slight and intermittent sciatica. She was very proud of the way she "played" the system (her own words).

But yes, in turn that makes it extremely difficult for those of us who do need PIP. What I can't understand is in cases like mine, there were reams of medical evidence from heath care professionals, social services assessments, blue badge awards etc, yet they meant nothing. That's what should be considered as the most evidence, IMO.

I have asked for my most recent post to be removed. I realise it’s insensitive given that others are really struggling to get pip. I just wanted to show that it can be done, and it is a lottery really. I am not by any means bed bound.

Op as people have explained, it's not the fact that you have the conditions, it's the impact they have on you. PIP is notoriously difficult to get first time and the appeal rate is is ridiculous. BUT you will only get it if you have significant issues with your mobility and ability to carry out daily activities.

The system rewards the company for failing applicants they get a quota for it. There have been numerous leaks and whistles blowers about it but the goverment are saying the appeal process is broken since it is upholding 80%+ of appeals so obviously that is what is broken not that assesment process is.

There is a VERY good reason the UN has condemned the UK on its treatment of disabled people. We bloody rank worse then the USA and China on how we treat disabled people. Its bloody disgusting to be honsert

I speak from experience i have autism and dyslexia. Number of times i have had problems with the system and with people is unreal.

I have a degree a masters and law qualifications and i struggle with this new system it is that convulated it is insane. ( this was not a boasting thing i was just showing how highly educated people can struggle with this)

When people talk about "weeding out" the fraudulent claims, they usually haven't seen the figures ... you could pay fraudulent claims ten times over from the amount in benefits that goes unclaimed. And still have some left over.

If people are behind PIP because they genuinely believe the less able should just fuck off, then they should say it and own it. Don't use the pathetic excuse about "fraud" to make yourselves feel good.

OP: Benefitsandwork is a great resource. Also try to get as much documentary evidence from your healthcare team (all the letters they exchange with your GP, for example). I put together over 100 letters over many years for DWs claim (which was awarded).

It's not about the money, DG.

Fraudulent claimers make the PIP process much more difficult for the genuinely disabled (which is who PIP is for, is it not?)

Fraudulent claimers also give the disabled a bad reputation when it comes to day-to-day life. I've lost count of the amount of times I haven't had to use my wheelchair on a good day and have been abused for using disabled facilities. People's attitudes to the disabled are appalling. People genuinely believe that if a disabled person is claiming disability benefits, they should do nothing more than lay in bed weeping. If disabled people are seen out and about, they are looked down upon for being "frauds". I strongly believe this is partly due to the amount of people who do behave fraudulently.

I would LOVE to do some of the things that the person I mentioned above who is so happy about "playing the system" does. Running, dancing, playing with her children. It's of no surprise why people think the way they do when there are those who abuse the system in this way.